Armor for the Battle
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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. – Ephesians 6:12
We can get worked up when someone angers us or has a grievance toward us. When the world seems unfair, we shake our fists at the injustice of it all. Injury, sickness, grief; it can all be too much. The brokenness and sin of this world leaves us weary.
But we remember that we are not fighting our battles simply against people and situations.
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. (Ephesians 6:12)
There is a cosmic battle swirling in the unseen world. And we have a part to play. We pray to God, who has all strength and authority, and we armor up to combat the lies and deceptions of the enemy with the truth and authority of God.
In Ephesians 6, Paul tells us to armor up so we may stand firm against the enemy’s schemes and tactics. We pull the belt of truth around our waist, anchor on the breastplate of righteousness, and stamp our feet into the gospel of peace. We take up the shield of faith, by which we cancel the arrows of the enemy, place the helmet of salvation on our heads and firmly hold the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, by which we remember God’s living and active truth and rule.
God gives us everything we need to strengthen our spiritual muscles and step into the spiritual battle before us. He trains us how to use His Word and pray for it, how to answer lies with the truth of our identity as His child, and go to war on behalf of others for salvation, freedom, and walking in calling.
And the greatest news is that we are already fighting from a position of authority.
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1 Corinthians 15:57)
God has already won the war. He is bigger than anything we can face and has already secured victory through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Stand strong in the Lord and His victory. It’s already taken care of.
Questions for Reflection:
1. What part of God’s armor do you need to put on the most right now?
2. Start your day from a mindset of victory and speak out loud each part of the armor as you put it on.
