We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5, NIV)
As a military mom, I knew my enlisted son would be going to war, but I hadn’t expected to have my own battles to fight. His fight took place in the Middle East. Mine took place in my mind—and the enemy was me.
My capacity to imagine the worst possible scenario for every instance defies description. At first, no matter what I heard from my son about his situation, it led me to a place of fear. But after a few weeks of being absolutely miserable, I began to realize where that fear came from.
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It was hard for me to admit my mindset of negativity. I’d always thought of myself as a glass-half-full sort of girl. Not in this situation. So I took steps to conquer the enemy within.
The first thing I did was to copy the verse above from 2 Corinthians on an index card and post it on my bathroom mirror.
Then I began searching for specific Bible verses about fear, protection, peace and faith. I highlighted them, memorized some and made a list I could refer back to when my mental battle heated up.
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I dug through memories and wrote down instances when I’d experienced God’s faithfulness to look after my family. By remembering God’s provision and protection, I had proof of His trustworthy character.
And I shared my fears with those I trusted and whom I knew would pray. By sharing my fears, it helped me see that most of them were unreasonable and unlikely. It also helped me know that others were praying for my son and me.
Every military mom has her own battles to fight. But we don’t have to fight those battles alone. When we turn to God, He will equip us and accompany us every time we fight.
