In The Word
Read: Ephesians 6:10-24
The Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
21 But that you also may know about my circumstances, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you. 22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us, and that he may comfort your hearts.
23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
In this life, we can sometimes forget an important truth in scripture that our struggle is not against the physical things we see, but against principalities, powers, and spiritual forces of darkness. When we go through something, we may see a friend, spouse, child, fellow church member, or others as our opposing force. It is not a person we are fighting against, but the spirit behind whatever is coming against us. Since we know that it is a spiritual issue, we need to ask, “How do we combat this?” Paul explains that we combat this by taking up the full armor of God so that we may be able to resist the evil in that day.
Before we leave our house each day, when we put on our physical clothing, we must also put on our spiritual armor. Every day we must understand that we are in a war against both the enemy and our flesh. Since we know this, we should not be ignorant to the reality that we will have attacks that come against us. To be properly equipped for the battles, we must put on the full armor daily. God has given you the tools you need to be victorious, but are you intentionally using them? If you find yourself defeated in your life, ask yourself, “Have I been equipping myself daily with God’s armor?” If the answer is no, then start today and be prepared for the battle ahead of you.