Full Armor of God Diet

I developed these 7 steps to stop snacking and use them whenever I have a craving that needs to be ignored. Maybe they'll be helpful for you, too.

7 Steps to Stop Snacking
Thinking about getting a snack even though you’ve already eaten enough? Stop. Instead, do these 7 steps. If you still want a snack after completing step #7, start over with #1 and do all the steps again.

1)Do 10 push-ups (or however many you can!)

2)Drink a glass of water

3)Say a prayer and ask God to help you crave only healthy foods

4)Read a chapter in the Bible or a short article from a devotional book (Try Galations 6:9)

5)Do 10 sit-ups (or however many you can!)

6)Stretch your muscles

7)Do a household chore

In motivational materials, we often see authors asking the question: What do you want to be doing 5, 10, or 15 years from today? Yesterday, I noticed the question in reverse in a book by the famous physician Ben Carson. He reminded us that the first question is important but also asked "What don't you want to be doing 5, 10, or 15 years from now?"

I know exactly what I don't want to be doing 5 years from now. I don't want to be obsessing about food! I'm ready to get over this struggle against sugar. I imagine how nice it will be to reach the point where I'm no longer tempted by sugary treats, the same as I am never tempted to eat a hamburger. I realize we'll always have temptations here on earth. But when Jesus returns to take us all to heaven, I really don't want to still be struggling with this area. I don't want to have a talk with Jesus about how I spent my entire life trying to overcome sugar addiction and how I never learned to accept His strength. Instead I want to praise Him and say thank you. I want to say remember in 2006 when you helped me finally overcome my obsession with food?

Of course, there will always be other areas of sin that I struggle with, and my whole life will be a life of overcoming through Jesus' strength more and more of the sin in my life. But I don't want to get stuck on this hurdle of sugar addiction. I want to be over it.

I used to think that these annoying cravings were destined to bother me the rest of my life, but then I found a Bible verse that gave me hope.

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7 (NIV)

I love the picture of Satan fleeing from me. Isn't that marvelous? When we submit ourselves to God's will and resist Satan's temptations to follow our own will, Satan flees. To flee means to run away swiftly from trouble. If we resist Satan, we're too much trouble for him. He no longer wants to bother with us. From James 4:7, I see that we can rely on Jesus strength and overcome Satan's temptations and eventually Satan will leave us alone.

So that's where I want to be, not just 5, 10 or 15 years from now, but even 1 year from now. I want to have submitted my appetite to God and resisted the devil over and over and over, so that Satan will have fled so many times, that he won't even bother coming back to tempt me in this area again.

1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV) reminds us of our purpose for maintaining health, including being careful in what we eat and managing our weight.

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

According to this Bible verse, is there a way to eat that is to the glory of God? The answer of course, is "yes." Then, it would stand to reason that there is a way to eat that is not to the glory of God. This reminds us again that health is another area of stewardship. If we maintain our health, we can serve God better. I have to keep reminding myself of this so that pride doesn't slip in, and so that I don't forget that the goal of health is not for the sake of vanity. The goal is to give glory to God.

I'm thinking ahead to the end of 2006 and how much fun it will be to give glory to God for helping me resist cravings for sugary sweets, overcome my addiction to junk food, and fit back into the clothes that are hanging in my closet!

Tammy mentioned Haggai in her January 26 post, where God spoke directly to her heart through a Bible verse. This is the 2nd time in the past couple of weeks that someone has mentioned Haggai to me, and I'm not sure I've ever even read Haggai. (I probably read it once while trying to read through the whole Bible, but I honestly can't remember it.)

So, I decided I better go check out Haggai today. There are only 2 chapters in the whole book. Haggai was a prophet who labored toward the goal of rebuilding the Temple after it had been destroyed under Babylonian rule. The foundation was laid right away, but the work was delayed for years. So Haggai was urging the people to finish the task. The Jews were neglecting the Temple, and God had not blessed them. The message is so clear. God was withholding their blessings because they were not following the path of obedience.

Here are God's words in Haggai 2:15-19:
" 'Now give careful thought to this from this day on —consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the LORD's temple. When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty. I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not turn to me,' declares the LORD. 'From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the LORD's temple was laid. Give careful thought: Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit.
" 'From this day on I will bless you.' "

This last sentence is so powerful to me. God was withholding His blessings, but when His people stopped neglecting their work for the Lord, He decided to no longer withhold the blessings. How wonderful it would sound if God said to us, "From this day on, I will bless you."

As we continue choosing the path of good health, let's remember that our bodies are also the temple of God. When we neglect our bodies, we are neglecting God's temple.

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19,20 NIV).

Just imagine what God will do for us if we stop neglecting our bodes. Could we each say "From this day on...I will no longer neglect my body, the temple of God?"

God told his people He would bless them "from this day on." When we make a commitment to follow His ways, I believe He will bless us, too.

From this day on, I want to honor God with my body.

Have you ever been perplexed about something and reached for your Bible just to open it up and see what Bible verse your eyes land on? Once, when I was completely worn out and tired of trying to walk the path of health (thinking it would just be easier to enjoy whatever food I want, sit around and watch T.V., and buy larger size clothes), I decided to open my Bible and see if God had a message for me. I had a grumbly, complaining sort of heart. I was telling God in my heart that I was tired of this struggle.

I opened my Bible to Galations 6:9 (NIV)

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

When I read this, it felt like the words of a coach, encouraging me on. God reminded me not to become weary in making good healthy choices. This Bible verse is just what I needed then, and it's just what I need throughout this entire journey. God is telling us not to give up. He has promised that we will reap a harvest, and God always follows through on His promises.

Ephesians 6:16 describes another part of the Armor of God, the Shield of Faith.

"In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one."

I love the visual this creates. Imagine Satan is shooting arrows at you. These are not just your ordinary sharp arrows, which would be bad enough. These are sharp and flaming arrows. Now imagine you're holding up a shield and blocking every arrow. Not only does your shield block every arrow, perhaps this sheild has a high-tech sprinkler system. The shield sprays out water and squelches the fire from the flaming arrows several feet away. Before the arrows touch the shield, the fire is put out. When they hit the shield, they are wimpy, burnt up arrows with no power. You hear a light pop as they gently tap the sheild and then fall softly to the ground. The destroyed, wet arrows lay at your feet.

I love the Sheild of Faith. It's a wonderful part of the Armor of God. Wouldn't it be fun to picture yourself holding up the shield the next time you sense a flaming arrow heading your way?

Tammy's comment about watching T.V. and eating mindlessly reminded me of myself, of course! I absolutely do eat more and think less about what I'm eating while staring at the T.V. Could it be that my attention is so focused on T.V. that I can't see the tempation escape routes God is providing?

The connection with mind and body is interesting, so I decided to search on BibleGateway on both the words "mind" and "body" and see what Bible verses I might find. (The link to BibleGateway is in the left column of this blogsite's home page.)

I found a passage in Romans about struggling with sin. Romans 7:21-24 (NIV)

"So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin."

This tells us about the relationship between our mind and body, how we struggle with wanting one thing in our minds but our bodies want something else. To me, this emphasizes the importance of our minds. This is where we hold our love for God and His law. Keeping our thoughts on His law and how perfect it is, can help us in the struggle with any sin or tempation, because we know God's way is the best way. His way is perfect. Remaining focused on God's perfect diet and plan for our health can help us toward our goal to keep our bodies in good health to serve Him better, too.

Yesterday, I listed several areas in which I need wisdom. Today, I thought of another. I need wisdom to recognize the escape route God is providing when I'm faced with temptation. He always provides it, but we should be ready to look for it, see it, and head in that direction. How do I know God provides an escape route for us when we're tempted? We are told about this escape route in 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)
"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."

I'm praying that God will show each of us the way of escape when we are tempted, that He will make it very obvious when we are tempted. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have wisdom to recognize the way of escape that God is providing? Let's be on the look-out and take advantage of God's escape routes.

Sandra reminds us to get back up when we fall down, in her post to my January 20 entry. Amen, Sandra! I have fallen down on this journey so many times. About 3 years ago I started studying the Armor of God and thinking about applying it to my health and weight loss. I've learned that reading about and thinking about and knowing about the Armor of God doesn't actually help a whole lot. I have to put it on and use it. I have fallen so many times when I've been too busy to pray and too busy to put on God's Armor. Praise God he is there to pick us back up and get us going again.

While my kids dish up ice-cream for dessert this evening, I've come upstairs to pray and try to decide if there is something I would like right now more than chocolate ice cream. Do you know what? There is something I want more than chocolate ice cream. It's wisdom. Today I'm praying to God for wisdom. I need wisdom in so many different areas of my life. Not only to teach my children correctly, to deal with my husband with love, to spend my time wisely for the Lord, but to simply do my work efficiently and do it well.

There is a story about wisdom in the Bible. When Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon besieged Jerusalem and overtook it, he brought in some young Israelites to serve in his palace. King Nebuchadnezzar ordered Ashpenaz to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. He assigned the Israelites a daily amount of food and wine from his very own table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service. Among these young Israelites were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah (renamed Shadrach, Meshach, and Agednego). What follows is an amazing story about how Daniel and his friends decided not to defile their bodies with the king's rich food and the king's wine. At the end of the story, you'll discover how God blessed them in a most amazing way.


Daniel 1:8-19 (NIV)
"But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you."

Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see." So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.

At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.

At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom."

Isn't that wonderful? Right here in the Bible we have a recording of a scientific study on health! Daniel and his friends resisted the rich, no doubt delicious, food of the king because they wanted to live according to God's laws of health. It only took 10 days for the difference to be noted. But here is the thing that has always impressed me the most. God blessed them with 10 times more wisdom than all the others in the kingdom. Either this was part of the natural health laws with cause and effect (clearer minds come from eating healthier food), or God bestowed upon them additional layers of wisdom as added blessing. My guess would be that it is both. Either way, it has always inspired me to choose the path of health. As we continue to make healthy choices day by day, not only will we experience stronger and healthier bodies, but God may also bless us with wisdom, just like he did Daniel, Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego. This is my prayer today. Tomorrow, when I get out walking/jogging, I'll pray for each of you (Tammy, Sandra, Judy, Katie, Gracie, and everyone else who has participated in our online discussion). I'll pray that God will bless each of you, not only with good health, but with wisdom, too.

I appreciate Tammy reminding us in her Jan. 19 post how fast time is flying. She reminds us that before we know it, we will have formed the habit of eating well and we will no longer feel deprived. We won't even remember feeling deprived!

I spent yesterday focusing on feeling joy in the moment. Remember, we can feel joy because we're on the right track. We don't have to wait until we've reached our goal to feel joy. We're somewhere in the middle, but we can feel joy because we know we're heading to the right goal. This applies to our projects, our daily tasks, our healthy lifestyle and weight-loss goals. But even more importantly, we can feel joy because we are on our way to heaven.

Jesus is coming soon to give us the prize--a prize we all get to win. If you think about how fast the first 19 days in January have gone by, just think about how fast the rest of our lives will go by and how soon we'll see Jesus coming to take us all to heaven.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (New King James Vesion) compares our lives to a race.
"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."

In this race, we are running for a crown that will last forever, and we are reminded to be temperate in all things, to be disciplined so that we won't become disqualified. The best news about this race is that it is short. Remember how fast time is flying. Jesus is coming soon.

Joyce Meyer, a popular Christan author, has a book titled "Be Anxious for Nothing." Anxiety creeps into my heart far too often, so I decided to get her book from the library and read it. Anxiety has been a real problem for me in the past. Several years ago I set a News Years resolution to stop worrying so much. I recognized my unreasonable fears, and they were driving me crazy. I would worry about my children's health, my husbands health, my own health, my performance at work, my personal projects, getting behind with my scrapbook, not having time to exercise, events happening in friends' lives, major illness with friends from church, on and on. When things were going well and I didn't have any obvious thing to worry about, I would start worrying about what might go wrong because life was going so well. How could it go so well for me when things were falling apart for people all around me? I just knew my turn was coming next, and I'd start worrying about some unknown thing that surely would have to go wrong for me in the future. So, I searched the Bible for verses about letting go of fear and trusting in God. I made a long list of these verses, and prayed constantly. After about 6 months or so, I finally found peace and noticed that the worry was fading. It felt good to get fear out of my heart, and whenever my fears came back, I would remember my Bible verses and pray and find peace again.

But I've been noticing this anxiety finding its way back into my heart lately. Major projects. Huge projects, with deadlines. I notice myelf thinking about food as a way to ease my anxiety. I need to find my list of Bible verses again. Walking or running in the fresh air and sunshine helps, too. Sometimes I just need to see some blue sky to remember God is out there.

In her book, Joyce Meyer explained that her anxiety came from delaying gladness in every day moments of life. This is the "I'll be happy when..." syndrome. If we're always waiting for things to change before we allow ourselves to experience the joy of Jesus, we'll miss out on a lot of joy in life. She encourages us to remember this: "There are many stages we must go through in the course of our spiritual growth. We need to learn how to enjoy the glory we are experiencing at each level of our development. It is true we are not yet where we need to be, but, thank God, we are not where we used to be. We are somewhere in the middle, but we are making progress toward our goal -- and we ought to be enjoying each stage."

This is a great reminder for me. I'm not where I want to be with my weight, but I am making progress. Could I let myself be happy today with myself and where I am instead of thinking "I'll be happy when I lose 15 pounds?" I'm not happy where I am with my current project. Could I enjoy this tough project I'm working on today, and be happy that I have meaningful and challenging work, instead of thinking, "I'll be happy when this project is complete"?

2 Timothy 1:7 is one of my favorite all-time Bible verses.
"God has not given us a spirit of fear. But he has given us a spirit of power and love and self-control. (Worldwide English New Testament Version)"

The next time anxiety knocks on your heart's door, don't turn to chocolate. Answer the door with 2 Timothy 1:7.

Remember, the spirit of fear does not come from God. We do not need to fear, because He is always with us. God gives us a spirit of power. He gives us power to overcome obstacles in our lives. He puts love in our hearts, and He gives us self-control.

Saying no to treats involves delaying gratification. Sometimes it's easy to do, and other times it involves a great struggle. Sometimes it takes a lot of strength to deny myself the immediate treat of an ice cream cone instead of waiting for the better, yet delayed gratification that comes from a healthy body, feeling fit and strong.

God provides us this strength. I have also noticed that God provides us blessings in many ways, and often the blessings require waiting. If I don't wait, I miss out on the blessing. The greatest blessings come from patience and perseverance. Waiting, having patience, can be hard. We need strength to be able to wait. Where does the strength come from? By waiting for the Lord, we build up strength. If we're waiting on the Lord, we're trusting that He knows best. We're following His plan. Instead of instantly satisfying our cravings, we're trusting that He has a better, more satisfying way, which we will experience, if we will wait.

Here is the promise in Isaiah 40:31

"They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

Tammy recommended the book "Eat Carbs, Lose Weight" by Denise Austin in her comment posted January 16. I like to search the library online for new books, and I just found this one. I'm looking forward to finding some new recipes using all the good food God created for us to maintain health--like whole grains, fruits, nuts and vegetables.

It takes time to create a weekly menu plan, organize recipes and get to the grocery store to pick up all the ingredients. But once this weekly plan is in place and all the ingredients for the recipes are on hand, it makes the whole week go so much smoother. It's Tuesday, and I haven't even planned menus for this week. Am I the only one who has a hard time making time for this?

Pulling recipes together and having a menu plan is like getting a battle plan in place - our strategy for the week. I know I need to do it. Without it, I'm floundering through the week, and I don't always make the most healthy choices.

Let's remember to take time for what is important - take time to pray, take time to put on the Armor of God, take time to exercise... and ... take time to put a battle plan together for the week in the form of healthy recipes and the ingredients to make them!

Some versions of the Bible, such as New Life Version and Young's Literal Translation, use the word "happy" in place of "blessed" for the beatitudes. With this in mind, I wrote my own personal beatitude:

Happy am I when I do not give in when I am tempted to eat junk food, for I always feel better when I have chosen the path of health.

I have always loved the beatitudes found in Matthew 5. Did you know that there is a beatitude that can help you remember to seek fulfillment in Christ rather than food?

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6 (KJV)

I have found the problem with junk food is that it is enticing but never fills the need. One piece of banana cake looks so good. It seems like it would fill the need. But I have found over and over again that after I eat any sweet treat, the craving is still there. I think I just need another. So I eat another, and the craving is still there.

This beatitude reminds me that I will be filled and satisfied if I hunger and thirst after righteousness. The next time I'm craving a piece of banana cake (which, by the way, is in my refrigerator right now because a friend brought it over to my house yesterday)I will remember to turn my focus away from that cake and put my focus on righteousness. Some of you must have been praying for me yesterday because I resisted the cake while everyone else indulged!

I'm going out walking/jogging today and will pray for each of you, that God will remind you to focus on his righteousness so that you will be filled.

This week, a friend tole me she was wondering if some of her earthly accomplishments will matter in heaven. It can ease the stress we put on ourselves when trying to accomplish too much if we think about this.

I immediately responded to her that the accomplishments we make here on earth will matter in heaven if they help someone be saved who otherwise wouldn’t be saved. Those accomplishments will have eternal value.

So what about our daily quest to make lifestyle choices for good health. How does maintaining our health have eternal value? After all, we'll all get new bodies in heaven and perfect health. Praise God for that! But think about this: If during my life, I make choices that promote health and avoid choices that wreak havoc on my body, I could extend my life by a few years. (If you think this is a stretch, look at the research from the NIH that shows how many years Christians with healthy lifestyle habits extend their lives, living 4 to 10 years longer than the average life expectancy. This was reported in the National Geographic November 2005 issue.) What if, during those extra few years, we are able to make an impact on another person's life helping them have a closer walk with God and helping to lead to their salvatation?

What if, by maintaining my health, I have a clearer mind and more energy to focus on my relationship with God?

In this respect, even our daily diet and exercise choices--choices to maintain health in order to live an active life in service for God--have eternal value.

The second part of the Armor of God is the breastplate of righteousness. So, how do we put on this breastplate? And how can it help us with our battle against temptations for unhealthy food?

First, what is the breastplate? We know that Jesus saved us from our sins (it is through His righteousness that God justifies us and saves us), so the breastplate is the righteousness of Jesus. Wearing the breastplate is like reminding Satan--and ourselves--that we are protected by Jesus' righteousness.

We put on the breastplate by keeping ourselves in a right relationship with God, which leads to right living. We will follow the example of Christ, obeying God's law and loving everyone.

It is so encouraging to me to know that wearing the breastplate of righteousness covers me with the righteousness that Jesus gives me. I want to put on the breastplate every day, by remaining in a right relationship with God. With this part of the Armor to fight off Satan's temptations, I will naturally do the right thing.

Tammy's comment on January 10 reminds us to remember the fruits of the spirit. These are found in Galations 5:22, 23 NIV
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

Continuing with Galations 5:24 and 25, we read:
"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

Denying our temptations for food and drink or any unhealthy habit involves crucifying the sinful nature. No wonder it can be so wretching. But, as Tammy pointed out, when we practice crucifying the sinful nature by learning self-control around junk food, and letting God's spirit take control, it helps us build up our spiritual muscles and it carries over to other areas of our lives.

I also love how verse 25 ends. ..."let us keep in step with the Spirit." While I'm out walking/jogging tomorrow I'll pray for all of us - Tammy, Sandra, Katy, and Judy (Judy has been emailing me directly) - that we will all keep in step with the Spirit.

Also, Tammy, thanks for reminding me about Kay Kuzma's new devotional book. I don't have it, yet, but I really need to get it.

David offered a prayer to God in Psalm 51:10 that has been a wonderful prayer for me to carry in my heart after I've had a day of dieting failure.

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit with me." Psalm 51:10

If I start focusing on the wrong motives, rather than to serve and honor God with my body and health, God can put my heart back in the right place. He can create in me a pure heart, a heart that seeks God and His glory rather than a heart that seeks my glory.

He can also renew a steadfast spirit. This is so important. Sometimes we fail. Maybe we fail more often than not. This is not the time to give up. Instead, it's time to ask God to renew a steadfast spirit within us. It is such an encouragement to me to know that God will renew my steadfast spirit, and He will renew yours, too.

This is an important Bible verse and prayer to remember when you are feeling defeated.

My son and daughter (in 3rd and 4th grade) both received musical instruments from their grandparents for Christmas. What an amazing blessing. We now get to listen to them practicing their saxophone and clarinet with much diligence. Our house quite often sounds like a band warm-up session. The notes are not always perfect, but I still love to hear them practice.

I'm so glad God created music. When I'm feeling anxiety, turning to Christian music that will remind me of God's love is a great way to fill my heart with joy and relieve stress. One of my favorites is the well-known hymn 'Great is Thy Faithfulness.' Today, when I'm tempted to reach for junk food, I'll turn to music instead as a healthier alternative. I can go to the piano and play this hymn, or if I'm out and about, I can just let the melody play in my mind. What a great reminder of God's love and faithfulness. This will reduce anxiety and stress much more effectively than ice cream. Do you have a favorite song that feeds your soul? Why not sing that song in your heart today, or pull out your favorite music CD, instead of easing anxiety with junk food?

On January 6, Katy confirmed that one of the lies I've fallen for many times is one that Satan uses over and over for many people. Her comment--"For me, it would be a lie to believe that one cookie would be OK. One is never enough for me, and I don't think that's changed."--motivates me to be on the look out for this lie again. It sometimes feels like I'm the only one who has this crazy addiction to sugar. Katy noted that on Feb. 2, she'll celebrate her 6th anniversary living completely sugar-free. I feel better today after living sugar-free for close to 6 days, and she is close to her 6th year! It is just so great to know that this can be done, and I'm not the only one trying to live this way.

Here's another lie. Satan uses this one on me after I've been eating well for a few days:
The Lie - You're doing so well, my, aren't you looking good? You can zip up your jeans now, and you should be proud of yourself. Now you can relax. You don't need to carry a sword with you, or spend time putting on your belt of truth, or any of the other Armor of God. It's time-consuming, so just say a quick prayer and get on with your day. (So many times I've listened. I let pride slip in. I lose my focus on my goal of walking closer with Jesus with health as an area of Christian stewardship. I stop putting on the Armor, and I'm back to eating junk food.) The Truth - There should be no room for pride in my heart, except for being proud of Jesus and what He can do with my life. I have already proven that I have nothing to be proud of because my efforts are futile without the strength that comes from Jesus. I need the Armor of God every day. It is the power of God that brings strength to succeed. I must give God the glory and remember that I do not want to fight this battle without His Armor.

The belt of truth is another powerful part of the Armor of God. I like to envision a belt around my waste with the truth written all around it. Having the truth with me will help when Satan tells me lies. Here are some of the lies I have fallen for, quite possibly thousands of times, over the past many years of my weight loss battle. The corresponding truth follows the lie:
1) The lie - You have finally overcome your addition to sugar. This time, you can eat just one chocolate chip cookie. After all 'once in awhile' is okay. The truth - If I eat one chocolate chip cookie, I won't be satisfied. It will actually awaken an even stronger craving for more. Then I'll eat another and another. So I'm better off not even eating just one.
2) The lie - Everyone else is eating dessert. If it's okay for them, it must be okay for you. The truth - Not everyone is addicted to sugar like me. I shouldn't use what other people are doing as my guide. My desire to walk with God closely through a journey toward good health is a personal decision and has nothing to do with what other people are doing.

How about you? Do you recognize any lies that you've fallen for lately? What is the corresponding truth? Add that truth to your belt of truth and carry it with you so you'll have a good response when Satan brings up those lies that have always worked in the past.

Thank you Tammy for sharing your post about how God answered your prayer to heal your eyes. I believe God wants to be involved in our lives and that this is why He tells us to pray. If we pray, He often responds in a way that is so obvious to us that we can feel His presence right there in our lives (although not always, His answer to our prayers remains a mystery sometimes and it's not always immediate). Prayer is just so cool. I have prayed while grocery shopping that God will help me get through the shopping experience without heading for the donut aisle and endulging in 6 donuts on my way home. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a war zone in the grocery store, with all those treats around every corner. If I pray right before I walk through the doors of the grocery store that God will help me crave healthy food and abhor junk food, I get out of there without cookies or candy or something unhealthy to snack on while I'm driving home. I feel God's presence right there with me while I'm shopping. Sometimes I end up with a Pink Lady apple as my treat when I'm really hungry and need something good. I love the Pink Lady variety of apples. In fact, I'm heading to the grocery store in a few minutes...I better start praying!

Tammy's comment on January 1 reminds us about the importance of prayer - "God I know you are stronger and more powerful than this food, please take this desire away from me..."

Although Paul doesn't include prayer as part of the armor, he describes it as completely necessary, like an underlying, supportive force. Prayer opens our hearts to let the Holy Spirit in so that we can do God's will instead of our own will. So, we are not told to pray once in a while, we are reminded to pray all the time.

Before the new year, thinking about my resolution to use the armor of God to give me strength to make healthy choices, I actually found myself praying "God, you know I've been trying to use the armor for a few years now, and I fail over and over. Maybe I just really can't do it." I was very sincere in this thought. Maybe I just can't do it. As soon as I prayed this prayer, I realized how ridiculous this sounded. You know, God, Daniel could face a den of lions, but I'm not sure I can deny myself cookies and ice cream. I had to laugh right in the middle of my prayer. Immediately God reminded me "You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. (Philippians 4:13)" I continued my prayer "Okay, God, you're right. It's very obvious I can't do this. I know I can't. But I know you can."

Since we are using this blogspot as a way to encourage and support each other, I have decided to pray during my daily exercise for each person who contributes posts. Yesterday, I went out walking/jogging and prayed for both Sandra and Tammy, who both posted comments on January 1. I prayed that God would give Sandra and Tammy both an extra boost of strength and motivation and a strong craving for healthy food and exercise. I hope you will all pray for me, too, because I really need it.

Paul describes the Armor of God as 6 pieces. Here are the steps to using the full armor of God:
1) Put on your strong belt of truth.
2) Wear the breastplate of righteousness.
3) Bring along your gospel feet.
4) Use your shield of faith.
5) Wear your helmet of salvation.
6) Use the sword of the spirit.

God's armor is so awesome and so effective against sin. All of this armor is great and important. If we don't use it all, we won't be as effective. However, my favorite is the last piece of the armor Paul mentions, the sword of the spirit. The sword is the word of God. I love to carry a Bible verse with me to inspire me throughout the day and to use as my sword against Satan when he tempts me. If you have a Bible verse that you like to use as your sword, please share it with me. I like to focus on a different Bible verse every few days. To get this year kicked off, I've been carrying Proverbs 16:3 with me "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."

Paul tells us how we can be ready to resist temptations using the armor of God. Here is the passage in Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV):

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 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 saints."

Which part of the armor strikes you as most relevant to fighting off temptation for junk food? Tomorrow, I'll tell you about my favorite part of the armor - although, really, I love it all!

It seems I've been trying most of my life to lose weight. Being honest, I must admit that I've spent most of my life "thinking about, reading about, wishing, and planning" to lose weight, more than what I would call truly "trying." Thinking back over the years, I recognize that the one constant motivation for me has been vanity. It all started around 7th grade when I wanted to look better in my jeans. The same motivation of vanity stuck with me through college and into my twenties and thirties. I always wanted to look good, but mostly I talked about wanting to maintain my health. It is a much nobler goal, of course, to strive for weight loss for the purpose of maintaining health, instead of for the purpose of looking good. I have recognized this as part of my problem over the years. If the motivation is vanity, then clearly there will be times, many times, for me more often than not, when the chocolate shake is just simply more appealing than looking good.

Now that I'm in my forties (age 41), I have finally come to realize that there is a far better motivation for maintaining health. The primary purpose for developing good health habits should be to serve the Lord better. After all, if I am sick and in pain, it is going to be much more difficult for me to use my talents for God. If I maintain good health, it could help me to have more energy and to live longer and have more years to serve God. This is a much more important reason for maintaining my health. Obviously, it is much better than vanity.

So, my new year's resolution this year it so commit to the Lord my personal health goals and to keep my focus on serving Him as my goal. I am really tired of over-eating, gorging on junk food that has no nutritional value for my body and just makes me feel "blah" and my clothes feel less and less comfortable. I don't want to have to go out and buy new clothes. So, I still have the goal to get back into some of the clothes that no longer fit. But keeping my focus on the Lord and my service to Him will be an important key to my sucess. Another part of my resolution is to put on the Armor of God to resist unhealthy temptations. I'm starting this blog with a focus on using the Full Armor of God every minute of every hour of every day to keep me strong and committed to maintaining my health for God.

It will be such an encouragement if you will join me so that we can support each other through this blog. If you have found this blog, and if you are with me, will you use the Armor of God yourself and share your stories with me? Tell me how the Armor has helped you. Share a Bible verse that you carry with you all day that helps you in the battle to make healthy choices. I will do the same. I plan to blog here daily every morning. If you join me, and provide your own posts as well, I'll pray for you to have strength in the Lord, and ask that you pray for me also.

Let's let 2006 be the year we succeed in overcoming our junk food addictions. Proverbs 16:3 (NIV) reminds us of this: "Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."