SPIRITUAL ARMOR
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” [Ephesians 6:10-12 NIV]
Donald and I have decided to do some improvement projects this summer in our Condo. So, the first major project is to change all of the windows. About two weeks ago, the sales representative visited to explain the various types of windows and how the company’s windows are energy efficient. The windows are built to keep out the heat during the hot summer days. One key factor the Technician emphasized is that they offer a lifetime guarantee once the windows are installed. They put a double seal around the edges of the windows to protect the windows from developing condensation.
It took the Technician about two hours to discuss the installation of the windows and the cost. I started to think, how long does it take us to believe and trust our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? How long does it take us to trust Him to protect us? Just like how the windows will be protected with an extra double seal, it’s the same way our Heavenly Father has given us a tool to protect us from the enemy.
Ephesians 6:10-12, Paul reminds us to live aware of this dual reality, confident in the knowledge that only in Christ are we fully equipped to wrestle the spiritual darkness at work around and within us, meeting it with victory. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. In other words, we know we have the power of the Lord and His strength. We need to put on the whole armor. We need to be ready and obedient with our armor, depending on the divine power, so that we can stand against the devil’s wiles. Always, the believer is to stand because Satan will attack us. We don’t need to find the devil. The devil will find us.
The Bible says that every Christian has an “armor” available to him or her – not the kind of armor you can see, but a “spiritual armor” that we need even more than physical armor to fight the spiritual battles we face daily. Our spiritual armor consists of truth, righteousness, the Gospel, the Shield of faith, the Helmet of Salvation, the Sword of the Spirit, and the word of God. In Matthew 4, the Bible says that every time Jesus was tempted by the Devil, He responded by saying, “It is written.” Jesus always drew out the sword of the spirit, the Word of God. Every time we are tempted, draw out God’s word like a sword and use it.
This is why we need to read God’s word every day; not only read it, but study His word. Memorize it and apply it to our life situations. We need to become skilled swordsmen in the word of God. It is the weapon God gave us, to fight our spiritual battles.
Faith Step: How do we, as Christians, apply the shield of faith in our everyday lives?
The way to extinguish every fiery dart of the enemy is to take up the shield of faith by reminding ourselves of who God is and what He has said, putting our confidence in His words. When we take up our shield of faith in this manner, we will be able to stand regardless of what the enemy throws at us.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, your warriors prepare for battle. Today, we claim victory over Satan by putting on the whole armor of God. We will put on the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness; we will put on the shoes of peace; we will take the shield of faith; we will put on the helmet of salvation and we will take the sword of the spirit. By faith, your warriors will put on the whole armor of God! We are prepared to live every day in spiritual victory! Amen.
Donald and I have decided to do some improvement projects this summer in our Condo. So, the first major project is to change all of the windows. About two weeks ago, the sales representative visited to explain the various types of windows and how the company’s windows are energy efficient. The windows are built to keep out the heat during the hot summer days. One key factor the Technician emphasized is that they offer a lifetime guarantee once the windows are installed. They put a double seal around the edges of the windows to protect the windows from developing condensation.
It took the Technician about two hours to discuss the installation of the windows and the cost. I started to think, how long does it take us to believe and trust our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? How long does it take us to trust Him to protect us? Just like how the windows will be protected with an extra double seal, it’s the same way our Heavenly Father has given us a tool to protect us from the enemy.
Ephesians 6:10-12, Paul reminds us to live aware of this dual reality, confident in the knowledge that only in Christ are we fully equipped to wrestle the spiritual darkness at work around and within us, meeting it with victory. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. In other words, we know we have the power of the Lord and His strength. We need to put on the whole armor. We need to be ready and obedient with our armor, depending on the divine power, so that we can stand against the devil’s wiles. Always, the believer is to stand because Satan will attack us. We don’t need to find the devil. The devil will find us.
The Bible says that every Christian has an “armor” available to him or her – not the kind of armor you can see, but a “spiritual armor” that we need even more than physical armor to fight the spiritual battles we face daily. Our spiritual armor consists of truth, righteousness, the Gospel, the Shield of faith, the Helmet of Salvation, the Sword of the Spirit, and the word of God. In Matthew 4, the Bible says that every time Jesus was tempted by the Devil, He responded by saying, “It is written.” Jesus always drew out the sword of the spirit, the Word of God. Every time we are tempted, draw out God’s word like a sword and use it.
This is why we need to read God’s word every day; not only read it, but study His word. Memorize it and apply it to our life situations. We need to become skilled swordsmen in the word of God. It is the weapon God gave us, to fight our spiritual battles.
Faith Step: How do we, as Christians, apply the shield of faith in our everyday lives?
The way to extinguish every fiery dart of the enemy is to take up the shield of faith by reminding ourselves of who God is and what He has said, putting our confidence in His words. When we take up our shield of faith in this manner, we will be able to stand regardless of what the enemy throws at us.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, your warriors prepare for battle. Today, we claim victory over Satan by putting on the whole armor of God. We will put on the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness; we will put on the shoes of peace; we will take the shield of faith; we will put on the helmet of salvation and we will take the sword of the spirit. By faith, your warriors will put on the whole armor of God! We are prepared to live every day in spiritual victory! Amen.
Posted in Mid-Week Devotional
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