Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes… Therefore 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. (Ephesians 6:10-11, 13, NIV)
If ever a golfer is going to have a negative swing thought, it is in that moment right before taking the club back.
Don’t miss it left!
What about that water?
If you hit another one fat…
I’m sure you’ve experienced those panicky moments, and I can tell you that I know exactly what you’re going through. I actually play considerably fast just so I can avoid hearing that negative thought in my brain before I hit the shot!
When I first started to play golf, I read a book called The Inner Game of Golf, by Timothy Gallwey. The author wrote about Self 1 and Self 2. Self 1 is giving you the positive thoughts on your shot, like, “You’ve got this.” All of you who have read David Cook’s Seven Days in Utopia understand this principle. You tell yourself to See it, Feel it, and Trust it (SFT).
But Self-2 zooms in with its dissenting opinion: “You can’t hit this shot!” All the negatives arise in your mind just as you’re ready to hit the Go button.
I am privileged to attend a Links Fellowship almost daily and I see Links Players strengthening their armor because they are encouraging each other, praying for each other, and reading God’s word together.We followers of Jesus face a similar voice, but this one comes from without. It is the voice of our enemy, seeking to derail our commitment to the people of Christ and the work he has given us among them. He comes with accusations and seeds of doubt—whatever he can do to undermine our faith—and we must be prepared to resist him.
At a Links Fellowship the other day, one of the Links Players asked a question that was helpful in encouraging us to apply today’s Scripture. He asked, “Do you want to be on a cruise ship or a battleship in your journey with God?” Those sailing on a cruise ship are relaxed and often off-guard. Their defenses are down. But the crew on a battleship are at work, alert, ready to protect themselves and others against the enemy.
The apostle Paul warned the church in Ephesus to be ready for a fight “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” (Ephesians 6:12). For all of life’s battles, this is the big one!
How do we prepare for such a fight? Paul wrote that we should put on the full armor of God, including truth, righteousness, readiness, peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God. Then he concluded, “Be alert and keep on praying.” I find this happens best in fellowship with other believers, which only makes sense because armies are made strong by their numbers. I am privileged to attend a Links Fellowship almost daily and I see Links Players strengthening their armor because they are encouraging each other, praying for each other, and reading God’s word together.
Can I encourage you to find such a group for the protection and development of your faith? Many Links Players tell me their Links Fellowship day is the best day of the week. I think this is because they go away fortified. These men and women help each other to stand firm. I want that for you, too.
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Dereck Wong
September 10, 2018
Copyright 2018 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.