I think I did it just because my best friend Lisa was doing it. I had no idea what I was suppose to be doing but there I was. Sitting at a table, behind a score chart watching guys dressed in ill-fitting leotards. There they were rolling around on the floor, slobbering through their mouth guards and being twisted into positions that I did not think were possible. Yep, I was a mat maid. I guess it looked good on my college application, right up there beside horn line captain and honor roll student. Yeah, I don’t think I can explain away this one. But as a mat maid, one thing was for sure…I did not have to wrestle.

This week, we have begun our Armor of God Bible Study. Week 1 – sizing up the enemy. Day 1 – WRESTLING match. I’d rather be a mat maid.

“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 spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm” Ephesians 6:12

We are in a wrestling match. This is not just something that you can sit and observe. It is far more than an afternoon athletic event that we will forget about in the next 5 years. This is full on war. And Satan fights dirty. Satan tries to hit us where it hurts most and he tries to take away the hope that we have in our unchanging God.

But there are some things that I learned while being a mat maid –  I guess it wasn’t a total loss….

It is best to wrestle someone in your same weight class – if your opponent is larger than you…you will probably get taken down very quickly. Isaiah 40:28 “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.” God is in the match with us! We would not be able to defeat Satan on our own. He offers us armor to be ready for battle and He promises that He will be there to fight for us.

Joshua 1:5 “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.”

Practice makes perfect – going out to wrestle without practicing some sort of strategy does not fair well. Psalms 144:1 “Blessed be the LORD, my rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle.” God has given us His word for training. Read it, write it, repeat it, memorize it…practice it! He offers us armor to be ready for battle and His word is Truth and will be there to the bitter end.

Colossians 4:2  “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.”

You may be twisted up into a pretzel and think there is no way out…but if you dig in your heels, sometimes you can push yourself out of it.  John 4:13-15 “Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’ The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.’” God offers us life and life more abundantly and once we accept that life – that living water – we will never be without Him again. Things may look bleak on occasions but God is good and turns even bad days into good for His glory and purpose. He offers us armor for battle and gives us shoes that bring peace in the storm.

Lamentations 3:22-23, “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” 

So, even though I’d rather be a mat maid…I have been called into battle – I have to wrestle this time around.

One thing I want you to remember…Satan does not like you or me but God…He gives praise for you and me because we are  His purpose!

Now where is my leotard…..

Faithfully Following,

Donna