A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
Ephesians 6:10-18 NLT
Please slow down and read these words from the Bible again. Read them out loud to help keep the focus on them. Read them to a friend to stay accountable to them. This is serious.
Evil does strategic planning as well. The end goal of this strategy is destruction. One of the things to be keenly aware of is who the enemy is. Read who the enemy is: rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers of the dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. The enemy is not flesh and blood enemies. It is something deeper and more sinister.
Get your gear on now. All of it. This isn’t an enemy we have much experience with. Jesus knows this enemy well. The bible tells us what to gear up with and in being geared up, we will not be destroyed, but victorious in Jesus Christ. We will be standing firm following the battles we face.
Gear up with these things: God’s truth, God’s righteousness, God’s peace that comes from His good news, Faith in God, God’s salvation, and God’s word. Please don’t forget one more critical thing: Pray in the Spirit at all times. Pray for each other.
Reflection:
The battles faced today come from a deeper source than people. The battles that hit us are an extension of evil with the purpose to destroy. Gear up accordingly. Please note whose gear it is. All of the gear needed is of God and from God. It is field-tested through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the one who could not be destroyed by evil. This gear gives us the same protection as it gave Jesus. In Christ, we will not be destroyed by evil. We will stand firm.
Encouragement:
Through Jesus Christ, God has provided the gear that is stronger than evil. Know the gear God has given you. Learn how to wear and use it always. We will come through the battles with evil standing firm if we have the gear provided by God and are using it in our lives. Jesus has demonstrated the truth of this for us. Our faith is in Him and what He has done. Get your gear on. This is serious.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for showing us that You are more powerful than evil. Thank You Father for giving us the gear needed to stand against evil. Help us wear and use this gear every day of our lives. Please let us do in with the constant activity of prayer in the Holy Spirit, listening and responding to Your leading.
In Jesus’ name, we pray with our gear on, Amen