Ephesians 6:10-18
10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
I find myself talking to God as often as I think of him - which is always. Not just talking, but listening. Reflecting. We've all heard the phrase 'an idle mind is the devil's playground.' There is 100% truth in that statement, but that's why the Bible tells us to pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:15.) We should never be idle. That allows the entrance of all sorts of wandering thoughts and influences apart from God. If Christ is the center of our thoughts (Philippians 2:5) and we are consistently thinking on whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report (Philippians 4:8,) there is no room for us to entertain anything contrary.
Unfortunately, it isn't that easy to do. If there is anything certain in life, it's Satan's relentless pursuit to oppose everything good and holy. No matter the level of Christian growth or years of experience fighting the good fight of faith, every single day is a battle. It's a little more complex than the illustration of a pint-sized angel and devil on either side of your shoulder. Satan is not some red person with a tail and a pitchfork. Physically, we cannot see him but he is as real as you and I. He is intelligent, crafty, and appealing. His influences are usually subtle and subconscious which is why it is direly important for us to be fully guarded at all times. We are to be sober minded and vigilant (1 Peter 5:8,) meaning that our thoughts should be disciplined and filtered by our allegiance to our Creator. Our mind is the beginning of our actions and that is the exact place where Satan plants his seed of influence. Quite simply, if he can control our mind he can control us. But when we completely yield ourselves to be consumed by God and utilize the tools He imparts in us, we have all victory over the enemy (Luke 10:19.)
From birth, we are sinful by nature which puts us in automatic conflict with God (Romans 7:18a, 8:7.) We are in an unyielding battle with our natural man to be overtaken by the Holy Spirit and empowered to defend ourselves against every attack on our soul (Galatians 5:17.) We cannot rely on our flesh to sustain us. This war is not one that is physical (Ephesians 6:12.) It is spiritual and isn't seen with the naked eye. It is our devotion and our allegiance is that both sides are after. God, who is everything good and holy, wants nothing but to love, protect and give eternal life to those who accept (Psalm 36:5,7 John 3:16.) The antagonist, Satan, wants to steal from us, kill and destroy us(John 10:10.)
The enemy does not wait until we are settled in our day to begin attacking us. From the moment we wake up we are faced up against forces of oppression. The war begins. That's why it is so important for us to access our communication with our Heavenly Father before we do anything else (Psalm 63:1, Proverbs 8:17, Ephesians 3:11-12.) God's Word is our fuel. It is our strength and nutrition for our spirit and it gives us the ability not only to defend ourselves against the enemy, but retaliate. Living without God's Word is like sending a soldier out to war with a water gun. Useless. We make ourselves vulnerable for attack without having our defense which is why we need to be thoroughly prepared (Ephesians 6:11-17.) The Bible is both our offense and defense. In it lies everything we need to be functional and powerful children of God, capable of overcoming an already defeated adversary, the devil (James 4:7.) For this reason we should'nt be afraid anything (2 Timothy 1:7.) As we continue to grow in faith and wisdom and deepen our relationship with the Lord, resisting Satan becomes much more feasible. Although his entire purpose is to oppose everything God wants for us, and never stops coming after us, we can defeat him every time.
I pray that there is an understanding of the spiritual warfare that we wake up to face every single day, but also the freedom and peace of mind that comes with directing our focus toward God.
Dear Heavenly Father, I thank Your for the privilage we have in being accessible to You, the communication that is available for us at any given point and time and the relationship that comes from learning about You. Thank You for Your Word and the understanding of it. Help me to apply it to my life and direct me in everything I say and do. Lord, I thank You for calling me Your child. I ask that You would allow me to use the power and authority you have given me over the enemy. Help me not to live in fear. Strengthen me and fill me with Your Spirit. Help me to desire the things that are pleasing in Your sight. Father, guard my heart and my mind and help me to take every thought captive that is against Your will. You promised never to leave us nor forsake us and nothing can separate us from Your love. Thank You for your faithfulness and the mercy You show me daily. Use me so that my life is a light to those who are lost and an encouragement to those who are without it. Give me a servant's heart. Use me to bring honor and glory to Your name. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
Unfortunately, it isn't that easy to do. If there is anything certain in life, it's Satan's relentless pursuit to oppose everything good and holy. No matter the level of Christian growth or years of experience fighting the good fight of faith, every single day is a battle. It's a little more complex than the illustration of a pint-sized angel and devil on either side of your shoulder. Satan is not some red person with a tail and a pitchfork. Physically, we cannot see him but he is as real as you and I. He is intelligent, crafty, and appealing. His influences are usually subtle and subconscious which is why it is direly important for us to be fully guarded at all times. We are to be sober minded and vigilant (1 Peter 5:8,) meaning that our thoughts should be disciplined and filtered by our allegiance to our Creator. Our mind is the beginning of our actions and that is the exact place where Satan plants his seed of influence. Quite simply, if he can control our mind he can control us. But when we completely yield ourselves to be consumed by God and utilize the tools He imparts in us, we have all victory over the enemy (Luke 10:19.)
From birth, we are sinful by nature which puts us in automatic conflict with God (Romans 7:18a, 8:7.) We are in an unyielding battle with our natural man to be overtaken by the Holy Spirit and empowered to defend ourselves against every attack on our soul (Galatians 5:17.) We cannot rely on our flesh to sustain us. This war is not one that is physical (Ephesians 6:12.) It is spiritual and isn't seen with the naked eye. It is our devotion and our allegiance is that both sides are after. God, who is everything good and holy, wants nothing but to love, protect and give eternal life to those who accept (Psalm 36:5,7 John 3:16.) The antagonist, Satan, wants to steal from us, kill and destroy us(John 10:10.)
The enemy does not wait until we are settled in our day to begin attacking us. From the moment we wake up we are faced up against forces of oppression. The war begins. That's why it is so important for us to access our communication with our Heavenly Father before we do anything else (Psalm 63:1, Proverbs 8:17, Ephesians 3:11-12.) God's Word is our fuel. It is our strength and nutrition for our spirit and it gives us the ability not only to defend ourselves against the enemy, but retaliate. Living without God's Word is like sending a soldier out to war with a water gun. Useless. We make ourselves vulnerable for attack without having our defense which is why we need to be thoroughly prepared (Ephesians 6:11-17.) The Bible is both our offense and defense. In it lies everything we need to be functional and powerful children of God, capable of overcoming an already defeated adversary, the devil (James 4:7.) For this reason we should'nt be afraid anything (2 Timothy 1:7.) As we continue to grow in faith and wisdom and deepen our relationship with the Lord, resisting Satan becomes much more feasible. Although his entire purpose is to oppose everything God wants for us, and never stops coming after us, we can defeat him every time.
I pray that there is an understanding of the spiritual warfare that we wake up to face every single day, but also the freedom and peace of mind that comes with directing our focus toward God.
Dear Heavenly Father, I thank Your for the privilage we have in being accessible to You, the communication that is available for us at any given point and time and the relationship that comes from learning about You. Thank You for Your Word and the understanding of it. Help me to apply it to my life and direct me in everything I say and do. Lord, I thank You for calling me Your child. I ask that You would allow me to use the power and authority you have given me over the enemy. Help me not to live in fear. Strengthen me and fill me with Your Spirit. Help me to desire the things that are pleasing in Your sight. Father, guard my heart and my mind and help me to take every thought captive that is against Your will. You promised never to leave us nor forsake us and nothing can separate us from Your love. Thank You for your faithfulness and the mercy You show me daily. Use me so that my life is a light to those who are lost and an encouragement to those who are without it. Give me a servant's heart. Use me to bring honor and glory to Your name. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
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