By: Juliandra Durkin
If you have been walking with God long enough, then you have probably experienced some highs and lows of being a daughter of the King in a war torn kingdom, planet Earth.
Life is many things, but hard is definitely up there when you have an enemy whose best weapon against God’s heart is to break yours.
However in James we read, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing,” (James 1: 2-4).
I picture all of us on a deep, dark adventure, following a mighty King who we are asked to trust, and continue to give Him our allegiance. There are fiery battlefields, misty valleys, and tall mountains where evil lurks behind rocks and crevices, trying to trip us up and make us tumble back down.
Maybe the battlefields and journey of following God don’t looks so drastic in your life, but have you ever lost a job? Or watched your parents carry out a divorce? Or experienced a boyfriend breakup? Or let go of friends you know were a bad influence on you? Or have you seen a family member or loved one hooked on drugs and alcohol that no matter how much you pray they don’t seem to let go of?
The testing of your faith produces steadfastness…
This wild King asks us to give us our love and allegiance even when we get burned and shot at by arrows of Satan and his demons. But here’s the catch about this wild King, inviting us to join Him on a dark adventure: though we don’t always see Him, or know His plan, and we might get pretty angry with circumstances in life when the journey get’s rough, we can have faith that He loves us and knows that we are capable to handle to the battles of our lives.
He put you and me in strategic places on planet Earth so that we can be a light that points others back to Him. Others that don’t know Him or have rejected Him.
Our beloved King that we were created by and for loves all the people on our journey (John 3:16). He commands us to be courageous (Joshua, the Psalms, Timothy, Matthew, Isaiah, Philippians- the Bible is full from beginning to end with verses on courage). And He did not leave us defenseless when it feels like we’re on our own, fighting a battle we didn’t ask for… Ephesians 6:13-18 says,
“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. 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.”
From head to toe, we are covered. Helmet, shield, breastplate, sword- every day we are called to put on righteousness, faith, truth, peace, and pick up the word of God so that we can do battle.
Fellow warrior Princesses, we are in a battle over our heads and beyond our imagination, but we can know that God has not abandoned us in body or spirit in those dark times.
I picture Joan of Arc who at age 17 led the French army, or Queen Elizabeth who established stability in England after one of the biggest religious factions in England’s history, or Mother Theresa who loved on “the untouchables” in India and won a Nobel Peace prize for her ministry, or Rosa Parks who refused to move on the bus during segregation and became a civil rights activist… If I had a full day, I wouldn’t be able to cover all the inspiring women throughout history we can look up to who in body and spirit picked up their swords to battle.
So, my fellow Warrior Princesses, will you join me in this battle? Will you pray for me as I pray for you? Will you pick up your armor that God has given you and continue to give your allegiance to the King, even when you don’t understand the battle or see the end of it?
Wherever you might be on your journey know that in truth, love, faith, and calling on the Spirit to help you are a called Warrior Princess with a task and mission from the Great King himself.
Do not lose hope.
Photo Cred: Daryn Bartlett
Juliandra Durkin is the manager for Wonderfully Made’s blog Know Your Value. She also writes at Written Jewels, a personal blog with stories and reflections on life. Besides writing, she spends her free time exercising or out in nature. Give her a beach or a mountain; sunrise or sunset, she loves it all, especially walking her dogs in the woods! A graduate of Westmont College, Juliandra was able to attend three study abroad programs exploring Spain, parts of the Middle East, and Mexico. These experiences gave her a heart for culture and travel and she hopes to get more stamps in the passport soon!
