Ready for Battle

It is becoming more and more apparent that Christians are in a fierce battle against the tide of moral decay.  And although it may feel like we are fighting against other people, the Bible makes it clear that our fight is not against flesh & blood.  We are fighting against mighty powers in this dark world. (Ephesians 6:12) As God’s children, we have a shared enemy. That enemy is Satan! As the countdown to his ultimate demise speeds up, he is pulling out all the stops in his war against the people of God. He knows how the story will end and it’s not good for him. And even though he can never override God’s saving power through Jesus Christ, he can still try to cause as much pain as possible.

Thankfully, God has not left us unprepared to do battle. Ephesians 6:12-20 tells us exactly how to suit up each day in order to fight the enemy no matter what (or who) he is using against us.

• The Belt of Truth – A belt plays an important role in the wardrobe of a soldier.  Without it, all of the other battle gear could fall right off. In the same way, grounding ourselves in the truth of who God is and what he has done will ensure that we head out in battle knowing that our battle gear is staying in place.
• The Breastplate of Righteousness – The breastplate is pretty crucial, too. It offers protection for our heart. The Bible says that we should guard our heart above all else, because it determines the course of our life. (Proverbs 4:23) Our righteousness comes from Jesus and if we live in step with him we will be better able to protect our heart.
• Feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. – We know where our hope comes from. Jesus Christ died for our sins and we will spend eternity in heaven with him. This is the good news that we have to share with the world.  And we must be ready at all times to share with anyone who asks where our hope comes from . (1 Peter 3:15)
• The Shield of Faith to distinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. – Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  (Hebrews 11:1) We can be sure that God will accomplish all of his purposes for our life and for the whole world.  Faith in an almighty and loving God will help us to remember that no matter what Satan may throw at us, we will have the victory in Christ!
• Helmet of Salvation – Like the breastplate protects our heart, the helmet protects our mind. Our Salvation through Jesus has reserved for us a place in heaven where the treasures that await us can never be destroyed. (Matthew 6:20) If we fix our minds on things above we can keep the the things that happen to us and around us here on earth in the proper heavenly perspective.
• Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God – When Jesus was in the desert being tempted by Satan, the only sword he took up against him was the Word of God.  Satan is the father of lies and his main objective is to distort the truth and send us in the wrong direction. If we know the Bible, we can come back at every lie he tries to sell us with the truth of he Word of God.
• And last but definitely not least, we must be alert and we must pray! – Pray on all occasions. Pray with every kind of request. Pray for each other. The devil hates it when we pray because he knows that in prayer we are formulating a battle plan that he can never defeat!

As the ultimate showdown between God and the devil quickly approaches, you better make sure you are on the right side!  The only way to join God’s army is to admit that you are a sinner and to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  Don’t wait until it is too late!