This week’s devotions are based on this week’s message: Key #2: Be Ready for the Battle! (WATCH HERE)
On May 2, 2011, US special forces descended on a compound in Pakistan to carry out a raid on the compound of Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. For almost 10 years, intelligence sources stalked the killer, but finally the element of location and surprise allowed the forces of the US to descend from helicopters, eliminate their target and get out without any US casualties.
Except one.
A stealth helicopter.
On the raid, the helicopter malfunctioned and was unable to fly away from the compound. However, the crew had a plan. Destroy the aircraft. Why? Because the super secret technology that the helicopter contained was not to find its way into enemy hands and be used against us in future combat. So it was blown up before the forces left.
If you leave your weapons behind, you give up the impact of those weapons for the enemy to utilize. Again, you can read stories of armies taking the weapons of slain enemies and turning them against the very forces that carried them. However, a good soldier who was able, would never leave their weapons behind for the enemy to use.
A good soldier would also be foolish to leave their weapons back in the barracks and not take them to battle. Unarmed in battle is a suicide mission in the making.
So it is in spiritual battle as well.
Perhaps we are more guilty of never using our weapons than leaving the weapons for Satan to use, but he is capable of that too. (Remember he used the “sword of the Spirit” (the word of God) against Jesus himself…he would love to use it against you too.)
We can easily underestimate the enemy and overestimate our ability to combat him on our own. For example, Paul encourages us to put on the “belt of truth” around our waist (Ephesians 6). The purpose is so we can fend off the lies of Satan when they come our way. We may rely on Bible knowledge we learned as a kid to combat the religious melay that we face in our culture today. We may rely on what we “think” the Bible says, instead of knowing what it actually does say. We may push off time in the word because our day has too many other “important” things to do. As a result of these inactions, we leave our belt of truth behind and we are left to be confused at best or give in to smooth sounding arguments that are lies at worst. And when we abandon this weapon…we lose spiritually.
So don’t abandon your weapons – offensive and defensive. The battle is real. The enemy is strong. To enter combat without the weapons God has given to us is spiritual suicide! So be soldier good at soldiering and every day do as Paul encourages in Ephesians 6:10:
Ephesians 6:10 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.
Apply: Which of these weapons do you often forget about or “leave off” when taking on spiritual challenges/battles? What do you think would change if you stop abandoning that weapon and put it on?
Prayer: Lord thank you for the armor and weapons we need to fight the good fight of faith! AMEN.