Finally be strengthened by the Lord and His vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.  This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.
Ephesians 6:10-13 HCSB

Now some of you read that title and immediately, emphatically answered no. Some of you read it and weren’t so sure. And some of you may have read it and hung your head. I used to be both a coward and a quitter, but not anymore. Let me explain. Being a Christian isn’t for sissies. It’s not for cowards and quitters. It is often difficult. We are called to obey God. We are called to trust in someone we cannot see. 2 Corinthians 5:7 tells us we walk by faith, not by sight. We are called to live our lives according to His will. We are called to resist temptation. We are called to do really hard things like love others and be good to them, even if they’ve been horrible to us. It’s not a lifestyle for cowards.

The coward is afraid to even try the Christian life. They are afraid of being different from those around them and even more afraid of stepping out of that life and into a new one. They are afraid of getting a new group of friends. So, they remain in their life of sin where they have become comfortable with the misery it brings. They know it’s wrong, but it has become comfortable to them. They may even feel convicted or disgusted with themselves, but they just don’t feel strong enough to leave the life that they have become used to living. Even if that life is dragging them further and further down, they remain there. They are too cowardly to even try to get out.

Now the quitter has tried the Christian life. They may have walked the aisle, been baptized, and become a full fledged, bible toting church member. They may still be a member and may still attend regularly, but have found that whole Ten Commandment thing to be more than they can handle. So, they just continue to masquerade and hope that no one figures out that they are leading a double life. Or, they may have just quit. They may have simply returned to their life of sin because they find it much easier.

If you fall into one of these categories, I have another question for you. Do you want to change? Do you want peace and joy in your life? If so, there is help for you. I can actually tell you where you went wrong. I know because I have been there myself. I was raised in church and had some strong Christian influences in my life. But to save you a long, boring story let me just say that I got to a point in my life where I thought I was strong enough and smart enough to do things on my own. I was wrong. I failed. There were times when I fell into that quitter category. Then I would try again and I would do well for a while and then I would pridefully think that I had this and would fail.

I had to realize a few things before I could get it right. First, I had to realize that I had no strength without God. I had to draw from His strength. I also had to realize that I had to use the armor He provided. I had to trust in Him to keep me safe, especially when the going got rough. The most important thing I had to understand was this whole spiritual battle concept. When people come against me, I have to understand that it’s not that person. It’s the devil working through that person. I have to see the battle for what it is, a spiritual battle. Once I see it for what it is, I can use the proper weaponry to defeat the enemy. We are told in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 that the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of this world, but they have the divine power to demolish strongholds. The other wonderful thing is that when we fight these spiritual battles and we are on God’s side and use His armor, weapons and strength, we can’t be defeated. We are told in Isaiah 54:17 that no weapon formed against us shall prevail.

If you are hiding behind your sin and shaking in your boots because the Christian life is just too hard, know that it does take great strength. But, remember you are a blood bought child of God. He will hide you behind the cross. He will fight your battles and you can stand firm in the armor He provides. Don’t quit. Trust in Him, He will give you strength so you will be able to face whatever the devil sends your way.

Have a great day!