Wonder Woman -- Who Me?
(Adapted from "Be Strong in the Lord: Finding Your Inner Wonder Woman" presentation, given at Out of the Nest 2018.)
Now that we're wrapping up our "warrior month", let me ask you: Are you feeling like Wonder Woman or more like her frumpy old caretaker who polishes her armbands? (Ok, so there is no evidence that Wonder Woman even has such a caretaker, but if she did, I can almost guarantee she'd be old and frumpy-looking.)
Well, friend, I want you to know something: regardless of how you feel, you are a warrior. Because there is a war. A spiritual war that is waging every. single. day. And unfortunately, this war doesn't change based on how we feel -- in fact, one could argue that it wages strongest when we are at our weakest.
Because you see, the Father of Lies {the devil} wants nothing more but to convince us that the war is not between him and God, between all that is evil and all that is good, but rather, it is between those who believe and those who do not. Better yet, he would like us to believe that there is no war at all. But the Bible tells us otherwise:
“For our struggle is NOT against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
But thankfully, the story doesn't end there. Not only does the war not change based on how we feel, neither does the truth which compels us to keep on fighting.
So just how DO we go about finding our "inner Wonder Woman"?
1. Protect Your Mind
Think of your mind as a container, filled with everything which you allow in. If this container is full of the latest Hollywood gossip, negative thoughts about yourself and/or others, a constant comparing of yourself to others as a result of social media, toxic relationships, etc., it is near impossible to have a clear head when standing up against the devil's attacks -- we may even miss them all together! The Bible tells us:
“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish the arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
2. Remember Who You Are & Where Your Strength Comes From
God doesn't make mistakes. When He created you, He did so with an exact purpose in mind. He didn't create you to be anyone other than you. And He didn't create anyone else to be just like you either. Therefore, your battle and your courage is not going to look just like anyone elses. He calls you "daughter" -- it is only through this relationship that we can have any power over the devil at all!
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
3. Remember Why You are Fighting
Christ loved you. And not only did He love you, but He loved all people and therefore, gave His life to save all people. This love of Christ compels us (2 Corinthians 5:14-15) to fight the battle, stand against the devil and his evil schemes and continue to spread the truth of His love to all of the world.
“..let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider HIM who endured such opposition from the sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
So take heart, my friend. There is a Wonder Woman inside all of us just waiting to be unleashed on the devil. God has already made us more than conquerors in this fight (Romans 8:37-39) and He will continue to guide us as we take our stand here on earth. For the Lord is truly not finished with us yet!
“Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart...But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body...Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly, we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
