Today’s devotion builds on the thoughts from Sunday’s Sermon – Week 6 of the Lord’s Prayer Series “Temptation & Evil” (LISTEN HERE).
The best way to win a conflict is to be better prepared and have better weapons than the enemy.
Earlier this week we identified the real enemy – Satan. The better you know his tactics, the better equipped you are to defeat him.
But what are the weapons we have?
The Apostle Paul outlines the armor of God that is given to God’s people in Ephesians 6:10-18.
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 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. 13 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. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 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.
Here are some aspects of the armor of God that stand out to me.
- The armor is worthless without the power of God. Finally, our strength to overcome evil and Satan’s influence is with the power of God.
- You have to put the armor on. Armor laying in a locker does no good. Recognize each day is a spiritual battler. Having the armor of God is vital for every Christian every day!
- Remember you are battling Satan and his forces not people. The battle against evil is the battle against sin in our own lives and that of others.
- Evil will come. It is not a matter of if; it is a matter of when. When evil comes it is too late to prepare. Preparation must be beforehand…every day.
- The belt of truth will overcome the lies of Satan.
- The breastplate of righteousness will defend against temptations to walk away from the will of God.
- Boots of the Gospel…ready to bring the good news of forgiveness and salvation to souls troubled by despair and doubt.
- Shield of faith, which covers us with the protection of the Lord against anything Satan would send our way.
- Helmet of Salvation protects our mind and our head to keep clear on who we are as children of God and where we are headed because of the salvation won for us by Jesus.
- The sword…swing away with the truth and promises of the Word of God.
Every day…put on the armor of God and be alert. Satan is prowling around looking to devour your soul.
The final aspect of victory is to stand with the champion warrior. The ultimate deliverance from evil is an eternity in heaven because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His work on our behalf guarantees the present evil age is not our experience for eternity.
Galatians 1:3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Stand with Jesus, fully equipped with the armor of God and when the day of evil comes…and it will come…you will be able to stand.
Apply: What is the spiritual battle you are fighting today? Which piece of armor perhaps needs to be put on or strengthened to win over the evil Satan is bringing your way?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the armor you provide. Remind me each day to put it on and use it for the eternal protection of my soul! AMEN.