Hello Spiritual Warfare!

FINALLY!!! God allowed me to see what I've been needing to see for months now!

A couple weeks ago, I reached a point of just being overwhelmed by nothing going according to my plans, and things actually seeming like my plans were intentionally being blown up just to spite me for making those plans. I was frustrated with everything! Not getting what I wanted when I wanted it, other people having things go smoothly that I'd struggled through, God placing specific restrictions on my actions when others' were doing what I desired repeatedly. Clearly, a lotta comparison which grew my frustration, impatience, and grumbling. When Satan struck one very close friendship with a comparison challenge, I fought back! Not only did I decide to apologize for the comparing myself to her, I sought the truth in the situation to fight the lies. Simply put, the truth is that her friendship is a massive blessing and, while it may be forced to change, it's not changing right now and God is gonna take care of everything should it need to change. At this point, I did not see any of this as being an evil scheme. Somehow, I thought that I was just falling into this comparison sin on my own accord. Either way, attacking that close of a friendship was the beginning of the end for Satan.

Then, more unpredictable stuff that seemed intended to just make my life that much more difficult happened. I got a flat tire, had to ask for help to get the donut on (and did very little of the work myself), and then had to pay for a new tire, with the scare that I was gonna have to wait a couple days to get one. While I was at the garage waiting, I was reading The Sacred Romance and one small line referred to spiritual warfare and everything clicked!! My repetitive trials in patience and trust in God are NOT evidence that God is not good or that God wants to make my life really, really hard right now. Don't get me wrong, God is totally using all of these trials to thoroughly glorify Himself and build my relationship with Him, but He is not slamming me repeatedly to make me learn these things...that is the Devil, and he hates me. God reminds me through each struggle that He is very much with me every single time! Satan hates that I've been choosing to trust in spite of my feelings, so he's been throwing me under any kind of bus he can find. Any kind of difficult circumstance to challenge my faith that God allows him to touch, I'm sure he is.

In summary, Satan hates me and is out to get me! But he will never win because God is stronger than him! Now that I see Satan's attack for what it is, I'm reaching for my armor and my Father rather than discipline and forced self-control. SO MUCH PEACE!!!! So little burden!! LOVE IT!!