Dear Precious Friends,
I needed to be reminded of this truth today. We are warriors... this is a battle and as we face a new day, it's more important than ever to armor up!!!
I love this visual because we need it!!!! We are warriors and victors in the Lord and we must put on every ounce of armor to withstand the schemes of the enemy. We need to constantly remind ourselves that we are warriors.. not survivors... A warrior is prepared for battle, armors up and walks in the strength of the Lord.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10-11 ESV)
We may forget at times but one thing is true - this world is a battlefield. Day by day, hour by hour, we face a spiritual war and an enemy who’s real. He wants nothing more than to bring defeat, for his main aim is to steal, kill, and destroy. The forces of darkness don't wait for us to be ready for their attack. They're ruthless, determined, and cunning. The devil could care less if we "feel" prepared, or prayed up for our day. In fact, he prefers we're not.
God has given us his Word and Spirit, powerful and true, so we'll have the wisdom and protection to stand against the enemy. As I read these verses this morning, the reality struck me again that Paul wrote them while in chains, in prison. But Truth says - this enemy we face, no matter how cruel and vicious his schemes, can never chain our spirits that have been set free by Christ. Paul was not silenced by the attacks from dark forces. Neither should we be.
What is the Full Armor of God?
"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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Eph. 6:10-18
Jesus is the mighty victor who has defeated all of evil’s hosts; conquering death, the power of sin, and the devil himself.
As Christians, We have a conquering power dwelling within us (Ephesians 3:16; 2 Timothy 1:7), and that inward dwelling should bear heavily on our outward living.
Jesus’ prayer for us was to be in the world, amidst danger, but shielded and protected from its source (John 17:15) living victoriously over temptation. We are in the world but not of the world!
The early Church faced the same issues, and just as the Apostle Paul advised them we, too, must put on the whole armor of God.
A soldier, when his enemy is near, doesn’t pick up his shield and leave his helmet on the shelf! He takes up his entire suit when he goes to battle.
So must we, as Christians, must put on the entire suit the Lord has made available to us. He has provided for us a defense against the schemes of the devil and temptation to sin, and has given us strength in our weakness, enabling us to live as warriors for the faith instead of casualties.
It is easy to intellectually hold that Christ’s power is greater than our temptation and struggle, but it’s another matter entirely to live out that truth. We must live in His strength, armor up and through His strength we live victoriously!
As warriors, lets put feet to our faith , as we gear up and put on the whole armor of God.
AMEN!
Song of reflection:
https://youtu.be/
I needed to be reminded of this truth today. We are warriors... this is a battle and as we face a new day, it's more important than ever to armor up!!!
I love this visual because we need it!!!! We are warriors and victors in the Lord and we must put on every ounce of armor to withstand the schemes of the enemy. We need to constantly remind ourselves that we are warriors.. not survivors... A warrior is prepared for battle, armors up and walks in the strength of the Lord.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10-11 ESV)
We may forget at times but one thing is true - this world is a battlefield. Day by day, hour by hour, we face a spiritual war and an enemy who’s real. He wants nothing more than to bring defeat, for his main aim is to steal, kill, and destroy. The forces of darkness don't wait for us to be ready for their attack. They're ruthless, determined, and cunning. The devil could care less if we "feel" prepared, or prayed up for our day. In fact, he prefers we're not.
God has given us his Word and Spirit, powerful and true, so we'll have the wisdom and protection to stand against the enemy. As I read these verses this morning, the reality struck me again that Paul wrote them while in chains, in prison. But Truth says - this enemy we face, no matter how cruel and vicious his schemes, can never chain our spirits that have been set free by Christ. Paul was not silenced by the attacks from dark forces. Neither should we be.
What is the Full Armor of God?
"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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Eph. 6:10-18
Jesus is the mighty victor who has defeated all of evil’s hosts; conquering death, the power of sin, and the devil himself.
As Christians, We have a conquering power dwelling within us (Ephesians 3:16; 2 Timothy 1:7), and that inward dwelling should bear heavily on our outward living.
Jesus’ prayer for us was to be in the world, amidst danger, but shielded and protected from its source (John 17:15) living victoriously over temptation. We are in the world but not of the world!
The early Church faced the same issues, and just as the Apostle Paul advised them we, too, must put on the whole armor of God.
A soldier, when his enemy is near, doesn’t pick up his shield and leave his helmet on the shelf! He takes up his entire suit when he goes to battle.
So must we, as Christians, must put on the entire suit the Lord has made available to us. He has provided for us a defense against the schemes of the devil and temptation to sin, and has given us strength in our weakness, enabling us to live as warriors for the faith instead of casualties.
It is easy to intellectually hold that Christ’s power is greater than our temptation and struggle, but it’s another matter entirely to live out that truth. We must live in His strength, armor up and through His strength we live victoriously!
As warriors, lets put feet to our faith , as we gear up and put on the whole armor of God.
AMEN!
Song of reflection:
https://youtu.be/
