The REAL Enemy

Charis Corner: Stories of Grace in a Broken World

By Kari Mahara

Ephesians 6:10-18:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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 the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Okay. I have exactly fifteen minutes to feed the twins and get them in the van to leave for preschool. Grilled cheese? No, pbj. So I run to the cabinet, ignoring the overflowing sink with dirty dishes—that’s the husband’s job, not mine. (They’ve been there for three days now. I’m not about to break down and wash them.) I open the door, and there are no plates. No worries. The table is cleanish. I grab bread, peanut butter, and jelly, and then I open the drawer for a knife. BUT THERE ARE NONE.

I have a choice now. I can scream, groan, curse my husband, call him on the phone and tell him off, or all the above. Or I can step away for just a minute and breathe.

In this scenario, my husband is the enemy. He should’ve made it a priority to clean the dishes. He should’ve done this or that. But this verse is a great reminder:

MY HUSBAND IS NOT THE ENEMY. SATAN IS.

And guess what? That slow driver on the highway—or swerving, speeding psycho—still not the enemy. That self-absorbed parent, oblivious to their kids, too busy on their phone—NOT the enemy. My kids, your kids, parents, coworkers, bosses, checkout clerks, Pastor Doug, the elders, that scowling guy at church, and anyone else who pops up on social media.

THEY ARE NOT THE ENEMY.

We are at war. Satan is on the prowl, searching for weaknesses in our armor. He does not stop. Do we know? Are we ready?

“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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Our need to dive into the 5-5-5 isn’t just our Christian duty. This is our defense against the enemy. We need to be ready to stand, but not alone. Together. Around our waist, we wield TRUTH. Against our breast, we hold RIGHTEOUSNESS. Strapped to our feet is READINESS, which comes from PEACE. Clasped to our arm is FAITH, which we use to snuff out Satan’s lies and tricks. Protecting our head—our brain and thoughts—is SALVATION. In our hand is a sword, or THE BIBLE.

THESE are our defense against the war raging around us. This is how we have hope amongst chaos.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

I went through a rough couple weeks. I felt depressed, unappreciated, alone. I became lethargic, unmotivated, and I stopped caring about important things in my life. I read my Bible, I prayed, but it didn’t break the cloud of suffocation I felt. Then a dear friend at LifeWater texted me. She asked how I was doing, whether I wanted to get together with our kids. Her message to me opened the door for me to ask for help, for prayer. Once I opened up about the funk I was in, she not only related to my experience, but she prayed for me. Then I was able to reach out to others in my Life Group, and they prayed for me. With so many brothers and sisters in Christ praying for me, I was able to break free from the depression.

Prayer is so important, but it’s not just to offer up requests to God for health, travel, and loved ones. Prayer is also an opportunity to connect with others in our community and fight alongside them. If we want to be a stronger Biblical community, we need to reach out to each other, pray for each other, check on each other, and love each other. I am so grateful for our community at LifeWater for this very reason and feel more connected here than I ever have before.

Theology According to my Six-Year-Old

Thursday morning, my six-year-old son and I went to his doctor appointment. He's looked so forward to it, because he'd get to listen to his own heartbeat (which he thinks is so cool).

Toward the end of the appointment, my son kept asking our Jewish doctor (who was also my pediatrician, fyi) if he could tell him something. So when we were all finished with his exam, the doctor asked my son what he wanted to say. Here's what he said:

"Do you know that Jesus is in my heart?

And when I have bad dreams or get scared of monsters, He comes out of me with His magic powers and boom, boom, He fights the monsters and bad dreams.

And if He gets tired or loses His power, His friend--God--comes and helps him and fills him with more magic, so He can defeat them."

Bless our doctor's heart. He looks at my son and says, "No, I didn't know that."

A good reminder of how our young children watch us and say things we say, believe what we tell them, and share it with those around them.

Even at age 6.

Walking with Doubt

Charis Corner: Stories of Grace in a Broken World

By Kari Mahara

Fear. Doubt. Anxiety. Depression.

How often do these affect Christians? How many followers of Christ walk with these every single day? But do they have to?

Now, I’m not talking about a medical condition.

I’m talking about each day walking with these burdens clasped to your back or holding your hand. Their icy whisper echoes through your mind and freezes your courage until you’re trapped, paralyzed.

My crippling defect is fear. It’s haunted me since I was a child. It went beyond fear of the dark to nightmares and dark shadows I couldn’t dispel from my room. (Some have suggested I am more aware of the spiritual realm) Whatever the reason, God used this defect to draw me close to Him. My parents (especially my mom) taught me how to speak to God and go to Him with my feelings, and as a result, I’ve always felt God’s presence in my life.

And they can also tell you how I told EVERYONE about God. Strangers. Neighbors. Friends at school. I have enjoyed the Disciple-Making Series, because I can clearly see how I used Invitational and Confrontational as a child and preteen.

But Satan is never content to leave us alone. He seeks to devour us (1 Peter 5:8), so when I reached a brand new high school with 1800 students, my enemy found new ways to stoke my fear. My invitations and Christ-sharing was met with hostility at times from cold, bitter teenagers. I was bullied and embarrassed for just being me. People resented my refusal to adapt to their expectations and especially my innocence and unconditional love and acceptance—they couldn’t understand it or trust it. My own husband called me “fake.” (He later amended his thoughts) But I also found other good Christian friends to walk alongside me and other unchurched friends who were won over by my relationship and relentless invitations. (One I invited 7 times to youth group before she finally agreed.)

I believe these events shaped me into the woman I am now—Invitational and Relational. I’ll invite them to anything. I’ll answer any question they have. I’ll love and serve them. But I won’t confront them unless they ask me. As a result, I’ve struggled with lots of guilt and doubt of my use to God. This series amended that.

Now, I’m pursuing a new type of evangelism. I’m on the Internet, building relationships with all types of people all over the country (and even some internationally). I’m writing secular novels with Godly concepts infused in them. And Satan plagues me with doubt. I doubt my ability. I doubt whether anyone will ever love my writing and want to represent my career. I doubt whether God will even use my writing at all. I walk each day, doubt gripping my throat, guilt weighing me down as I wrestle with balance of these online relationships, parenting, housework, writing, and investing in my relationships here.

So now what? Is there hope? Everyone knows the right answer, but not everyone BELIEVES it. So what does that look like practically?

All I can share is what God has taught me. Freedom requires surrender—giving God control of everything with the understanding that THIS IS NOT OUR HOME, our money; even our relationships are HIS. Next it’s faith. The biggest impact this had on me was living one day at a time, trusting I have enough for today and that God will take care of tomorrow. And last, investing in God’s power. Through studying His word, through prayer, through worship, I immerse myself in God. I stop looking at life for what I want or think I need but start looking at what GOD is doing, how God wants me to use my money, my time. And in my writing, I have learned to be content in today. I’m doing what I love, and I’m letting God be everything else. 

This process has taken me two years to work through, the last of which God’s been working on me for the past 2-3 weeks. Never stop growing and pushing closer. Close is never close enough.

There’s a song God is using in my life right now. The main lyrics are these:

“I’m no longer a slave to fear. I am a child of God.”

I hope these verses comfort you:

Galatians 4:7: "So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir."

Romans 8:15: "The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'" 

WONDER

Charis Corner: Stories of Grace in a Broken World

Holiday Piece IV: Wonder

SARAH:

The sun still snuggles beneath the Earth, but I’m awake. It’s Christmas. With careful steps, I slip from my room and ghost down the stairs. Somehow I know—He has come.

Twinkle lights guide my path, weaving in and out of the banister and stretching across the fireplace mantle. The ashes lie black and cold, though warmth fills the house.

In the corner of the room is the tree. The angel illuminates the darkness, drawing me closer. Lights and ornaments fill the pine needles. At its feet are the presents. It doesn’t matter to me their wrapping nor their number. It’s enough they’re there.

Last night, after singing carols and hearing the story of baby Jesus, I studied every inch of that space. Now, colorful gifts of all sizes hide the floor from view. And if I am completely honest with you—I don’t care what’s in them.

They represent hope. They’re proof of the impossible—magic. Just last night there were no gifts, and now they have come. A reminder that God still performs miracles.

I search through them, looking for my name. When I find one on a large box, my breath hitches. My heart slams against my ribs. These presents aren’t just for my family, they’re for me. Someone—my parents, Santa, a good Samaritan—loves me; they searched for just the right thing and wrapped it up.

For an hour or two, I sit beneath the tree. I relish the silent night, and as I stare at the tree, one thing fills me to overflowing—WONDER.

************************************************************************

As adults, we know everything that goes into making this moment happen. And for most, it takes away the magic—like becoming a Disney World employee and seeing how everything works. It causes stress, anxiety, and unrealistic expectations. You’re set up for failure before the day even arrives.

But kids see the day and marvel. They experience wonder.

We can, too. Because God came to Earth in human form and walked with us. But it wasn’t just for those thirty plus years. God made a way to remain with us forever.

Look at the following lines from Sarah’s Christmas morning:

He has come.

The angel illuminates the darkness, drawing me closer.

Hope. Proof of the impossible—magic. A reminder that God still performs miracles.

[It’s] for me. Someone loves me.

WONDER

From the mouth of babes we can learn the most important of lessons. This Christmas, allow yourself to experience the WONDER again.

After all, Emmanuel—God is here—is forever. What greater gift could you receive?

Isaiah 9:6-7: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.”

A Christmas Thought

Long lines
Lists
Reminders of Loss

Much Mayhem
Maudlin

Dreary Days

Stress
Heartache
Panic

Anxiety Attacks

So what's the point?

LOVE

From Heaven
Sent to Earth

In a fragile human package,
Wrapped in swaddling.

God is HERE.
Emmanuel

That Darn Scrooginess

Charis Corner: Stories of Grace in a Broken World

Holiday Piece II

It’s here. That moment you’ve been dreading. It’s the perfect storm of bad days.

First, the kids come down with the stomach flu, but not at the same time. So you’re doing laundry for three days straight. Then your spouse, parent, loved one falls into a spout of depression. When you’re already low on energy, you now must struggle with getting that loved one out of bed and charm them out of their depression (which usually doesn't work and if it does, not for long). But when it’s all said and done, that depression is contagious. You forget what it is that hope you’re supposed to have. The “Christian” answer isn’t enough. And soon you’re swimming in doubt. Did God really mean what He said? Will He really provide? Does He really care?

Welcome to December. Welcome to the Christmas season. Little money, large expectations, and zero energy.

It’s no wonder there are so many Scrooges around Christmas time.

However, I am not. I am still that little kid that leaves out cookies and milk for Santa as an adult, whether there are kids around or not. Why? Because I believe. I have faith. I have hope. And that’s really what this season is about.

For the Israelites, it was truly a time of despair. God was so far away; they’d ruined their love relationship with Him. But God wasn’t done, not even close. He gave them promises to hold onto—the same promises we can cling to. Prophesies of their Savior came time and time again, but there was no sign of help.

But then God gave His people—and us—the greatest gift. 

Hope—eternal hope. Magic. Faith. Purpose. All through Jesus. Jesus, God contained in human form, came to us as a baby. That baby was proof that God didn’t abandon them. And it was proof He hasn’t abandoned us. God is still in the business of performing miracles. 

Just like the Israelites, a lot of us miss them, because we’re not looking for little things. 

Like the birth of a baby boy in a manger.

So as we struggle with our own Scrooginess, let’s recite God’s promises to us. God NEVER breaks His promises.

Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

           

Isaiah 43:1-3: ““Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

Isaiah 30:19-21, 23, 26: “People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’  He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows. The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the Lord binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted.”

Psalm 46:1: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear.”

Psalm 73:26: “My mind and my body may grow weak, but God is my strength; he is all I ever need.”

Psalm 68:19: “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.”

Nahum 1:7: “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.”

Matthew 6:34: “So don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time.”