When I was in college, my heart was held captive by a love of Christ. I was a bona fide Jesus freak, letting my flag fly wild. If there was a way to show, live, or talk about my faith, I was ON IT. I even changed my declared major to Youth and Family Ministry, eventually receiving that degree and entering the field of ministry.
The summer of my junior year I followed a clear call to work at a Bible camp as a counselor. The only way to explain it is that God led me. That’s it. That’s the only thing that could have possibly happened, as I’d never heard of the camp before one late-night Internet search brought it onto my screen, yet I felt a soul-level connection and trembling that I only feel when God’s on the move.
My school offered a camp fair, gathering together staff from dozens of Christian camps in our cafeteria, and giving the opportunity to meet and greet while searching for summer jobs. I met the director of that Internet-stumbled-upon camp at the fair, and interviewed right then and there.
During my interview, there was a chance the director thought I was a little bit loony. He asked what it meant to me to be a contender for the Lord, and I told him it was like being a Powerpuff Girl.
Yep.
I told him that contending for Jesus was like being a pint-sized, fictional, superhero. Who can fly. And is named Bubbles.
My new friend looked at me with wide eyes as I explained that while we may be tiny, we can fight big when God is on our side. We can embrace who we are supposed to become when we accept the freedom God’s love brings. And we can only fully live into ourselves once we accept who God is, and who He says we are.
Throughout Scripture, there are dozens of references to the word ‘freedom’. Many of these refer to the treatment of slaves and servants, with various prophets and people of God proclaiming their freedom.
Slavery is still a hugely underrepresented issue today, with thousands quietly held in captivity and bondage. If your heart breaks with these women, men, and children, there are several organizations working for the freedom to which each of God’s people are entitled. Check out the International Justice Mission, Trades of Hope, and A21 (just to name a few.)
While not anywhere near the entanglement of modern day slavery, there is definitely a culture of enslavement right here in the free world.
We are bound, all right. Maybe with proverbial chains, but nonetheless these shackles are our reality:
Fear.
Low self worth.
Shame.
Expectations, especially of who we are vs. who we ought to be.
Too many ‘yeses’ and not enough white space on our calendars.
Keeping up with the Joneses, and that ever present ‘grass is greener’ syndrome that rears ugly while scrolling through Instagram.
These servant masters are what hold us back and pin us down. At times it can seem impossible to break free of that which entangles us, of that which Satan intends to use to isolate and separate us from the love of family, friends, God. Trapped in areas that pull us under, we can be screaming for help without saying a word.
The chains of our own enslavement may be invisible, but they rattle loud in the quiet spaces of our hearts.
The thing is, Jesus knew these chains would be our doom. God knew that sometimes self-imposed slavery would come our way. So He thought ahead, and made us warriors. That’s right — you (yes, YOU) are a warrior of the Lord. Did you know that our God provides us an unbreakable, impenetrable, hefty armor?
And in chapter 6 of Ephesians, God tells us to suit up.
He provides us a shield of faith to fend off evil and painful blows. He gives us a belt of truth, a breastplate of righteousness, and a helmet of salvation to guard our reputation, our hearts, our eternity. And maybe the most potent of all our armor, He offers us the sword of the Spirit, which is His Word.
Once we’re suited up in our armor? The sky’s the limit, because God is on our side. We are free to live with Him, for Him, because of His love. We can soar like one of those Powerpuff Girls, fighting for what’s right and for the love that’s rightly ours.
Because only in fighting for freedom in Christ are we truly set free from that which enslaves us.
Let’s fill our closets with the apparel He’s given. It’s custom made for each of us, free for the taking, fits beautifully and — best of all — comes with an eternal guarantee.
So suit up, girls. Let your inner Powerpuff Girl free and become who you were always meant to be. Fight the fight, and live into the love that comes alongside the battle.
P.S. I totally got that camp job (ended up working there for several summers), and you better believe my nickname was Bubbles.
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I’ve been thinking about the deeper meaning of “Independence Day” for the believer, and now here you are putting Scripture and a great story to it! Thanks for your encouragement today to “suit up” — we want to wear our armor well and live our way into its purpose.
Yes we do! Thanks Michele.
Bubbles (Anna),
I love it. We may be tiny in stature or in faith, but when God is for us, when He gives us a custom-fit suit of armor, when He goes into battle before us, we can do great things in His strength. Even if our faith is the size of a mustard seed, if we are available, God can use us. He wants us to be free of the shackles and disillusions that bind us, and so He whispers, “Come, step into me and let Me be your identity.” Suit up in the armor of the Lord and suit up in His image of us that frees us to be Kingdom builders.
Happy 4th Bubbles – go get ’em girl!
Bev xx
‘If we are available, He will use us.’ Love this!!
You’re one of my favorite people, Bev.
Lovely, Bubbles!
Thanks Anna! It takes a daily reminder for me to “put on” that armor and know my power comes from our mighty God. May you all know that kind of freedom today! Let’s go serve and love with abandon!!!!
Amen!!
Good point that we need to put the armor on in order to have its provisions. Goes back to that choice thing, doesn’t it? Thanks for sharing, Anna. Happy 4th of July! ((hug))
This is great stuff! I recently attended a Christian women’s renewal weekend that had “Strong and Courageous” as its theme. God seems to be encouraging His people to stand up, to prepare for battle. Or maybe just me. Thank you for this. You’re my kind of Powderpuff girl!
Dana that conference sounds like time well spent! It very much seems like that’s part of what God is up to these days, doesn’t it??
That’s crazy; I received a story idea (I’m a writer) and started on a rough draft yesterday. I needed assurance of whether this book was headed towards the right direction or not. This blog post so accurately depicted much of what I was writing that it’s too much to be “coincidental”. The book is a “realistic fantasy”, and it’s more of a symbolic story of how the Christian life is lived. Opening chapter? It was all about the chains of bondage and becoming free. Thank you for this post 🙂
Yeowza!! Love when God gifts us with those glimpses of glory. As a fellow writer, I totally know what you mean and pray blessings as you begin this new project!
I wear my suit of Godly armor over my “Resurrection Power” T-shirt…
Love this! Just was contemplating at wrote today that “We had to be enslaved to sin to be able to know what it means to be set free.” So grateful to be free in Christ. Thanks for this reminder. <3
Now I’m wondering, what cartoon character am I? And no, I/m not one of the Joneses everyone is trying to keep up with, at least I don’t think so.
Rebecca, if/when you figure out which cartoon character you are, please come back and let us know! What a fun ‘getting to know you’ question 🙂
Love, love, this Bubbles! Nuff said.
Anna, I love how you say, “We can embrace who we are supposed to become when we accept the freedom God’s love brings.” Thank you for this timely reminder to ‘suit up’! I like your spirit.
I wished I loved Jesus when I was in my teens! But am pressing on to what He had for me now! Thx for this wonderful post! Love that Bubbles!
I know what you mean, Mar – isn’t it wonderful that He still makes much with little time? Grateful today for you!
Anna,
Thank you for this encouragement! It is truly a blessing!
I love you, Bubbles.
So, so much ditto, friend.
Anna (Bubbles),
Loved the story. I knew you’d get the job. Camps love people like you who can excite children about God. Last fall I finished a Bible study on the Full Armor of God by Priscilla Schirer. Great to really understand what the author of Ephesians meant by each of the pieces. Yes–we can really fight the fight when God is on our side. A great weapon that we possess is scripture. Once we verbalize scripture the evil one has to leave.
Blessings 🙂