If you are a Christian, you have signed up for spiritual war. You may not like that idea, but it doesn't change the facts. Satan is after you. He's after your heart, your mind, your family, your children, your reputation, your influence, your work and all that makes you you because he hates the God in Who's image you were made. War is dangerous, discouraging and completely draining both to the body and to the mind. But here is my call to you, as your sister and fellow comrade: Girl, you better fight.
Fight like a girl. You weren't made a man, so don't fight like one. Fight like the woman you are. In your high tops or high heels - fight!
In your lipstick or chapstick - fight!
With your hair back, hair up or hair down - fight!
In yoga pants, sweat pants or in a mink coat - just fight!
And don't you dare give up.
Sister, the enemy is after you. He is prowling in the night as you put your babies to bed. He is lurking beside your man as he works, as he travels, as he studies and as he sleeps. He is hiding in shadows as you go about your day, watching you... stalking you... hunting you. He is aiming his flaming arrows of fear towards your head and firing his missiles of assault towards your body and your heart. He is whispering in the quiet and howling in the noise. He is dispatching all of his demonic forces to taunt you in the day and to haunt you in the night.
He has declared war! Are you going to just let him pummel you without a fight? Are you going to sprawl on the couch and let him invade? He may have already hit you, hard. He may have hit the people you love. You may be wounded and on the ground. But are you going to let him win? Are you going to give up?
I implore you, sister, to fight.
Don't be deceived. When the Creator of the universe made you, He made you to be tender and beautiful. He made you to be the missing piece to man's puzzle. God did not merely make you to be delicate, He also made you to be unashamedly strong in the fight. Let men be men. Let them fight like mighty men. But you, you get up and go fight like a girl. Fight like a valiant, virtuous and victorious woman, because through the redemptive power of the cross, that's exactly what you are.
Get on your knees and meet with your Captain. Become familiar with the sword you carry. Know the truth so you can dodge the lies. Lift your chin up and walk with peace and confidence in the battle plan. Learn your enemy so you can evade the traps strategically laid for you. Shield yourself from sin's unrighteous splatter. Stay alert. Get in your proverbial trench and watch. Paul was not talking only to the men when he urged the church to fight the good fight of faith. His letter was for the body of Christ as a whole and you, sister, are part of the body. Both men and women are soldiers in the army of heaven and a soldier of the Lord of Hosts does not relinquish triumph to a sinister, ugly monster that Jesus Himself has already defeated. A daughter of the living God runs to Goliath with the living Word in her hand and in her heart. She may pour glitter on her shield of faith before she holds it high, but make no mistake, she will hold it high. She may paint her nails before she grabs her sword, but count on it, she will grab her sword and she will wield it.
Don't be afraid of breaking a nail. This is war, honey. It's messy and there are causalities by the minute. Get dirty because you mean business. Just fight, friend.
From one sister with a smudged face and sore feet desperately in need of a pedicure to another, don't you dare give up. Spray some dry shampoo in your hair and put it into a top knot, roll up your sleeves and smile a pretty smile as you take up your holy weapon, and fight like a girl redeemed.
For more on this topic, study:
Joshua 1:9; Psalm 18:39; Psalm 60:12; Proverbs 14:1; Luke 10:19; Romans 8:31; Romans 8:37; 1 Corinthians 9:25-27; 1 Corinthians 15:57; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 6:10-18; 1 Timothy 6:12; Hebrews 11:32:38; 1 Peter 5:8-9; 1 John 4:4; Revelation 12:11;