What would you like to change about yourself? How would you change it? To ask it another way, what would your spouse or your best friend like you to change? Maybe that would be more enlightening. How would you end the sentence, ‘It’s just like me to…’? Always be late? Not stay on a diet? Say the wrong thing? Burst out in anger? Be sad? Jeremiah puts it this way: ‘Can a leopard take away its spots? Neither can you start doing good, for you have always done evil’ (Jeremiah 13:23 NLT). You say, ‘I guess it’s hopeless.’ No, this is where God’s life-changing power comes into operation: ‘If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come’ (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV). Once we commit our lives to Christ, we’re not the same any longer; a new life has begun. That’s why the Bible calls it being ‘born again’. We immediately have a new nature, plus the indwelling Holy Spirit. A set of ‘spiritual batteries’ is included to supply the power! That makes all the difference. Just as your first birth was the beginning of your life, so the new birth is the beginning of this new life. And it’s followed by a lifelong process depicted in Romans 12:2: ‘Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity’ (PHPS).

Bible prayers are powerful. They put things into perspective. For example, Paul prayed that God would give the Ephesians ‘the Spirit of wisdom and revelation…that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you…and his incomparably great power’ (vv.17-19 NIV). With this model in mind, JoHannah Reardon writes this: 1) Make your prayers God centred. The creator of the universe has given you the privilege of bringing your requests to Him. When you tell God how great He is, you’re filled with an expectancy that something great can happen because you’re talking to the One who can do anything. 2) Make them praise filled. Paul starts by saying, ‘I have not stopped giving thanks for you.’ The key isn’t to focus on your troubles, but to thank God and praise Him because He knows what He is doing. Learn to say, ‘I don’t know why I’m having this problem, Lord, and I would love for You to change things. But if You don’t, I know You will use it for good in my life.’ 3) Make them life changing. Most of our prayers are asking God to change our circumstances. But maybe He wants to change you. That doesn’t mean He won’t ever intervene; He supplies needs, opens doors, and heals people in incredible ways every day. But when you spend years praying for something that never happens, it may be a clue you’re not praying the right way. Paul found joy in a prison cell, and when God opens your eyes, you will find joy in your situation too.

Are you surrounded by people whose mission is to inject ‘a dose of reality’ into your life? They continually point out how tough the economy is, how dismal the job market is, and how the sky is falling down. Jon Walker writes: ‘I remember my high school English teacher telling me not to apply to Cornell University because they wouldn’t accept me, and if they did, I wouldn’t be able to do the work…I almost didn’t apply, but a few days later a former teacher said, “If you get in, go. You can do it.” His words made all the difference. I applied and was accepted…The world needs more optimists, encouragers, and inspirers to speak into the hearts of others and say, “I believe in you. Follow your passion and live your purpose. If you have the desire, you have the power to make it happen. Keep working hard. You’re improving and getting better. The economy is tough, but you can still grow your business. The job market isn’t great, but you’ll find the right job…Even if you fail, it will lead to something even better. You’re learning and growing.” The difference between success and failure is belief, and often that belief is instilled in us by someone who encouraged us.’ The Bible says, ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish [lack faith and focus]’ (Proverbs 29:18 KJV). Vision is a desire to move ahead; without it, you stay stuck where you are. It doesn’t matter what anybody else thinks; God says, ‘There is…a future…for you,’ and when you look to Him, He will give you the strength to go forward.

Flexible people are happy people. They experience a lot less stress than the rigid types who insist on things always being done a certain way. One of the reasons inflexibility is so stressful is that we have to achieve our goals through thinking human beings who often have their own ideas, ideas different from ours. If you’re not the type who is receptive to new ways of doing things because you view them as a personal rejection of your own ideas, ask Jesus the Great Physician to perform some corrective surgery on you. The Pharisees were the epitome of perfectionism and inflexibility. When they accused Jesus of not keeping the Sabbath, He said, ‘The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath’ (Mark 2:27 NLT). Question: How flexible are you? Are you so specific at home that your family stays on edge for fear of violating one of your endless preferences? Must the towels always be folded in a certain way? If plans need to be changed, does it send you into a tailspin or do you stop and consider that God may have a different plan? Don’t try to justify your behaviour by hiding under the cloak of ‘excellence’. Yes, you would like to see things done in the best manner possible; however, seek to understand when your behaviour leaves the realm of being excellent and begins to border on being an inflexible perfectionist who not only creates stress for yourself but for others as well. The word for today is – relax. Bend a little. Try going with the flow.

Your spiritual armour must be put on correctly so that all the pieces fit; otherwise, you’re vulnerable to defeat at Satan’s hands. So, how do you do that? Paul tells us how: ‘Pray in the Spirit at all times.’ Your clothes closet is where you find what you need to wear in the natural realm, and your prayer closet is where you find what you need to wear in the spiritual realm. Only through prayer do you become clothed for spiritual warfare, so don’t go into battle undressed. Paul writes, ‘Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh’ (Romans 13:14 NIV). That’s one of the most effective verses in Scripture when it comes to winning over temptation. Professionals who train dogs to listen and obey their commands no matter what, start by throwing a piece of red meat in front of the dog. The untrained dog immediately goes for it, but eventually the trainer teaches the animal to give him its undivided attention regardless of what’s put in front of it. When the training process is complete, the dog will not take its eyes off its master even when temptation is right under its nose. There is an important lesson here for you. If you keep your eyes on Jesus, it won’t matter what kind of lie or temptation Satan throws your way. Every now and then you may want to ‘go for it’, but if you stay focused on Jesus and listen to His voice alone, you will be victorious in the fight.

Let’s look at the next three pieces of spiritual armour God has provided for us to live victoriously: 1) ‘You will need faith as your shield’ (v. 16 TLB). For what? ‘To stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan’ (v. 16 TLB). Do you remember in the old western movies the battles between the Native Americans and the settlers? The settlers circled the wagons, and the Native Americans shot flaming arrows into them. They both understood that you can’t fight fires and fight foes at the same time; flaming arrows are a distraction. Satan uses the same tactic. But faith (focusing on God’s Word) snuffs out those flaming arrows. 2) ‘Put on salvation as your helmet’ (v. 17 NLT). This helmet protects your mind. When Satan whispers, ‘If you were really a Christian, you wouldn’t have…’, you repel his attacks by knowing your identity in Christ – a blood-bought, totally forgiven, seen-as-righteous, heaven-bound child of God. 3) ‘Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God’ (v. 17 NLT). ‘The word of God’ referred to here isn’t logos (the written word) but rhéma, which means ‘utterance’. It calls for speaking God’s Word to defeat Satan; utilising the right Scripture at the right time to deal with the problem. That’s why Satan fights you so hard over Bible reading. Three times he attacked Jesus in the wilderness, and three times Jesus answered, ‘It is written’ (Matthew 4:4-10 KJV). He demolished Satan with Scripture! The devil can out-argue you, but he has no defence against the Word of God. So, memorise the Scriptures, and use them as a weapon to defeat him.

Every day you live, you will battle the world, the flesh, and the devil. In order to be armed for spiritual warfare, Paul gives us six specific pieces of spiritual armour. Here are the first three: 1) The sturdy ‘belt of truth’ (v. 14 NLT). During World War II, a plane flew many miles past its destination. Why? Because the crew, not realising there were such strong tailwinds, refused to believe the cockpit instruments. As a result, everyone on board perished. Yet when the plane was found years later, the instruments were still in perfect working order. You can depend on God’s Word to guide you right. Read it daily and believe it no matter what your mind or emotions tell you. 2) ‘The body armour of God’s righteousness’ (v. 14 NLT). Note, it is God’s righteousness, not yours. You’re not saved by trusting your own performance but by trusting Christ’s performance on the cross. When you know that, God’s righteousness becomes the breastplate that protects your heart from doubts about your salvation (see 2 Corinthians 5:21). 3) ‘For shoes, put on…peace’ (Ephesians 6:15 NLT). Shoes indicate you’re going somewhere, so don’t expect to hear from God if you’re determined to remain frozen in the same spot. When you start moving ahead, He confirms the rightness of your direction by giving you a sense of peace (see Colossians 3:15). You ‘know in your knower’ that you’re on the right track. When you don’t have peace about it, seek God for direction. This is particularly important if you’re a self-starter who loves what you do. God wants you to have an abiding sense of His peace – so, don’t go without it.

John writes: ‘Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.” Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them…Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed’ (vv. 24-28 NLT). Jesus picked a doubter to be His disciple. And when he doubted, Jesus didn’t denounce and dismiss him. He actually put in a special appearance to resolve his doubts and build his faith. Elisabeth Elliott said, ‘True faith only goes into operation when there are no answers.’ God says, ‘My thoughts are not your thoughts’ (Isaiah 55:8 KJV). The truth is, God doesn’t think like us. He sees the big picture, and He works towards a specific end. Jesus said, ‘I have many more things to say…but they are too much for you now’ (John 16:12 NCV). So when you find yourself doubting, pray: ‘Lord, believing isn’t easy when I’m hurt and confused, and You are silent. Like Thomas, I want proof that You love me. Help me to see beyond my desire for peace and comfort, beyond my doubts and unanswered questions, and to grasp the truth of Your unfailing love and grace.’

Make your life an open book. Establish a system of values against which all of life is judged. Walk with God; maintain your integrity at work and at home, and you will make the right choice every time. Lot failed to do this, and it cost him dearly. ‘Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law…and said, “Get up, get out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city!” But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking’ (v. 14 NKJV). When you lose your integrity, you lose your credibility. If you’re a parent, guard your children physically when they’re young, and emotionally as they mature. Teach them to respect others and get to know the people they’re dating. Be sure to check what they and you watch on TV and do on the internet. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be fun to be around. Show your lighter side. Don’t be so preoccupied with work or church that you’re a prude or a bore. ‘A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance’ (Proverbs 15:13 KJV). The point is, if you ‘talk the talk’, be sure you ‘walk the walk’. When Lot tried to warn his family, they ‘looked at him as though he had lost his senses’ (Genesis 19:14 TLB). Was he too busy making a living to teach them what mattered most in life? Did he say one thing and do another? We don’t know. But any way you cut it, his loss was tragic. The truth is that your integrity, or the lack of it, will have consequences not only in your own life but also in the lives of your loved ones.

The story is told of Major Arthur Godfrey Peuchen, a wealthy Canadian man who survived the Titanic. After it struck the iceberg, he returned to his stateroom and, ignoring cash, jewellery, and other valuable possessions worth around $300,000, grabbed a favourite pearl pin and three oranges. Later, he was reported to have said, ‘The money seemed to be a mere mockery at that time.’ Circumstances transformed his values; tragedy clarified his priorities. The question is not will your calendar be full, but who will fill it and what will it be filled with? If you’re wise, you will consult God as to your life’s priorities, then keep them before you at all times (see Proverbs 3:6). In a survey, people over ninety were asked, ‘If you had your life to live over, what would you do differently?’ Three answers constantly emerged: 1) I would spend more time with my family and friends. 2) I would try more things and take more risks. 3) I would give myself to something that would live on after I’m gone. Petty things steal too much of our time, and we finish up living by the wrong priorities. If you say yes to every request, you will never get around to doing what God has called you to do. Paul had it figured out: ‘The most important thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave me.’ A life in which anything goes is a life in which nothing goes. Your greatest challenge is thinking and doing things that ultimately matter. ‘Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!’ (Deuteronomy 32:29 NKJV).