Lord, please help me to change - Judith Couchman

SMARTER, NO T HARDE RWithout he r baby , Sharon face d reality . She checked int o adetox cente r an d brave d sever e withdrawals with newbor n deter -mination. Si x months later , drug-free and internall y renewed, sh eleft the center t o start over again .Annabella fel t encouraged. He r prayer s had bee n answered .Sharon revive d her hope .Within a fe w months, Sharo n retrieve d he r son , starte dworking again , an d vowe d t o sta y clean. A few months later ,though, sh e aske d th e doctor abou t he r son' s persisten t an d per -plexing symptoms. After numerous tests , he diagnosed th e youn gboy's illness as inoperable cancer ."It's bee n a terrible blow, " say s Annabella. "Jus t whe nSharon starte d t o change, sh e go t hi t from behind. We'r e stil lreeling from it. "(Jj/f/hen we'r e progressin g towar d th e long-awaite d goa l o f/A persona l change , it' s attacks from behind tha t hur t th eworst. Especiall y when ou r destinatio n stand s clearl y i n sigh t an dwe're anticipatin g th e war's end. B y this time, we've le t dow n ou rguard an d we'r e lookin g ahea d t o celebration. Finally , w e wil lhave changed .Then unexpectedly , traged y hits . Suddenly, we're fightingharder tha n before , with hop e an d hel p to o far from u s and ou rstrength rapidl y dwindling .While researchin g fo r thi s day's reading, a retired militar yman explained tha t there's no prepared tacti c for when a n enem yattacks from behind. "Yo u aren't suppose d t o get int o thos e situa -tions," he said . "Al l you ca n d o i s pull together , tr y to fight back ,and cal l for help. "That's i n th e physica l world. I n th e spiritua l realm , anythin gcan happen , eve n when w e think it' s not suppose d to—especiall ywhen w e feel we've battle d lon g enough. S o we're smar t t o sta yprepared."Put on th e ful l armor o f God s o that yo u ca n fight agains tthe devil' s evi l tricks, " advised Paul . Then h e described ou r devi -ous enemy ."Our fight i s not agains t peopl e o n eart h bu t agains t th erulers and authoritie s an d th e power s o f thi s world's darkness ,against th e spiritua l power s o f evi l i n th e heavenl y world. That i swhy you nee d t o put o n God' s ful l armor. Then o n th e da y of evi l//7