WVW #021 – Fake it till you make it!

(00:00): As far back as I can remember, I've had an extreme love of horses. Every single birthday cake wish for years was for a horse. When I'd get together to play dress up with my little girlfriends, they'd be fighting over those princess dresses. Not me. I'd be off in the corridor, putting on my cowgirl skirt, my vast, my boots, my hat. Oh yeah. And my favorite spurs, the spurs on my boots, they made the greatest clicking sound. As I ran around the basement floor, riding that stick pony, can you imagine, can you see it giddy up, giddy up, dressing up, allowed us to be and feel our character. We loved it. And I know every single one of you has done it. What if in these days we were able to dress up to suit up and become all we needed to be for these times.

(01:06): Welcome to episode 20, one of the well versed woman podcast. I'm Renee teller, nine Teresa Morgan, Renee, and I are two perfectly imperfect women who have a heart to share our faith and lives and journeys with you. See, what we love to share is the love of God and love is so needed right now today. We know if you stay tuned that you're going to experience and understand more of that love of God, but before we get started, there's something we have to do. And if you don't know what it is, I want you to pause this episode right now, hit the subscribe button and go way back to our beginning episodes, where we explained how important it is to plug into the power source. Before we try to understand anything, we try to plug into our creator so that we can open our eyes, our ears. Most importantly, our hearts to what God would be speaking today. We believe he has a message for all of us. So here's what we do. We're going to close our eyes and we're going to be very still for 20 seconds breathing some nice, slow, easy breaths. And just asking God to come on down here and sit right next to us. So here we go, Theresa 20 seconds starts right now.

(02:53): [inaudible]

(02:54): That's it? That was 20 seconds. And every episode, I'm sorry, I sound robotic, but I'm going to encourage you to grow that still time. It is so extremely important in these days that we're living to start your day before your feet even hit the ground, open your eyes and remember

(03:14): To be still and connect with the power source. It will change everything, but

(03:21): This idea of dressing up, Oh my gosh,

(03:25): You know, I've spent a lot of years of business and you probably all heard the cliche, you know, dress for success or dress the part. Sometimes we have to dress the part before becoming the part today. We're going to talk about what guys

(03:42): Has to say about dressing the part, right?

(03:46): Theresa. Absolutely. That is correct Renee. And I'm so glad we've come to this episode because it's crucial for Christian to know. And we've been given equipment, we've been given resources from God that enable us to stand. No matter what circumstance we find ourselves in, we could call these things tools for the battle and the tools that God gives us are tools that always lead us to success and victory in the battle of life. Yeah, so funny. And when we talk about a battle, you know, the

(04:24): Word says, and we've talked about it in prior episodes, Theresa that in this life we will have trials. So not even thinking about where we are today or the anxiousness that is just

(04:38): It's pervasive. It's an election year. There's been an unseen enemy in COVID. We have had more things seemingly

(04:50): Thrown at us in 2020. Then

(04:52): Most of the,

(04:54): Most of us living today, Theresa have ever experienced or known.

(04:58): So what are the things we can do? And that's what we're going to talk about today that can protect us,

(05:06): Put on this armor of God, the Bible calls it.

(05:10): Yeah, absolutely. We're going to be talking in this episode. He and Nancy from Ephesians chapter six, verses 10 through 18, and these verses are called the whole armor of God. I'm going to read a few scriptures and then we'll make our comments. I'm going to start by reading in Ephesians, the sixth chapter, verse 10, finally, my grandmother, and be strong in the Lord and in the power of his mind, put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the Wiles of the devil. Wow. For, we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. So what we're seeing here in the introduction of today's episode is that God is telling us that we have some enemies. Number one, God is telling us that not to be afraid that he's given us bad alarmer so that we can survive in the battle of life. And that we do have an enemy in the enemy is called the devil in with the devil, comes an array and hosts of his battle in the, in the spiritual realm, in the heavenly places here, which is talking about the air in which we, in which we breathe, the realm of the atmosphere, God is telling us, I don't want you to be unaware. There are spiritual forces arrayed against you.

(06:55): Wow. Theresa, what a great start, because I don't know what you believe or might be thinking right now, but clearly we all can see the truth in this scripture. That's in the Bible that there are different forces at work here. And I think what pains all of us right now is that just within our own families, people are feeling different ways. And here's the point in God's word that let's just accept that these things are going to exist. And at the end of the day, if we all point to love, God is love back to those original episodes. If we all stay fixed on that, that's going to be the answer because we are not going to find peace in a candidate, in a politician, in a disease and sickness. We are only going to find peace in God. And that's what we're talking about today. So listen carefully to how we can fight this because that's where, that's where you're headed.

(08:06): Theresa. Yes, that's, that's so true. You know, the Bible says over and over, I wish I had the number of times. The Bible says not to put your trust in man, but to put your trust in God, the Bible says so many times over and over the last star, those who put their trust in you, Lord Laster, those who put their trust in God. So the all powerful, all loving, all knowing God, it wants to be intricately involved in our lives on a day to day battle. He not only wants to be intricately involved, but he says here, I'm giving you tools. So right now I'm thinking if you were a craftsman on a job and you had a trade and you working for somebody, the individual that hires, you might say, I'm here for you. But if the individual just said, Hey, I'm here without giving you the equipment, the, the, the, the hammer, the saw, whatever it is, whatever tool you needed to make that job successful, it would be very difficult to get to the objective of the job. So that's what that is saying here. I'm not only here for you and you can be strong in my might, but I am giving you armor. I am giving you the equipment. You need to go forth and be victorious.

(09:35): What a great analogy coming from the construction business and having learned that. So, so intimately, so that, you know, from Peter, my husband, we own a construction company. And even around the house, the thing I learned more than anything from him is the importance of having the right tool for the job. Right. I'm trying to open a jar of almond butter and I can't get it open, but you get a little tool in the kitchen and bingo, like it's, it's so true. So that's, that's a great analogy, Theresa, what we're talking about God is giving us the right tools to get the job done. That's ah, I'm so excited.

(10:20): Yeah, that's absolutely correct. In what we're also seeing here is the groundwork of truth. So we have to understand number one, that there is a spiritual realm. So God is showing us there's a spiritual realm. God is also telling us that in that spiritual realm, there is an enemy and there are forces with the enemy. So we come to this understanding. And so we say to God, okay, God, I see this, what are we going to do with it? And when we think about, you know, what God is saying, and for instance, second Peter chapter one, he says, I've given you all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of my word. So I just wanted to, you know, lay this as a foundation for those of us, perhaps who, if this is unfamiliar, this could be foreign to you that, Oh my goodness.

(11:21): Behind the forces that I see with my naturalized, the behind the evil that is going on in this world, there's something else on work. We're here to tell you, yes. Based on the integrity of God's word today. So let's go back to our text here in Ephesians chapter six. And I want to pick up on verse 13, where God is saying, therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to in the evil day and having done all to stand. I love this because so many of us I'm sure have said to ourselves, I'm one person. What can I do with technology today? There's so much fun. BARTing my mind. I see strife in evil. I see the ills of this world constantly plastered and coming through my television through my phone, what it, what am I to do about this? And how am I to think about it? Right? So God is laying out the blueprint for success right here in this, in his word, in this chapter. And I'm so delighted Renee that you and I can communicate this to the listeners today.

(12:46): Absolutely, absolutely. So I think Theresa, what might be great because there is so much here we are, as you said in the beginning, going to do this over two episodes, but let's go through the overview of what the armor is. And then we'll speak of a couple of points as we wrap up today and finish up in next week's episode.

(13:13): Absolutely. Absolutely. So we're continuing just in this chapter today in verse 14. So God is saying to us, stand there for having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness. Wow. So we see here, we have a belt in it's called truth. We have a breast plate and it's called righteousness. Oh, I'm so excited. And I can't wait to expound on truth and righteousness, but what we will continue in our introduction today hit in verse 15 in having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. So here we have shoes, right? We have the gospel of peace shoes and the Bible continues verse 16 above all taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the darts of the wicked one and take up the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, being watchful to this end, without perseverance and supplication for all the saints. Wow.

(14:29): Let me just interject here, Theresa at just the completeness, the thoroughness and the absolute marvelous writing that is done here in the word of God. So I talked about dressing up as a little girl, and we all understand that we all had probably visions in our heads of what we dressed up as and what we were doing when we were kids. Isn't it so amazing. It's so amazing to me, the inter Chris, the intricacy and detail at which God goes in. So he gives us an example right at his word here about how to dress up in God. Hey, how can I be? How can I dress up? Like God? And he gives us the same example, something that we can understand and grasp right in his word. The more I study the word Theresa, the more it blows my mind about how much God understands us as human beings and puts things really in the simplest terms.

(15:37): He really does Renee. You know that that is so true. You know, as we unpack these scriptures, we're going to see our wonderful, loving God is giving us an array of battle gear so that we will be prosperous and victorious. We have said in previous episodes, we are more than a conqueror through Christ who loves us. We've said in previous episodes, he always gives us the victory. So these are some of the scriptures that if we meditate on, right, faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God, which is the meditation and the confessing of his word. So if we stick with the Bible and if we take the, the battle gear that God is giving us and we put it into use, right? So the construction individual, if he lays his tool down, his hammer has saw he won't get the job done.

(16:37): Likewise here, God has given us, uh, a belt of truth, abreast print plate of righteousness, a shield. So it's up to us to hold up the shield. We don't want to drop it. We don't want to undo the, the belt that holds all of the battle pieces together. So we're going to, in the next episode, we're going to start on packing this and we're going to see how important each piece of armor is in. When we suit up, there is nothing, nothing that can come against us. And I think that is going to bring peace to our minds, peace to ourselves, and give us an assuredness that in this day and age, we will become victorious in God's plan and purpose in the earth will be established.

(17:28): Exactly. This is our grace series and what we call this is the grace to stand. You know, again, grace, that free favor of God, how do we get this free favor and strength to stand up under this? That's these episodes are about Theresa. And it's so exciting because we just need it right now. We so need it. I'm so excited for next week when we break all those specifics down so that we can all be sure to be all dressed up. But I love to collagen's two eight, and reminding us, it says, don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. So all these things are going to allow us to be able to be strong and confident. I love to be confident Theresa in the armor that I have, that I know beyond. I know I have this protection and there's, there's other things in the spiritual realm, Theresa, that can help us with that

(18:51): Renee. That's absolutely correct. I think it's, I think it is very important to understand from a forest, from the trees perspective of what this world actually delivers to us as a human being, walking on planet earth. So we've seen today that God says, I've given you armor. We've seen in past episodes that the Holy spirit is our guide. He's the spirit of God we've seen today, that there is a devil in that there are forces arrayed that are on his side or in his army group, if you will. But I also want to introduce that there are good heavenly forces as well. The Bible talks a lot about that. There are angels, good angels in the heavenly realm. So what we have is God and his heavenly hosts is angels good forces. There's the devil in his wicked, demonic hosts a raid against us. So that's in the spiritual realm.

(19:58): So what are we supposed to do as human beings, walking this earth, we are to recognize that there's activity going on in the spiritual realm that influences earth, that influence human thinking. So just as God's word, the truth in God influences our thinking. And that's the right thinking. That is the correct thinking. The truth of God in his word. That's the thinking that sets us free. That's the thinking that keeps us free. That's the thinking that God says, if you recognize this truth, and if you walk in it, you will no longer be children tossed to and fro by every wind and trickery in deceit of, of crafty plotting. So as we walk in the truth of God, we see that God has given us this battle armor. We see the truth of what we're fighting against and we will stand and we will be victorious.

(21:01): So as we go back and circle back to truly, God has given us all things that pertain to this life pertain to godliness and pertain to walking in decency so that love can conquer. That's exactly where my mind was. Tracy, please go back and subscribe and listen to the previous episodes on love. If you haven't already, that's the foundation God is love. And that's the complete circle we follow love. We follow God. The other reminder in the previous episode that you shared so beautifully and prayed in Psalm 91, Teresa, I love verses three and four. We don't need to be afraid. We talked in the previous episode about Psalm 91 and the prayer we can pray and verses three and four, surely he shall deliver you from the snare of the Fowler. That's who we're talking about the Fowler and from the perilous pestilence, he, God, our creator, our savior shall cover you with his feathers.

(22:14): And under his wings, you shall take refuge. He's got these, I see these giant wings, Theresa, just coming over my whole family. His truth shall be your shield and buckler. And it's that truth, Theresa and, and all the other components of this whole armor of God that we're going to break down next week so that we could all get dressed up and be ready. Amen, Renee, that is truth. And I stand and I stand confident. I stand with the word of God that leads and guides me every day. And at this point in my life, I've walked with God for so long. I've seen his faithfulness. I've seen how the truth of his word prevails time and time again, and no weapon. You know, as the Bible says, no weapon formed against me shall prosper. Um, and that is the truth. Amen. Amen. What is our favorite scripture that every well versed woman knows by now and this standing on Theresa that's right. Renee, Romans 10, 17. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. We are really so honored and happy that you tuned in today. And we have a gift for you. It's a free well-versed woman journal. All you to do

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