The Personal Testimony of June Faulkner
Ephesians 6:10-13
“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. For our struggle is 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. 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.”
The pain of my youth stretched far beyond my teens into adulthood, and although God has healed the pain, I will carry the scars to my grave. I don’t carry them proudly, but instead allow them serve as a reminder of who I was and how far I’ve come.They serve as a reminder that with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).
So how can you fight the devil and win? To begin with, if you don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ, get one. Talk to your pastor, a believing parent, or anyone you know you can trust to lead you to Jesus. If you already know Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life, nurture and grow that relationship. The only way to do that is by spending time with Him daily, through the Word and in prayer. Let Him be first in your life and don’t just say it, live it! Hebrews 12:29 says that God is a “consuming fire”. Let Him consume you.
Another thing you need to fight the devil and win is knowlege of your enemy. You can’t fight something you don’t understand. The Bible describes Satan as a snake, a roaring lion, a thief, a murderer, and the father of all lies; there is nothing good in him. He is evil in and of itself, and he will fight to bring you down. He is powerful, and not to be taken lightly. But remember that he is not as strong as our omnipresent, all-powerful God who will give you the strength you need to fight and win.
Finally, build yourself a network of supporters. You need to be active in a Bible-believing church. Find a mentor, an older, more mature Christian who can help guide you. One of our most important functions as Christians is to support and build-up one another as Christians. If pride is holding you back lose it and ask for help when you are struggling. Choose your friends wisely and let your conscience be your guide (that’s why you have a conscience).
If you mess up, don’t give up. Satan will try to use the guilt you feel to hold you back. Go to the Father, ask for forgiveness, and start over. Sometimes I have to start over; sometimes I start over for several days at a time. It is a process that can be painful, because as you grow and mature, you will make mistakes. Don’t let the mistakes or the pain hold you back, but learn from them. Remember that you are not going through anything that Jesus himself has not already felt. He understands how you feel.
I felt the same exact pain. There was so much happening at 14 and 15 years old, including the intense guilt over losing innocence and compromising my walk with Christ for the sake of flesh and sin. My girlfriend seemed strangely curious about smoking, drugs, etc. The spiritual pain was only heightened by the prospects of losing some sight and olfactory senses in order to end a life-long, painful, chronic infection raging through my body.
Mom and Dad constantly drilled us kids on the laws of God but were nearly absent otherwise. Aside from working us on the farm, we didn't have a real Christ-centered relationship with them. At the time they didn't know how to love — and they were doing their best without understanding all that already transpired.
For me, the only things left were to end the relationship with the love of my life, to repent and to move on. I tried to reconcile my relationship with her without the sin. Instead I watched helplessly as that little girl suffered, sewing her wild oats.
For years I cried over it — praying for forgiveness for playing a part in reducing her dreams to ashes. Some night I still dream of hugging her, praying with her. She was and is one of the most beautiful, talented, intelligent persons I've ever known. And I hope she has forgiven me.