In Depth Devotions for Christians

Warriors Standing in The Gap Part 1

Warriors Standing

in the Gap

Part 1

Not to long ago while my family was going through some major battles while in prayer God gave me this image: It was of a Warrior tired and wounded from battle ready to give into the enemy’s fiery arrows raining down round about them and two other Warriors step in raising their shields to protect their friend till they were strong enough to stand on their own again. Saints is that not what we are called to do? I don’t know about you but that was a clear message for me. God is calling his warriors to stand in the gap.

During this time others whom I’ve known came to mind that have battle the BIG dreaded D word depression. And it was impressed on my heart that this is not just a battle non christians fight but christians as well. We automatically think that because we’re saved we’re immune to it NOPE not the case though we can be delivered from it sometimes God uses it to make us stronger warriors much like the two friends that came in to help. I was reminded of the stigma around depression and anxiety in the Church were so often in hushed tones I would hear fellow Christians say oh they don’t have enough faith oh they’re not really saved LIES I tell you LIES from the pit of hell actually meant to wear down the believer battling depression and anxiety. John 10:10 KJV

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

While working on putting this together Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (9Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.) kept coming to mind and I’m guessing that's where the image came from.

So often we neglect our fellow brothers and sisters in the faith going through this battle. I am not immune to forgetting nor am I to depression and anxiety as I have battled both in my life. I have also given it to the Lord to be healed of and yet I still battle it’s not a person's faith or lack of it’s the plan the Lord has for that person and as foreign as this may sound sometimes that plan is walking that road know you are never alone.

Not that long ago I did a study on Duet. 20:1-4 it was impressed on my heart to work on this as a Spiritual warfare study. I looked at Ephesian 6:10-18 I looked at the Armor of God which we are called to put on as we do warfare against the evil presence in this world. In this passage we are told (For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.) we are not fighting against things of this world but that we do battle against the unseen world.

I love the story of Ruth and Naomi and if you think people of God aren’t susceptible to bouts of depression look no further then Naomi who lost her husband and two sons and was left with just her daughter in laws and then only one of them went with her back home. Where upon arriving she told her family and friends that her name was no longer Naomi but Mira meaning bitter. Yet God in is master plan used both Ruth and Naomi to father the grandfather of a king named David a man after God’s own heart and to whose lineage God promised his own son would be born one day. Lets not focus on the fact that Ruth was a Moabite a non Jewish woman which back in those days was a law breaking thing!

I am slowly continuing to work on this study so I’ll post as parts as the Lord leads me. I think this has been one of my hardest studies to do yet I feel called to put it together. Far too often there is a stigma around being a christian which means we have all our crap together and we don’t go through things like depression or anxiety. But it’s the opposite we battle it on a daily basis. Satan throws things back at us past sins, insecurities, anything he can to beat us down. I think truth be told if there is one thing Christians can be truthful about is we’ve battled some form whether small or great of depression. Coming from someone who has battle this for over 15 years I know this as a Christian if not for my belief in a saving loving caring God and in his word which is his very breath I don’t know where I’d be he has proven time and time again in my life he is a real God. and oh so amazing.

More to come….