You can be walking quite a pleasant pathway for a while, then seemingly out of nowhere it seems you are battling your way through thorns and thistles, getting lost and falling into perilous pits.
Life’s thorns will always overwhelm us when our guard is down. We need to wield the shield of faith, make swift use of the sword of the Spirit, ensure we are protected by the helmet of salvation and have the breastplate of righteousness in place.
Being prepared isn’t just a rallying call for the wise or a motto for the Scout movement, it’s also how we fight our way back to holy joy when everything seeks to steal and destroy.
[bctt tweet=”Guarding our hearts means garrisoning them around with faith and Scripture”]
Guarding our hearts means garrisoning them around with faith and Scripture, plus plenty of godly wisdom and discernment. It is vital to wear our armoury and to believe in its protective power.
We’re in a war. And it will always be thus until we make our way heavenwards. Yet we do not fight alone. Our Captain is battling alongside us, urging us on when the going gets tough.
He whispers sweet reminders at times about how this battle is His and not our own. Jesus has already done all the leg work on our behalf, paid the great price to set us free from the deadliest snares and traps of the enemy.
As we place our faith and trust in Him, we become pilgrim soldiers in an army stretching into eternity. Our brothers and sisters in Christ, fellow foot soldiers and pilgrims, join hands together, battling as one with us.
[bctt tweet=”We are never as alone as we may feel when we’re walking the way of faith”]
You may feel like you’re going solo, but there is actually an invisible army beside you, sharing support and giving encouragement. We are never as alone as we may feel when we’re walking the way of faith, because Holy Spirit lives within.
Keep battling on, my friend! God’s got you covered and you are making far more ground than you realise. Sometimes you’ve just got to keep enduring and persevering. It feels like I’ve been pressing past obstacles all my life, maybe you have, too?
This is what I’ve learnt: God always makes a way where there seems to be no way. He also strengthens and sustains us as we lean hard on Him. There is no trial or testing that we go through alone, because God is continually beside us, offering strength, endurance and encouragement every step of the way.
[bctt tweet=”God always makes a way where there seems to be no way”]
Words of Joy 
Thank you for the impartation of courage and wisdom dear Joy! “Guarding our hearts means garrisoning them around with faith and Scripture, plus plenty of godly wisdom and discernment. It is vital to wear our armoury and to believe in its protective power.” Blessings friend!
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Hi Jenneth, thank you so much for visiting me here! It’s lovely to have your sweet company. And I’m grateful you have found a nugget to take away with you too. Blessings, friend! xo
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Dear Joy, your sweet spirit is of such refreshment to me and to many, thanks once again xx
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Dear Jenneth, you have such a kind, encouraging way with you that truly blesses me and others. I love your inspired poetry and prayerful reflections. May God continue to enrich your walk with Him as you faithfully write out your heart. xo
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Dear Joy, I love your picture! Amazing how our paths intersect yet again, as my daughter and I just had a sweet talk this morning about keeping ourselves in God’s protection while the battle rages around us! Thank you for the confirmation that your thoughts bring to me, as I seek to hold onto the Grace that is given in the enduring. I am so thankful for your words of encouragement, my friend! xoxo
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Thanks, Bettie. It was taken when I was on a walk with my beloved – quite a few years ago, of course! Oh wow, I am amazed at the beautiful God-incidence and timing of this coming just after you had that conversation with your daughter! May you keep on holding onto the “Grace that is given in the enduring”, sweet friend. I see it in you each time I hear from you or read your blog posts. You are persevering with patient endurance, revealing the deep work of Holy Spirit within as you lean on Him. xoxo
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I love your picture, Joy! And I love this message. As I wrote this week, the giants can be so big but God will always be bigger. “Our Captain is battling alongside us, urging us on when the going gets tough.” Amen. We can try so hard to win the battle on our own, but we have to open our hearts and eyes to that Captain who is right beside us all along. He’s got us! Blessings and hugs!
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Thanks, Trudy! It seemed an apt image to get the point across. I’m glad you could relate to the way God sustains and equips us for every battle we may face. Hope to hop over and read your encouraging post soon. Unfortunately, this is proving to be a particularly busy week for us in many ways. I also have some family birthday presents to wrap up as well, so I am feeling a bit weary with the extra exertion! Blessings and hugs. xo
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