 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” - 1 Corinthians 15:33 We are in a constant battle. A constant battle with the devil. It is unfortunate but a reality. We must suit up and cloak ourselves in armor to fight spiritual warfare. We have many weapons of destruction we can use against the devil and one of them is knowing God's truth. Knowing God's word and having a personal relationship with Him is one of the most important ways to protect yourself. When you know God's truth you are less likely to fall into the tricks and traps of the devil's lies. It's imperative we believe, we have faith in God and we can achieve this by changing our internal dialogue we have with ourselves. Instead of telling ourselves: "Gee, I hope God has this. I sure hope He's going to pull through for me." We can assert our faith and say "I KNOW God has a great plan for me and He will help me see this through!" We can change "I hope" to... "I KNOW!" The more you tell yourself this and believe it the more amazing things you will experience in your life. You will be less tempted by sin, less negative, less doubting. We CAN win this battle but sometimes it's not just us that is fighting the devil. What if someone else is bringing the devil into your life picture? What if your spouse has a friend who is negatively influencing his or her life thus also yours? I have upon talking to other's found this to be a somewhat common issue in marriages and in families. Each person's social circle that they choose for themselves is a reflection of who they are. Unlike family, an individual's friends are of their choosing. They are the "family" they choose for themselves. Friends reflect our true character, our morals, our values and our spiritual life. So what happens when a spouse has a friend who completely goes against the grain of what YOUR expectations and values are for your marriage and family? It's a serious problem. It is indeed a threat to your marriage. To your entire family. If your spouse has a male friend who believes it is perfectly acceptable to engage in illicit sex, who drinks and drives, who uses women as objects to satisfy himself sexually, who goes to strip clubs, spends money excessively, who doesn't hold marriage as a sacred union then what are the chances your marriage will survive? It's not any different for the woman who has a female friend who thinks it's perfectly fine to cheat, use her sexuality to climb the corporate ladder and turn to alcohol to solve her problems. This is why it is so incredibly important to wear a suit of armor. We must do everything we can to protect ourselves, our marriages and our families. It is up to the spouse to be the strong one and take a stand. Assert yourself and tell your spouse "I value you and our marriage too much to let the devil come between us. I will do everything in my power and faith through God to protect our marriage." Sever the friendship that is tainting your life, your marriage and your family. When we marry we make a life long covenant with our spouse not our friends. A constant negative influence of sin and how you handle it with God's help will eventually contribute to whether your marriage and yes, even your family will break or make it. It takes a very strong person to do that. You may argue that standing alone is very hard when taking the easy route may be preferable. But remember, you are never ever really alone. God is right there beside you. Jesus shed his blood for you! He's ready to hand you every weapon you need to fight back and stand in triumph. We don't have to hope for a win. We know we will. © gps-gracepowerstrength.blogspot.com ~ 2012 image: “Soldier Man Back” by mania room via FreeDigitalPhotos.net  Comments are closed.
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