“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12
Like the majority of people in our country—and around the world today—I have been affected by the devastation of drug addiction. Indeed, if you happened to listen to the Truth in Love Podcast interview of my daughter, Hope Ingram, you know just how personal it has been for me. But I’ve also observed the damage it inflicts on the families and the communities where I live and work.
A Facebook memory and blog from February 4, 2022, “Sleep with your boots on” reminded me that this war is not over! My friend Jamie and her group are recovering addicts in the Springfield, Missouri area. They are working passionately to lead souls held captive to addiction by the enemy to come to Jesus for salvation! The enemy will never give up his battle to steal, kill, and destroy every person he can.
The memory of Jamie’s story invigorated my desire to stay faithful in the battle, and so I want to share an excerpt from the blog to encourage your faithfulness as well:
Jamie lost her friend Tyler to a drug overdose. He was a young man two weeks shy of his 28th birthday who Jamie described as being “special” and “like a little brother.” My heart not only ached for her and for the family he left behind. My spirit was exceedingly grieved and outraged at this senseless death. This sentiment was so beautifully articulated by Jason Sheffield, another one of Tyler’s friends and motivated me to “keep my boots on!” He wrote, “We have lost so many brothers and sisters to the adversary. These losses break my heart and rend my soul to the core. These losses also stir something savagely holy in me! These deaths stoke a holy inferno of fervency and urgency to make our Savior and Redeemer known to every single person I come into contact with! Brothers and sisters in the faith, join with me in assaulting the enemy’s kingdom and his plans to steal, kill, and destroy us by sending a barrage of prayer artillery at the devil and his camp!! We are front line soldiers in Christ’s army!! Let’s sleep with our boots on and ALWAYS stay ready to do battle!!”
My friend, we are called to be front line warriors in Christ’s armed forces in the battle for the souls of people.
But we aren’t fighting against an enemy we can see “but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” And you can be sure this is not a battle for those who are weak or the faint of heart! This battle must be fought with the mind of Christ, by the Word of truth, in the strength of the Spirit, and with the winning attitudes Jesus taught us to live by. This is a battle which requires us to be willing to put on the armor of God and drop to our knees to fight the enemy in prayer.
After Tyler’s death, Jamie and I agreed that we needed to pray for God to “break my heart for what breaks yours Lord.”
You see, it’s only when we love others the way our precious Savior loves us—and when our hearts are completely broken to the core for the lost—that we can develop the “holy inferno of fervency and urgency” to pray as we should and fight our adversary with all our might. The Bible reminds us to:
“[B]e strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. “ Ephesians 6:10-11
So, my friend, ask the Lord to break your heart for what breaks His, and to give you an urgent, compelling, and pressing desire to make our Savior and Redeemer known to every single person you know. And then, like a good warrior, stand strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
Sleep with your boots on and ALWAYS be ready to do battle!
Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that we are in an all-out war each and every day with the devil who is out to devour us. Lord, break our hearts for what breaks Yours. Strengthen our resolve and determination to share the Good News wherever you call us to, Lord, without fear, without restraint and without pausing for even one moment. Lord ,remind us that our time is short; that You are coming back; and that we must continue working to lead the lost to You right up until the time we hear that trumpet sound. Wake us up, Lord. Wake us up! It’s in your precious name we pray, Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!!!
Melissa Sharp is an ultra runner and running coach who has completed more than 100 marathons and ultra marathons. Melissa has learned how to keep running the race of life for the glory of Christ even though she endured decades of domestic abuse. Melissa is a survivor. Through her daily blog thejoyfilledrunner she inspires others to live in the strength of Christ.
