Life Plan Devotion #94 [God's Armor--Helmet of Salvation, Part XII]

Hi, Everyone.
I will be leaving early this morning (Thursday) for my 6-month followup appointments. I'll be gone all day, so I'll check back and respond to replies in the early evening, Lord willing. I appreciate your prayers for a safe trip to Oklahoma and back.
Today, we finish the 3rd most common fear of the enemy, the fear of sickness and disease. Tomorrow, I will post the Flashback Friday Devotion, and on Monday, we'll look at the 4th most common fear of the enemy. I appreciate your continued prayers, that I will be faithful to listen to God's leading as He and I write each devotion.

Life Plan Devotion #94 [God's Armor--Helmet of Salvation, Part XII]

     Once you know what God's Word has to say about sickness and disease (attending to the Helmet of Salvation/Deliverance given to you), you have its power to back you up, whenever Satan comes at you with his third most common fear, the fear of sickness and disease.
     Jesus Christ is "the exact representation of [God's] being" (Hebrews 1:3), and "...The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works of the devil" (I John 3:8). The very first work of the devil was to bring sin, sickness, disease, and death into the Garden, with Adam and Eve's permission.
     During Jesus' early ministry, we are told (in Matthew 8:16) that "When evening came, they brought to [Jesus] many who were under the power of demons, and He drove out the spirits with a word and restored to health all who were sick." He was fulfilling His Father's will.
     Jesus is our example. He speaks to each believer, when He says, "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these" (John 14:12). Remember that, when the enemy comes at you with the fear of sickness and disease.
     Just as Jesus drove out spirits "with a word," that is what you must do. When the enemy comes at you with the fear of sickness and disease, whispering thoughts of, "You're going to get cancer and die" (or something similar), lift up your Sword of the Spirit and speak aloud to him, with all the power of God's Word backing you. Personalize II Corinthians 10:5, and say firmly to the enemy, "I demolish [all your] arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God!" and then say, "Get behind me, Satan!"

Psalm 103:2-3
"Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases."

What this has to do with weight loss: I know that many in the weight-loss community have suffered or are suffering from co-morbidities and illness (whether weight-related or not). If you are a believer, I beg you to pay attention to Psalm 103:2-3, and know that God offers you "benefits." He offers forgiveness of sins and healing of diseases. Not just some of them...all of them. In faith, make a "demand" on those benefits, knowing that God will be most pleased to forgive and heal you. How do I know? "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?" (Numbers 23:19). No, whatever God says, He does, and He fulfills every promise, if you will believe and receive.

Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, whenever I'm presented with fear of sickness or disease, I'm going to recognize where it's coming from--from the enemy, and I'm going to open my mouth and rebuke him and the fear, the sickness, the disease. I'm going to use Your Word to do that, Lord, because it has the power to demolish Satan's schemes and bring healing to me. I thank You for that, and I pray that I will always believe and receive. In Jesus' Name. Amen."

Go forth today, speaking God's powerful Word, knowing that the enemy's scheme to put fear of sickness and disease on you will be thwarted.

Blessings,
Mary

Hi Mary,

I hope that all went well with your check-up and with your traveling.  We'd love to hear an update on your success in this journey as well.  (A few more details than what your signature line says.)

Yesterday you asked for an update on our weight loss journeys, but I didn't get around to it until today.  My journey has been going quite well.  I am about a month behind you--I'm just past the 5 month mark.  Pre-op was good to me as well, and since early June of last year I have lost about 110 pounds; about 1/2 before and 1/2 after surgery.  I am very, very grateful for the gift of health that this surgery has ushered into my life.  By last November I was starting to lose hope again, as my body was fighting to regain the weight I had taken off, and I was hungry all of the time.

What a blessing it is to not be hungry!  Well, occasionally hungry, but it's the normal kind, not at all like pre-op when it just seemed to be uncontrollable.  This moderation thing is pretty cool. =)

It is so wonderful how my life has changed from an abundance of food to "the abundant life".  Our God is sooooooooooo good to us!  It took me quite a bit of study and prayer to feel comfortable with having the surgery, as I didn't want to feel as though I was abusing my body as God's creation.  He helped me to see that this was the method through which he would heal me.  I expected it to be a healing of my body, but it has become so much more.  I feel so well, so happy, so energetic, and so in love with God as I see myself becoming what he would have me to be.

Your devotionals have been a tremendous part of my spiritual journey, Mary.  And you know that it's not just about weight loss for me. =)  You have strengthened my faith and helped to teach me exactly how to quench the fiery darts of the adversary.

So as to the weight loss journey... today I sit at 206.8 lbs.  My next "goal" is to be under 200 at my six month check-up on June 19th.   That means I need to lose about 9 pounds in the next 23 days, to allow for clothes, and breakfast, since at home I weigh-in in my undies before any food or water crosses my lips.  This is the goal that the surgeon asked me to set, and it seemed so do-able at my 3-month check.  Now it  doesn't look so simple.  It has been great weather for exercise though, and my confidence in my Helper is high, so I will make that goal.

Enough about me, how did the hair dye turn out?  Do you look years younger?

Take care,
Vickie

Hi, Vickie.
I loved your chatty reply! :)  You know, the whole time I was reading about your journey, I kept shaking my head "yes," as it sounds so much like my journey.
I, too, knew that God would heal me through WLS, and He certainly has (progressively). Of course, that was after resisting the idea of WLS, for quite a while. However, when I found myself in the hospital, I was suddenly willing to say, "Lord, if You open the door [to WLS], I'll walk through it." He did, and I did. Together, we've made a pretty good team. :)
I've been at 277 lbs. for 4 weeks now, but I refuse to believe that being halfway to goal is the nearest I'm going to get to goal. The enemy would have me believe that this is all the weight loss I will experience. So...I must believe otherwise. I know that as I eat with thanksgiving and with discipline, the Father will take care of the rest.
About the hair dye. I feel better, having said goodbye to the gray once more, but I wouldn't say I look years younger. There's only so much hair dye can do! ;) 
Thanks for replying, and thanks for reading. :)
Blessings,
Mary