DRESSED FOR BATTLE: Limitless GOD
“I will fight the Night,” said Ronald, and he got his flashlight. He put on his helmet and cape and pulled the covers over his head, waiting for the Night to come.”
Artwork, Story Line, Relatability, Imagination = IMPACT
In the second grade checking out a book had to have 4 things according to me. I read Fight the Night by Tomie DePaola at seven and it changed something in me permanently. The power of words to young minds, just like when you were younger, can make or break a person. For some reason I preferred the colors, etching, and undone look of the pages, more than the bold sharp loud colors like blue, red, purple, in all the other books. It hurt my eyes like the Sam I Am books, or Janet and Mark or Bill and Ann with these ugly paintings of bald headed cartoon kids I couldn’t relate to. The story lines were dumb to me as well, although I forced myself to read the F-N books to get on with it. The playground was calling with running feet in the distance in search of fun during recess or lunch. I’m laughing at the thought of how I actually thought at seven years old! Go ask lol! I picked this book out, because of the colors first. Then the Title. Back to the artwork and what the boy was doing and the Title caught my attention and I froze. I wondered if he could fight the Night? Maybe I could fight it too. The Night is bigger than him or me, but he looks like he knew what he was doing. So I flipped through the pages and got in line to check out the book and take it home to read.
The shadows in the closet arrive at Night. “Maybe there’s something in the book to help me not be afraid.” So I reasoned standing in the school library with other students shuffling through books and card cataloging. A fun mood with happy whispering even among rivals on the playground were happy to be at the library, instead of the classroom.
At Night while everyone drifted off to sleep so easily, I could not. I needed to hear my Dad snoring down the hallway from my parents room. But that meant after midnight. After the train passed by, thirty minutes later Dad would be home from work. Good. Then I can go to sleep when he starts snoring because the Shadows go away when he’s here and snoring. Peaceful sleep is a true Divine Gift not everyone has or realize how sweet true restful sleep is. Psalm 4:8 In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Petrified is the correct word for my private fear of the Night that lasted for two years as a child. Because it came with things others couldn’t sense or know was there. Staying under my blanket to avoid seeing ‘them’ I would try to hold my breath, but then it would get so hot, and I would be drenched in sweat from no air, and fear. Sometimes I would make a small opening just to breath through but cover my eyes. The best movie to describe what I’m talking about is The Sixth Sense. Like that kid but not as creepy. He could see the other side with his eyes open. But I didn’t tell anyone because I didn’t want to scare them. Who wants to hear,
“Hey there’s three shadow things standing in the closet. They are looking at us, but they won’t come out because they can’t. I commanded them to shut up and built a cliff with no bottom for them to fall into if they crossed the closet door. I also told them they can’t come out - but they had to leave, before I got mad and woke up Dad! Then you’re all gonna be in real trouble! Get out and don’t come back or I’ll call Ronald from Fight the Night to help me. And I already told God to you, so the angels are here to cut you up! I need to sleep for school tomorrow so Get Out of the closet or step into the trap I made in my mind and go away. God said go Now ugly! Amene”
“I’m so glad we’re out of the classroom.” Lower your voices children, remember what do we do when we are in the Library? “Sshhh” And the training would continue a few more years until graduation when hopefully, we all got the memo right? Shut the F up when you're in the Library. Yes ma'am.
If I can’t go play outside, then I'll play another game inside. Spiritual battle is a by-product from the gift of Discernment. I was born with this and other gifts of the Ruach, the Holy Spirit: Hebrews 4:12
“For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
The Whole Armor of God
Ephesians 6:14-17
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
“When he finally got there, he squeezed way down, and before he knew it, he was on the other side and it was very dark.”
PROBLEM: For about two years before I was nine years old the terror was nightly, so I found solace in taking naps during the day. In my dreams I would learn to fight off the shadows in the closet. Lucid dreaming is what it’s called but I didn’t know it than. FEAR is an actual Spirit. Extremely powerful by design and capable of arresting the hearts, minds and actions of people.
SOLUTION: The Weapon that crushes fear is PEACE with an immediate by-product called: A sound / Balanced Mind. PEACE is also a Spirit, not something physical.
ACTION: POWER is in THE WORD
ROMANS 4:17 - Effective Prayer
“As it is written: ‘...the God who gives lifep to the dead and calls into being things that were not.”
HEBREWS 11:1 - The Active Ingredient to Manifesting
“Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.”
ROMANS 4:24 - Get Dressed
“but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.”
DEUTERONOMY 28:7 - The Battle is God’s Arena - stand down
“Adonai will cause your enemies attacking you to be defeated before you; they will advance on you one way and flee before you seven ways.”
PROVERBS 16:2 - Properly Dressed: Matters of the Heart checked - Soul Mission
“People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives.”
MARK 10:15-16 - Fully Dressed = Let Go and Trust it’s gonna to be Already.
“Truly I tell you, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And He took the children in His arms, placed His hands on them, and blessed them.”
JOSHUA 1:9 - Faith + Trust = Bravery with the Ultimate Back-up
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
ACTS: 26:22 - Maturity = Skilled Disciple with a Proven Track Record to follow.
“But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen—”
YOU SHALL NOT PASS - Bravery is standing up to Terror
ACTS OF KINDNESS: Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely
Genesis 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.
“For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
To Fight the Night or the Shadow side of humanity, is through the looking glass: mirror and dive deeply into the subconscious. The forum that houses hidden motives and agendas related to Power, Prestige and Fortune. Just like Carl Orff’s, Carmina Burana’s infamous monk writings set to music; O Fortuna describes the futility of chasing Power and Fortune. The Elf queen in Lord of the Rings, was aware of her own Shadow and declined to carry the power she could not tame within herself. This is mastery of self awareness and personal limitations that go unaddressed creating mental chains of limitations.
O FORTUNA - Latin translated below.
O Fortune,
like the moon
you are changeable,
ever waxing,
ever waning,
hateful life
first oppresses
and then soothes
as fancy takes it;
poverty
and power
it melts them like ice
fate – monstrous
and empty,
you whirling wheel,
you are malevolent,
well-being is vain
and always fades to nothing,
shadowed
and veiled
you plague me too;
now through the game
I bring my bare back
to your villainy
fate is against me
in health
and virtue,
driven on
and weighted down,
always enslaved.
so at this hour
without delay
pluck the vibrating strings;
since Fate
strikes down the strong man,
everyone weep with me!
When the Student is Ready? the Teacher Appears. It’s not free so help me out here with monthly payments to get the KEYS to freedom out. Respectfully,
Terry Leifi-Silverstein
Unstoppable Master Alchemist