“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.”

(Ephesians 6:13-17)

On my journey back to health I’ve had to learn some hard truths. I confess it is reassuring to see that the contestants on Biggest Loser all faced these too. The first and hardest truth, but the one most necessary for actual life-long change, is the acceptance of reality, and taking full responsibility for it. On a weight loss journey, it’s the hard acknowledgement that you are fat. I was morbidly obese. The morbid part means death. No one shoved pie down my throat in the night, I was digging my own grave with a spoon. Many of the reasons for that stemmed from lies I repeated to myself over the years that became a subliminal soundtrack in my mind: “You’re not worth the effort,” “It seems so good, how bad could it be?” “The doctor says you’re healthy” “You’re happy this way,” “You’re a disappointment,” “No one cares about you anyway,” etc.

You probably already see the similarities to coming to Jesus. We think we’re in control, but then, in the lonely, quiet moments, the truth of our sin and corruption reveals itself. And often what has kept us from kneeling at the cross are the same kinds of lies that the devil has been whispering to us from the beginning: we’re not worthy, we can’t be forgiven for THAT, it’s too much work to be saved, there’s not really a final judgement, people will disown you, or call you crazy, only the good die young, etc.

Whether it’s a spiritual transformation or a health transformation, or ANY kind of transformation, really, it WILL be a battle to get better. Nothing worth having comes easily anyway. And God is not shy in telling us in His Word that the struggle is point. It’s the struggle, the battle, that turns us into warriors, that builds character and teaches us perseverance, builds value in the victory.

So, it seems the Salvation Work-Out is a fighting discipline. Philippians 2:12 says “…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling…”

ROUND ONE: Fighting the Old Inner Man. “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.” (Romans 7:19-20) This is a daily exercise. Like all exercises, it gets easier with time, but you’ll never be finished. If the great Apostle Paul struggled with it, we certainly will.

ROUND TWO: The Spiritual Battle. “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.” (Ephesians 6:10-12) If it wasn’t going to be a battle, we wouldn’t need armor! But God, the Great Personal Trainer, will supply all of the necessary equipment. Still, daily training is necessary so that you’re strong enough and know how to use the equipment when the actual fight comes.

ROUND THREE: Battle with the World. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2) Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to change you is the greatest accomplishment.” This has always been true, but in this age of social media, comparison and conformity are demanded like never before with real potential consequences. To follow Christ is to turn around in a massive crowd and start walking the opposite way. This is a full body work-out, but even more so, a battle of the will. Again, our Great, High Trainer is always in our corner shouting out words of encouragement, warning and instruction. And He is there to bind up the inevitable wounds.

Yes, getting better is a battle, but it absolutely WILL happen! “Be confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39)

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Whoo! I’m ready to suit up and get training! And here’s a pro tip, post note cards all over your locker room or training space (house or prayer closet) with your favorite inspirational quotes (verses) from the Trainer. He is the only One who knows our true potential and how to get the most out of us if only we will get real with ourselves, set aside our fear and hesitation and trust the process.

Get after it,

Jen 💪