Life challenges can feel unrelenting—it doesn’t hold back, and it spares no one. Sooner or later, we all face its weight, whether through seasons of strain or moments that test our strength. It’s like an endless journey where pausing to catch your breath feels like falling behind, as if peace is a luxury you can’t afford. Yet here’s the truth: what if rest isn’t merely a retreat from the struggle—what if it’s the very thing that sustains you, a quiet power to carry you through?

In this fourth episode of the Live from Rest podcast, host Steve Smith welcomes back his wife, Lucinda Smith, to explore the striking idea that rest can be a weapon. Lucinda, a spiritual director and inner healing minister, brings her gentle wisdom and passion to this final installment of her four-part series. Together, they dive into how rest—woven with stillness, God’s presence, and faith—becomes a shield against anxiety, fear, and even spiritual battles. With insights from King David’s trust in Psalm 3, the strength of Ephesians 6, and Jesus’ calm amid the storm, Lucinda reveals that rest is more than a break—it’s a bold stand, rooted in knowing who God is and who we are in Him. This conversation matters because it turns rest into an active choice, a way to hold steady when life shakes us.

This episode speaks to anyone feeling pressed by life challenges—whether you’re juggling a hectic schedule, facing personal storms, or longing for spiritual grounding. It’s for the weary, the searching, and those ready to trust God more deeply. By listening, you’ll find encouragement and a fresh perspective to embrace rest as your strength. Reclaim peace no matter the chaos around you.

Here are three reasons why you should listen to this episode:

1. Discover how rest as a weapon can be a powerful force in your spiritual battles, helping you stand firm against life challenges by trusting in God’s presence and promises.
2. Explore the connection between stillness, faith, and victory, as Lucinda unpacks how leaning into God’s truth disarms the enemy’s tactics and keeps you steady.
3. Gain practical wisdom for facing life’s chaos by choosing rest as a deliberate act of faith that brings peace even when everything feels like it’s falling apart.

Resources

• Live from Rest Podcast: Apple Podcasts | Spotify 
• Live from Rest App: Google Play | App Store
• Read the works of Lucinda Smith: Website | Blog | Instagram 

Episode Highlights

Rest as a Weapon

• Despite living a busy life, it’s important that we remind ourselves to also find the time to calm down amidst life’s chaos. 
• Steve welcomes back his wife, Lucinda Smith, a spiritual director and seasoned speaker, for the fourth week’s exploration of rest. 
• The theme she unveils—“Rest as a Weapon”—ties together earlier threads of stillness, presence, and faith. 
• Beneath this idea lies a truth: while stress and fear are tools the enemy wields to unsettle us, resting in God builds a fortress against such assaults.

Combining Stillness, Presence, and Faith

• The concept of rest as a weapon takes shape through intentional pauses, a leaning into God’s presence, and a choice to cling to biblical truth over fleeting emotions. 
• Strength emerges from knowing who we are in God’s eyes and who He reveals Himself to be—our shield against the enemy’s schemes. 

Lucinda: “Resting in who God says I am, and resting in who I know him to be, these are my weapons.”

• Lucinda references King David's descriptions of God as a shield and refuge in the Old Testament, comparing spiritual battles to physical ones.
• Ephesians 6 and Psalm 37:7 also emphasizes the importance of being still before the Lord and waiting patiently for Him.

The Devil's Tactics and Our Response

• The devil's two main tactics are making people doubt God's goodness and their love, which can lead to small victories for the devil.
• Life’s trials—illness, loss, fractured ties—prompt a pivotal question: how will we face them?

Lucinda: “Will we surrender our peace, our rest, our land to the devil’s lies and allow him to trample the fruit of our vineyards, or will we hide ourselves in the high tower of God’s presence and rest in the truth that God is always good and that we are forever loved?”

• Choose rest as your weapon and stand strong on the truth, rather than surrendering peace to the devil's lies.
• Learn to recognize the enemy's tactics and the need to be rested in God to avoid defeat.

Life Challenges and Resting in God

• Steve shares his personal experience of often being busy under Satan's yoke and the need to be intentional and disciplined in taking time for rest.
• Lucinda clarifies that being busy and rested is possible, as long as one knows who they are in God and is not frantic or anxious.

Lucinda: “We can be busy and rested. We can work from rest, live from rest, which is what this whole ministry is about.”

• A memory surfaces of a talk on spiritual warfare, where knowing our place in Christ, as Ephesians 3 reveals, shifts the ground beneath us.
• Christians' unique response to tragedy and trauma sets them apart, allowing them to be at peace and rested even in the midst of life challenges.

Jesus' Example of Living from Rest

• Turning to Jesus, the conversation finds a model—sleeping through a tempest, withdrawing to quiet spaces, He lived rest incarnate.
• Amid life’s challenges, His example whispers that we too can dwell in calm. 
• Seeking this way of being becomes the charge Steve leaves us with, a reminder of God’s constant nearness. 
• Lucinda expresses her passion for the topic and thanks Steve for the opportunity to discuss it further.

Conclusion and Resources

• Wrapping up, Steve mentions Lucinda's webpage and future plans for more podcasts and webinars.
• He also encourages listeners to download the "Live from Rest" app to help them live from a place of rest.
• Steve thanks the audience for joining and invites them to join the next week's podcast.

About Lucinda Smith

Lucinda Smith is a spiritual director, inner healing minister, and speaker passionate about helping others find freedom, peace, and deeper connection with God. With years of experience guiding individuals through spiritual formation and healing, she offers wisdom on cultivating rest in a world that glorifies busyness. Her work explores themes of stillness, faith, and spiritual warfare, showing how true rest is not just about stopping but about trusting God, His provision and presence.

Lucinda’s insights challenge the modern mindset that equates productivity with purpose, inviting people to embrace rest as a spiritual discipline. Through her teaching, writing, and ministry, she encourages others to slow down, listen, and rediscover the childlike faith that brings true peace. Whether through one-on-one spiritual direction or broader teachings, she provides a fresh perspective on living a life deeply rooted in God’s rest.

Connect with Lucinda through her website and Instagram. 

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