Stand Strong!

‘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.’  Ephesians 6:11-13

As children of God, we cannot take a day off from wearing the full armor that God has given us. If you are a single mom, single man or woman, married, grandparent, it doesn’t matter; you need to wear defensive equipment. YOU CANNOT TAKE A DAY OFF. Why? Because Satan never takes a day off from wanting to bring us down.

If you are a parent, you have also been given the awesome responsibility to grow your children with this knowledge.  Satan spends a lot of time with our children.

As a single parent, you have vulnerabilities that married couples may not have to deal with- like raising children without a second parent in the house. If you are a single person, loneliness can set in like a thief in the night wanting to rob you of all our sensibilities. A desire to be in a relationship can consume your every thought…Satan wants you to be vulnerable because then he can bring you down and keep you broken!  

This spiritual war is real. Mankind is caught in the midst of a spiritual war with a Holy God and His loyal angels on one side and the evil Satan and his demons on the other. We can’t see it but if we could view the unseen, we’d be able to see this war. Don’t be mistaken, although Satan's wisdom is now corrupt, he is still very wise. Satan and the demons are supernatural beings.  All supernatural beings are not bound by the laws of nature (hence, the term supernatural).

Ephesians 6:11-12 ‘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.’

There is no better description of a spiritual battle than what we read in the Book of Daniel regarding a detained angel. “Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.” (Daniel 10:12-13)

What can you do to prepare for the spiritual battle?

These fallen angels have chosen to do evil and they seek to ruin our lives. ‘Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.’ 1 Peter 5:8

Think and identify your weaknesses. Write them down so you won’t forget.  Then ask God to protect you when you’re feeling weak relative to these areas of your life. Keep asking God for His help with these weaknesses. When you think you’ve got them mastered, keep asking God for help! Satan is waiting to battle you over these weak areas. Satan makes it his job to know your weak areas. And he is waiting for you to take a day off!

Here are the six parts of the Christian's armor (portions were reproduced from an outline done at our church), unless noted, scripture is from Ephesians 6.

1. "…the belt of truth buckled around your waist" (6:14) Satan will lie to you.

The more we grow in the Christian life, the more we will begin to realize that we are under attack when doubts come into our minds!

2. "…the breastplate of righteousness" (6:14) As a child of God, His righteousness is in us.

When you are engaging in spiritual warfare, remember that God sees you as perfect in his sight. God is Holy; therefore He cannot look upon sin. ". . .the accuser of the brothers. . ." Revelation 12:10

3. "feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace" (6:15) our shoes making us ready to stand --Ready to witness –Even in the valley, we need to tell people how great our God is at getting us through our battles. The most victorious Christian is a witnessing Christian.

4. "…the Shield of faith"   (6:16) Our shield is our confidence in God.  The devils arrows are painful; we need to keep our shields of faith upright for protection. Remind yourself to hold God to His promises. You belong to God.

5. "…the helmet of salvation" (6:17) The battle is in our minds. Protect it from the devil’s lies.

6. "…the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God" (6:17)   Know scripture. Jesus used scripture repeatedly to Satan in the wilderness each time He was tempted, ‘It is written…’  Each time we are tempted, we can also repeat these words.

How does Satan see you today? Do you have just one piece of the armor on? Or do you have all 6 pieces on and ready for battle?

Let’s pray. Father, our world is hurting and we need Your help to stay alert against the forces of evil. We have so many choices within our grips; help us to make the correct ones; choices that will reflect Your plans for our lives. Turn our ears to Your wisdom today so we can apply it to our hearts and understand Your ways.  If we are hurting, let us recognize that our present suffering is not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. In Your Son’s strong name we pray. Amen

Until next time~

Blessings, Nancy