When You’re In a Funk
Have you ever felt like you just want to quit? Have you ever felt like it’s just all too much…life and all the responsibility and this standing in faith stuff? Well, I know I have. There are times where I feel like a spiritual loser, moments where I take thoughts that I shouldn’t, instances where I let the devil’s fiery darts start a little fire in my mind. I know I’m not alone in this, and that’s why I’m writing this right now.
Ephesians 6:16 reminds us, “above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” If we won’t stand in faith, we won’t be able to put out those fires in our thought life. That word quench means to extinguish. It means to put out. It means to stop in its tracks as to prevent any further destruction. When the darts come flying, we can either extinguish them or we can add fuel to the fire.
Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of celebrating Labor Day with some church family, and the evening always commences in a huge bonfire. One thing you can expect is there will always be someone there with some gasoline to add to the fire to help get the fire to spread to the whole pile. In life, it seems that around every corner there’s gasoline waiting to be poured on the fire and it’s our job to avoid allowing that fire to consume us. Think about it. Have you ever been having one of those days where you just felt like you weren’t seeing the blessing of God in your life? Then all the sudden someones comes along who doesn’t even serve the Lord and is driving the car you wanted? Or got that promotion you wanted? Or found their perfect spouse, like you had been believing for? What about when you have a symptom come in your body and all the sudden you hear on the news of someone else who just died because they had an illness that started with your same symptoms! This world is never short of circumstance that isn’t exactly what we’d like to see.
We are to continually build our faith, keeping a working fire extinguisher nearby and ready to quench the fiery darts at all times. You’d think it foolish if you saw a platoon who showed up to the battle with no weapons, no shelter, no protection, and no way to defend themselves, but Christians are foolishly going about this life, with a real enemy, naked and afraid. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.” As Christians, we are not to rely on the flesh. We are not to trust circumstance and we are not to lay aside the promises and protection of the Word, even when we feel like giving up, even when we feel like spiritual failures. We need to pick up and get well acquainted with our spiritual weapons!
Look at 2 Corinthians 10:5, “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” We extinguish every thought that is contrary to the truth, which is the Word of God. But how do we do this??
The thought comes that you’re never going to get anywhere better than where you are now. You answer it! 2 Corinthians 3:18, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” The thought comes that you’re never going to be able to pay off that debt and get those things you want and need for your family. You answer it! Philippians 4:19, “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” The symptoms come and the thoughts of death and destruction try to spread throughout your mind. Answer it! 1 Peter 2:24, “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.” Psalms 107:2 reminds us, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.” I’m saying so!! Are you!?
Ephesians 5:26 equates the Word of God to water. Have you ever tried to light a fire where everything was soaking wet? It doesn’t go very far. It’s a lot more work to get that fire to spread and to stay burning. Likewise, as we stay saturated by the Word, the devil’s got a lot more work to do to get that fire to spread and to keep that fire burning. Remember that faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word (Romans 10:17) and it’s the shield of faith with which we’ll be able to quench all the fiery darts. Extinguish those thoughts once and for all by staying full of the Word. Amen!?
Be Blessed,
Pastor Renée
