How are Your Defenses???
January 7, 2002
by Kelly Smith

With everything that has happened in the past few months, how appropriate that God is leading us to take a look at our own defenses.  We so often take for granted that we are ready to handle anything that comes our way, but how wrong that assumption can be.  Look at our nation, we thought that we had all our defenses in place, but the enemy found our weak spot and attacked, gaining victory.  

This month we are focusing in on our defenses in the Spiritual realm.  This is an area that we need to exam frequently.  It should be in good order at all times, but like our country, we let our guard down and think that we are fine.  Let's take a deeper look at what we might need to do...

®       Ezekiel 13:5…   You have not gone up to the breaks in the wall to repair it for the house of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the LORD

How often do we forget that we need to constantly reaffirm our walk, by soaking in the word?  Too often we become weak, holes in our walls because we haven’t been repairing our holes all along.  Like our nation, we start thinking all is fine.  So we take down our defenses by using them for something else.  We carry away those rocks that were used to build the wall to build other things in our lives.  Maybe a new home, or a new baby.   Because we have never been attacked, we don't see the need, Spiritually, to 'fix' the wall.  The repairs just aren't necessary as we see it.  So in essence, we are opening ourselves up for an easy attack.

But you see, we are exhorted by Paul to put on the full armor of God. 

®        Ephesians 6:13…  “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

So often we do not remain steadfast in the word.  We take our armor to the cleaners, so that it can get polished, but then we don’t want to get it dirty again and so it sits in our closet.  Or maybe we have been hurt, pierced through even with our armor on, so we choose to leave it in the closet, it didn't do us any good in the first place.  But we need to be ready for battle at all times.  We don’t know when the enemy will attack next.  And just like in New York with the World Trade Center, he will find our weakest point and attack there. 

Too often we get worn down from the attacks of the enemy because our ‘gear’ isn’t strong enough.  In Israel, the first line of defense was the wall and because of erosion, which occurs in the natural, the wall was springing holes.  Add to that the children who though it was fun to ‘dig’ through the wall when no adult was looking.  Then maybe the run away slave, who dug a hole to escape a rotten master.  All of these circumstances have caused the ‘holes’ in the wall. 

The problem we see in Ezekiel is that they weren’t repairing the wall as these things were happening, causing it to be even more worn and torn in the long run.

As women, we have many things that can beat up our armor or put holes in our wall.  Our husbands, our children, our jobs, our extended families, and even well meaning church members help to wear down our defenses.  The erosion of daily life in general can put holes and pits in our defenses, let alone a major event like a death of a loved one or a loss of job.  Sometimes even a nation in crisis, like 9*1*1 this past September. 

It is necessary to take time out and repair the damage done.  Through the reading of the Word, we find that the situation and circumstances do change.  Or at least our perspective can.

We must, at all costs, remain steadfast in the Word. 

®       For “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  2 Timothy 3:16-17. 

This is the only way that we can patch up the holes in our armor, or the walls to keep us safe and protect us from the attacks of the enemy.  And trust me, the attack will come, and the lower your defenses, the worse it will be…