The enemy would desire it to become a spiritual battleground, hoping to infiltrate it in subtle ways that can cause frustration and guilt, in order to compromise the family’s foundations. Satan knows that if he can scramble the peace and confidence in the parent’s mind, then he has a good foothold from the start. As parents, it is good to be prepared for this attack in advance, praying for a hedge of protection around you. The Bible tells us that we can stand during these attacks by putting on the spiritual armor of God. Parenthetically, standing is one of the most beneficial positions to be in while in labor. We can stand therefore, literally and figuratively, as we take authority over our minds by putting on the articles of defense God has given us for childbirth and for life. Ephesians 6:10-13 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For 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. 13Therefore 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. Paul begins this passage with “Finally,” and uses it as if he is saving the best for last; the most important point of all. He reminds us to be strong, as a friend would encourage another to be strong in a tough situation. (We can certainly use this during birth!) It suggests that there will be trials coming our way, things that are going to happen that we will need to be protected from. Jesus reminded us that we WILL have trials and tribulations in this world, but behold, "I have overcome the world," He said. It is important to keep in mind that the battle was fought and the victory has already been established when Jesus said "It is finished" on the cross. Satan lost that day, and we now know that our salvation is secure in Christ Jesus, as we wait for His return. Satan only has victory when we give in to Him. With that said, the rest of this passage gives us tools to help us from not giving into the lies of the enemy. Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. Satan works against us by using schemes, plans, and other ways that will separate us from the Lord. He is like a woodpecker searching for a bug on a tree. The woodpecker does not hammer away at the tough area of bark, but rather he pecks away until he finds a weak area and then drills it, because he knows there is a bug underneath. So too, Satan does not waste time on our strong points, but finds our weaknesses because he wants to devour us. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 Ephesians 6:12 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. How hard it is to remember this verse when someone else has hurt us! Keep a watchful eye out for Satan, who stands behind the hurtful person, and gives a quiet sinister laugh. May we begin to pray for the person Satan has used, and lift them before the Lord. May we monitor our own life, making sure that we don't have a devil behind us, laughing because we have just been used to hurt someone else. Ephesians 6:13Therefore 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. Of course the day of labor and delivery is hardly evil, but Satan would like to make it that way. It doesn’t have to be, and no matter what happens, you can have perfect peace in your mind and in your heart, knowing that God is going to bless you and your family with an abundance of love. As you put on the armor of God, proclaim that your day is covered in God’s grace and that you will not allow Satan into this experience. Resist him, and he must flee! Ephesians 6:14 Stand firm, then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist... This is perhaps the most important article of armor for childbirth. Misinformation and ignorance could be the greatest source of grief and disappointment, and filling your mind with as much information regarding the pros and cons of every procedure is an absolute must. The truth is, the truth often times isn’t being told to parents. Very basic information is given and they are left largely uniformed. It is the responsibility of the parents; then, to search out the risks of interventions, as well as to know when they might want to use them. God revealed interventions to us for a reason, and that is for abnormal childbirth. Praise the Lord that He has provided us with the means to correct these problems. However, the routine and overuse of pain medications and induction methods are irresponsible and dangerous. All interventions have risks, and as the parent, you need to be fully informed. Do your research. On the lighter side, it is also your responsibility to be truthful with those around you. If you are harboring feelings that are fearful, or full of anger and resentment, it is good to express that in a healthy way. There is beauty in being open with your partner and your caregiver, as the truth indeed will set you free. Satan is the father of all lies, and the best way to counteract him is by being as open and honest as possible. Ephesians 6:14 ...with the breastplate of righteousness in place... When we get ourselves involved in something we ought not to be taking part in, along comes something that cuts us right to the core. Of course, trials come to all of us, for it rains on the just and the unjust alike, and even Job who was righteous still got attacked. It seems when we play with fire, as we take off the breastplate and engage in unholy behavior, it is much easier for Satan to come in and attack with fiery darts those vital organs that are left vulnerable. Consider the time of pregnancy and early parenthood. What kind of things could we be doing that might remove our spiritual breastplate? Perhaps we have a bad habit, a temper, or even an emotional attraction to someone else. Anything that is unholy can jeopardize our walk with the Lord and make us vulnerable to attack. Our hearts need to be protected. The breastplate was a large item, and warriors would need assistance fastening it to their body. The righteousness that we need requires some sort of help, and that help is the blood shed on Calvary. It is His righteousness that covers us and helps us remember that we are perfect in the eyes of God, thanks to the blood of Jesus. When we look into His eyes, we see ourselves as He does - forgiven and justified. We all stumble along the way and avoid ungodliness because of the consequences. When we do fail, however, we are blessed with justification given to us by Christ, “just as if” we had never sinned at all. Ephesians 6:15 ...and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Just as we need to be spiritually ready for the attack of the enemy, we also can prepare ourselves for childbirth through education and practice. Renewing the mind with a positive and confident attitude will greatly enhance your chances of a rewarding birth experience. Choose wisely the childbirth education class that you will attend. There are many things to consider and you need to ask yourself what types of things are important to you. Some ideas and points to consider: 1. Is the class small in size in order to give personal attention to you? This is very important because many questions will come up and you will need to ask them. 2. Does the instructor promote the patient to make decisions about their care? Some classes teach you to be an active participant in the process, while others teach you to be a “good patient.” 3. Does the instructor teach solid skills to achieve natural childbirth? It is not enough to teach a class to “just relax and breathe.” You need to have true skills to be able to get through a variety of situations, and you will need lots of practice in doing them. 4. What is the length of the class? A standard six week series may not be enough to adequately prepare the student for natural childbirth. Check with the instructor to find out how many ladies actually do achieve natural childbirth, and ask to speak with the ones who did. 5. What method is the instructor teaching? Every method is different, and it would be wise to learn about all of them before choosing a class. Ephesians 6:16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Jesus wants us to be of great faith. Remember what He said to those around Him who were unsure of who He was or what He could do? “Oh you of little faith. How long must I put up with you?” Let it not be said of us that we are of little faith and that the Lord is “putting up” with us! Instead, may we resolve to believe Him. May we resolve to trust that He will do what He said He is going to do. Christ said that He would never leave us or forsake us. Either we believe that, or we don’t. No matter what is going to happen during your birth, Christ will be there with you, comforting you along the way. He will provide insight and wisdom through your experience, be it pain-free or traumatic. He never promised us one particular way of birth, and allows for any possibility in that spectrum to all Christians. We must trust, we must have faith that it is for His good purpose and glory, simply because He deserves it. When we approach birth with that attitude, we can release all desire of control and allow Christ to control our experience. This doesn’t mean we allow anybody and everybody to have charge over our body, but we surrender to the Lord’s beautiful design of labor and delivery, as HE intended it. We let go of our own schedules and dictations, and allow HIM full reign and control over the events of our body. As we do this, an incredible peace overcomes us and our natural instincts and processes are allowed to flow and childbirth becomes far more peaceful and full of grace. Our countenance is sure and we move forward in love and joy. The fiery darts of the enemy are nothing more that little matches from a matchbook. Thoughts of doubt, guilt, fear and the like do not intimidate us or penetrate our shield, for we are mighty in our trust. Let us not be of little faith, but may we (in Christ’s strength) stand boldly during this time, ready for anything the Lord chooses to give us! Ephesians 6:17 Take the helmet of salvation… The redemption He has redeemed us from the curse of the law, by becoming a curse for us. Galatians 3:13 Instead of curses, He will bring us blessings. We will have a peaceful mind, knowing that in all situations, good or bad, we will be built up and blessed, not because of what we can do, but because of what He has already done. Christ is strengthening us through the Holy Spirit given to us after the death and resurrection of our Lord. The Holy Spirit will guide us in all situations, writing the Lord’s will upon the tablets of our heart, giving us heavenly wisdom, discernment, diplomacy, judgment, and understanding, that we can draw upon under any circumstance. We enjoy all of these things because we have the knowledge of our secure salvation in Christ, which protects our minds from fear and worry about the unknown. We can go therefore, being confident that He will direct our paths. Regardless of what happens, even death, we are at peace and are confident that God’s will is greater than our own. Ephesians 6:17 …and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The word sword in this passage literally translates to our English word, dagger. We maybe have thought of a long sword that we fight with while riding a tall horse, keeping our fair distance from the enemy. With a dagger, however, we must be in hand-to-hand combat, face-to-face with our enemy. Indeed, the enemy is close, and he attacks you in many different ways. It could be fear and doubt being delivered by well-meaning friends or family. It could be something you have seen on the television. It could be through finances or other outside sources that you have little control over. It could also be coming from within your own mind. Indeed he is close. For these situations, when your enemy is pressing in hard over you, a great weapon is at your disposal. The sword (dagger) of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Yes, you fight Satan right where he is with the powerful weapon given to you so long ago. Scripture isn’t to be taken lightly, as it is your most valuable asset of your armor. Even Jesus used it when tempted in the desert after 40 days and 40 nights of fasting. “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but by every word of God.’” Matthew 4:4 Might we also use that weapon called, “It is written.” In order to do that, we must know the scriptures. The Bible says that faith comes through hearing the Word of God. You not only get a weapon that is powerful against the enemy, but you also will develop your faith, if you are reading and hearing the Word of God. I believe the word hearing is more intended to insinuate that we are taking it to heart. Jesus would often say, “He who has ears, let him hear.” Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17 Ephesians 6:18 …praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— Often a forgotten piece of the armor of God, prayer is also a powerful weapon that we possess in this spiritual battle. Besides the dagger, it is the only other piece of equipment used in offense, rather than defense. May we take the initiative to continue to pray continually for not only our new family and ourselves but for those around us. A healthy prayer life that is focused on our community and others in need brings health to your bones and to your spirit. Our marching orders have been given, and the battle has begun. Go forth wisely, as the Lord has given you strength and means to overcome the darkness in you life. Be bold and confident that God is with you and will uphold you through any trial, having Himself suffered in all points so that He can also comfort you in your trial. Remember that your journey is to bring glory to Him, in all situations! |
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Cascade Christian Childbirth Association
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