Preparing for Battle

Arizona police officers were dismayed to discover that their bulletproof vests were defective. Now it's a full-blown scandal.

Christians are engaged in spiritual warfare against a powerful enemy. "You're going to face a powerful, invisible enemy every day-the Devil. ?Put on your body armor and be prepared to fight him and his demonic hosts. Put on every piece of your battle dress" (Ephesians 6:10-20).

Paul lists seven pieces of equipment every Christian should wear to win this spiritual battle:

"Stand?having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; praying always. . . ." (verses 14-18)

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The Combat Harness The Christian's combat harness is truth. Paul said, Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth.... Jesus said, "I am the...truth"(John 14:6). Satan is like a roaring lion seeking someone to destroy. He's a liar, deceiver, serpent, the accuser of the brethren. Whatever he says to us is a distortion.

The Bulletproof Vest Our "shield of righteousness" is the Christian's bulletproof vest. Be honest, upright, authentic, and full of integrity. The little sins we tolerate represent dangerous "holes" in our bulletproof vests. You can be sure that sooner or later, Satan will aim right at that spot.

The Tactical Duty Boots Wear the shoes of the Gospel of Peace. As the right boots protect our soles, the peace of the Gospel protects our souls. The Good News of Christ brings composure to our lives, putting hard leather between us and the jagged stones of fear and doubt.

That's why the Bible constantly tells us, "Do not fret? do not fear? do not let your hearts be troubled? do not be anxious? don't be discouraged."

The Riot Shield Trust God and keep going when everything falls apart: ". . . above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one."

The Helmet Wear the "helmet of salvation. Possess the mind of Christ. Think as Jesus thinks, equipping yourself with the wisdom of God.

Our battle will be won or lost in the realm of ideas. We read in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5:"the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."

Are you increasingly letting the Holy Spirit give you His wisdom as you read the Word of God and pray?

The Assault Rifle The "sword of the Spirit" is our assault rifle. Until now, all the armor has been defensive. Now we come to our offensive weapon-the Word of God.

In Matthew 4, Jesus confronted Satan with three simple words: "It is written. . . ." And then He quoted passages from Deuteronomy to defeat Satan.

Think of areas in which you know Satan will tempt you, find some Bible verses relating to those areas, write them out on little cards, and put them where you see them often. Memorize them. Learn them by heart, and be ready to use them when the Enemy confronts you.

The Radio--Prayer Paul says, "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints."

Praying always? all prayer? all perseverance? for all the saints. Our prayer lives should be strong, consistent, and sincere. The prayers of a righteous person are powerful and effective (James 5:16 NIV).

This article was excerpted from Turning Points, Dr. David Jeremiah's devotional magazine. Call Turning Point at 1-800-947-1993 for your complimentary copy of Turning Points.

God intends us to be "more than conquerors," but we have to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Be dressed for battle, keep your armor on, and when it's all over but the shouting, you'll still be on your feet.

Shield of faith - "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him." Proverbs 30:5

"Above all, taking the shield of faith..."Why above all? What makes this piece of armor the most important?

The shields of old were usually marked with the insignia or name of the king to indicate to others who is lord over this soldier. In the same way, when the devil sends his flaming arrows of temptation, we are to hold up the shield bearing the name of our Lord, Jesus. Through faith in His name, we can resist any enticement. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 1 Corinthians 10:13.

Stand Your Ground - Three times Paul urges his readers to "stand" with the armor. An army is no better than its discipline; without it they are doomed. It is time that we, as God's soldiers, stop simply discussing His commands and begin obeying them. "Fight the good fight of faith." 1 Timothy 6:12.

The armor listed offerers little or no protection to the person's back. It was assumed that soldiers would not turn their backs toward the enemy and retreat. Likewise, Christian soldiers should stand firm and never surrender any ground to the devil. Instead, let the devil flee from your steadfast loyalty. "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7

The whole armor. We must be careful not to miss the double admonition by Paul to wear all of the articles of armor God provides. Ephesians 6:11 admonishes, "Put on the whole armor of God," and Ephesians 6:13 declares, "Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God." This is where many fail. They take some of the armor, but forget one or two of the primary items and pay an eternal price for their neglect.

Concerning battle "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong." 1 Corinthians 16:13
"No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs - he wants to please his commanding officer." 2 Timothy 2:4. If we are worldly, we are not serving in our Lord's army.

My first time at this so here it goes.

I love this passage of scripture. It is the beginning and the end that strike me the most. To "put on the WHOLE armor of God so that you WILL BE ABLE to stand firm... for our battle is not against flesh and blood, but rather the rulers of this dark world and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm. And then in the end after purposefully putting on the whole armor of God to PRAY at all times and on every occasion ..... Also a note about our backs not being protected; there is always a need to bring up the rear or protect the back end in battle. In our case, the protection comes from our Lord once again. Two cases come to mind from the old testament: when the Lord led His people out of Egypt and when He led them into the promise land across the Jordan river.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

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Isaiah 43:1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

Isa 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Isa 43:3 For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

Isa 43:4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.

Isa 43:5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;

Isa 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.

Isa 43:13 Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?

Isa 43:14 Thus saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships.

Isa 43:15 I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.

Isa 43:16 Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters;

Isa 43:17 Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.

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