Star Wars, Four Boys, and the Battle for Purity

Having four boys has taught me a lot about the world of Star Wars. When I wake up in the morning, I am often met with light sabers and Storm Troopers and Darth Vader… So when the latest movie came out, we were really excited to see it. I was possibly even more excited than my boys. I had my outfit planned out… because that's what guys do, right? Wink. When we finally got to see the movie, I remember sitting there watching the lead character. She's this strong young woman who doesn't know who she is yet. She's hidden, waiting for her family to come back, surviving. I remember watching her as she began to fight her enemy, and as I watched her fight, I could see myself (obviously in her athletic build… wink) but more than just that...

When I watched this movie I was reminded that we're all in a battle. We're not just hanging out, waiting for weekends. No, we have been enlisted in a battle to fight for a generation than needs Jesus. The truth is, the day I chose to give Jesus everything is the day I chose what side I wanted to fight for, and the battle was on.

The battle was on for my mind, my heart, and my emotions. I was going to have to say yes every day of my life. It wasn't about saying yes in just one moment, but it was about the thousand little yeses along the way that would make up one big yes in my life. When I said my yes, I had to give God, not just my spirit, but my body as well because there is a battle for purity.

Especially when we've been raised in the church, purity may sound like or look like someone we know. We may have certain ideas about what it's supposed to look like, but purity in the biblical sense means being free from guilt and shame.

One of the greatest places for shame to hide in our lives is in our sexuality. There is a reason why 7 out of 10 men are viewing pornography on a regular basis, and 5 out of 10 women are. The church is not helping any of us because none of us feel that powerful in it. The truth is, greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world (1 John 4:4).

Don't believe the lie that says you're always going to live this way, be this way, think this way, that this is just who you are, something's wrong with you, your dad was this way, your mom was this way... No, you have a different DNA. You have the Spirit of God inside of you. He can begin to shift and change the reality of what the enemy has come to steal, kill, and destroy.

God wants to put His nature on display in our families and in our purity.

Purity says, "I'm enough and what I have is enough." I may not have done everything right, but I am enough. There is a quote from a friend of mine, Lisa Bevere, that says, "Purity doesn't mean being virginal, it means being virtuous." There are some people that are virginal who are totally perverted. There are some people who love God, and they've had a crazy past, but they're washed in the blood of Jesus, and they're pure on the inside.

Many of us go to altar calls praying that God would take our sex drive away, but He's not going to take something away that He gave us. We feel guilty and ashamed and pray "God, give me a sex drive on my honeymoon night. Maybe an hour before. But make me a nun before that, God, so I can serve you." God says, "No, that's not how it works."

He wants to partner with us in the journey, in the story. He's not afraid to be with you in the struggle, in the success, in the failure, in the confidence, in the insecurity... He's not afraid, because He's a good Father and He wants to be with you. What's even better is that He knows all about it because He created it.

The heroine in the Star Wars movie was in a battle. All of a sudden things changed for her when she started to use the force. Once you realize what's on the inside of you, you become equipped to live the life God's called you to live. The bible says that those who know their God will be strong and do great exploits (Daniel 11:32). You are never going to be what anyone needs until you find out what God can really be in your life.

If you're wondering what to do next, get with God, ask Him to help you. Surrender your mind, your spirit, and your body to God, and He will give you everything you need to be victorious over any enemy that comes against you. You're not fighting alone, you have His Spirit inside you, and He never fails.