When we awaken each day, we awaken to a new battle. This is not heaven. This is earth where Satan has been given power. In the New Testament he is often referred to as the ruler of this world. But he does not have dominion over Christians and he certainly does not have dominion over God.
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son. (Colossians 1:13). We are now in God's army and God wants to provide us with the necessary skills and equipment to deal some serious damage against the dark forces of this world. Paul gives us our battle plan.
First, know and utilize the source of your power.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (V 10-11)
Second, know your enemy.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (V 12)
Satan wants us to forget who our true enemy is because then we will not be effective in dealing with conflicts and circumstances with spiritual triumph. He wants us to be reactive toward others, unforgiving and judgmental. We have to keep our focus on the true source of sin, pain, discord and evil in this world and utilize spiritual resources versus flesh resources. Your enemy is not others. Your enemy is Satan.
Third, be equipped. Armor is necessary when you are in the heat of battle. Expect to be hammered, shot at, swung at, knocked down. Your enemy is going to look for your areas of vulnerability and try to catch you off guard. Armor protects your vital organs and helps you withstand the attacks. For spiritual battles, we need spiritual armor. To every soldier, Paul says you have access to the armor of God. But, you have to put it on and use it.
The Armor of God:
Belt of Truth: For a Roman soldier, the belt secured equipment, providing a place for a sword to be sheathed. In addition, the Nelson Study Bible says from the belt "hung strips of leather to protect the lower body." The Matthew Henry Commentary says the belt "girds on [secures] all the other pieces of our armor." Truth should cleave to us as a belt cleaves to our body. Satan is the Father of lies. His specialty is deception, trickery, and crafty destructive lies. How do you know when you are being told lies? By having access to the truth. God provides His truth to us through His Word. The Holy Spirit can provide discernment of truth to us when we are attuned to His teaching. The more we study God's word and are receptive to the Holy Spirit's voice, the more we will be aware of Satan's deceptions.
Breastplate of Righteousness: The breastplate was a very important piece of armor because it provided protection to the vital chest organs. This righteousness is not of our own efforts but the righteousness of Christ that protects us from Satan's death blows. When Satan tries to accuse us and get us to forget who we belong to, those blows should just bounce off. We belong to Christ and have eternal life. That is a powerful defensive weapon. Because we belong to Christ, we should be obedient to God's word. Psalm 23 tells us "He will lead us in the paths of righteousness."
Shoes (of the Gospel of Peace): I don't know about you but I don't want to go outside without a good protective pair of shoes on. When you have a good pair of shoes, you can be sure of your step and you can be confident and bold to march forward. If necessary you can even run. God wants us to be always ready to go where He needs us to go. He wants to send us as "foot soldiers" out into the world as he guides our every step, and the message he wants us to share is the gospel of peace.
"And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!" Romans 10:5
Shield of Faith: “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;” (v 16). Oh how Satan wants to get us off guard. If he can weaken our faith or get us to cast it away because of fear and doubt, then he can deal a more destructive blow. When doubts come, hold fast to your faith and ask God to help you keep that shield held high.
Helmet of Salvation: The spiritual battle is one that involves our minds. We have to make a decision to accept God's salvation and submit our wills to Him or we choose to let Satan continue to darken and cloud our minds. Protecting our thought patterns is vital to our spiritual victory. Satan wants us to be confused and deceived. God wants us to have "right" thinking, to know His will, to know truth.
Sword of the Spirit: We are told this sword is the "Word of God".
"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12) Meditating on God's Word and memorizing God's Word will empower you to become a stronger, more effective soldier as God's Word molds you into being more and more like Christ.
Paul tells us that when we have on the full armor of God, we can "stand firm"
He also encourages us to be on those front lines of spiritual warfare by being prayer warriors. “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,” (v18)
How's your battle preparation going? Are you putting on that full armor at the start of your day? Are you ready, alert and eager to be available for God's instructions? Are you supporting others who are fighting alongside of you with prayer and encouragement. If not, I encourage you to suit up and face your day prepared to do battle, prepared to be victorious as you find your strength in God.