Tuesday, October 15, 2013

On The Battlefield

Ephesians 6:12-18
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.
Stand therefore having your loins gird about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God:
Praying always with all supplication in the spirit..."
Ladies (and any men reading this) we very seriously ARE on the battlefield. The adversary knows what a crucial, vulnerable, and sensitive time this is for you and your family, but especially for your baby/babies.
I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and we are hastening our missionary work. There is a great need for this at this time. Satan is also hastening his. He is only raging on all the stronger. "The wrong will fail the right prevail" Longfellow penned. So true.
You know all too well that voice that tells you that you are not worth it, or the voice that tells you that you hate your husband, or that he hates you, or that you want to put one of your kids up for adoption, or beat them to a pulp. Where did those ideas come from?  Yes, Satan. Nephi says, "look to God and live."
Those evil thoughts are not your own. They come from the father of all lies. You may be HEARING those evil and destructive thoughts, but there is another voice that is still and small. That voice will tell you that you ARE worth it!!! You love yourself, your husband, your children, and that it IS POSSIBLE for you to succeed and have joy!!!! In fact, it may only be those evil voices that are keeping you from succeeding and feeling that joy right now!!!!! Picture Satan to the left of you and God to the right of you. If you are looking to God you can still hear Satan, but it is easier for you to hear God when you are looking to God. How do YOU "look to God"?
When we are weak, we are at risk of being attacked. Are we not weakened when we don't get enough good foods, water, sleep, and scriptures in? I know that I have experienced more than a fair amount of all of these especially during the year after having a baby. I think that this is part of what brings any mood disorder into our lives, postpartum or not. But, in the postpartum year we are more likely to experience these things because of the "added load" we have just acquired. This is not to say anything bad about our babies, it's just the way it is. Having a family IS a 24/7 job. We need support and help. (see the post called "What is Normal Anyway?")
I just want to testify that I know that the scripture at the top is true. When I was telling a good friend of mine with ten kids, who had never had PPD before, what PPD was like, she said, "So, it's a demonic attack." It wasn't a question, she could tell exactly what was going on. I thought of what a demonic attack might feel like and felt like that really did accurately describe what I was going through.
Never before had I looked at it quite like that. This brings a whole new application to the scripture above. As things are created spiritually before they are physically, it would make a lot of sense that this is what's happening, really. Perhaps it is the very thing that causes the hormones to be "out of whack". Perhaps it is what shuts down the adrenals. What I get from this, is that I need the armour of God on NOW more than ever before!
So let's look at it a different way. Studies say that about 15% of childbearing women experience postpartum depression every year. If PPD is really a demonic attack, that's nearly a million women EACH YEAR that are experiencing a demonic attack. Can you see how important it is that we as women HAVE this armour of God on?? AND can anyone reading this that is not experiencing PPMDs now see how badly women who are childbearing need your help to strengthen them, support them, and minister to them. I am not talking about telling them what they should be doing, I am talking about comforting them, sharing a scripture with them, or doing a job for them that they don't have the energy to do because they were up at all hours of the night with their baby, or because they literally are experiencing a spiritual attack. This need goes beyond the week or month or two after the baby is born. For many, postpartum depression doesn't settle in until 3 to 4 months postpartum.
I have a wonderful friend whom I know the Lord sent to me. She came at just the right time to give me all the things listed above. She ministered to me. She helped, supported, and defended me.
I know that God gives us beautiful people like this as gifts at hard times in our lives just to let us know that we are not forgotten. He loves us and is there for us. He is on the battlefield too. He is fighting right there with us. At one point I thought I fought alone. But now I see that he was fighting for me all along.
Taking care of our physical body AND our spiritual body are BOTH necessary for healing that lasts. I have learned so many lessons that I don't think I would have learned, had I ignored what the Lord wanted me to learn spiritually throughout my childbearing years. I am so grateful for the Lord's watchful care and love for me and you and pray for your victory over whatever challenge you are facing.


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