Are you prepared for today? I’m not talking about if you’re dressed or if you have your lunch ready or the kids up – I’m talking about being prepared – prepared to go out into the world prepared.
Did you know that Satan’s agenda for us is to NOT be prepared? He wants us helpless, hopeless and most especially POWERLESS. He does this by distracting us and lying to us. To combat this, we need to be prepared.
Prepared for me means I have my spiritual armor on (hence, the pix of the knight). I end prayer time by putting on my spiritual armor. Does that sound strange to you? I’m serious. Paul talks about it in the Book of Ephesians. I don’t want to scare anybody here but we’re in a battle. A battle for our souls. And unfortunately, if you listen to the world (the media, etc.), they are winning.
“They” is the world – or Satan. Let me say it this way, he “thinks” he’s winning. And he wants you to think he’s winning. But we know The Truth, don’t we?
I John 4: You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Paul tells us in Ephesians 6 to “be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power and to put on the full armor or God so that we can stand against the devil’s schemes”. Did you notice he didn’t say “sit” or “lay down” or “kneel” BUT STAND. Then he says:
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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Lets take this apart and understand it:
The belt of truth is the first piece of armor. I put that on first because it reminds me of WHO The Truth is and I surround myself with The Truth. Satan is all about lies. The belt of Truth combats those lies and points me to The truth.
The breasplate of righteousness is over my heart. I put that in place to protect my heart for it is naturally deceitful. I want my heart to belong to Christ and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS and in Him, I am righteous.
Next, I put on some new shoes. My new shoes are fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. I didn’t get them at DSW btw. They are straight from my God! These shoes fit me perfectly! They are essential for fighting. I gotta make sure there is peace in my heart so that I am able to fight (not distracted or weary but prepared for whatever comes my way).
The shield of faith comes on next. I put this on over my entire body. It covers every inch cause its going to extinguish EVERY ARROW Satan flings at me – EVERY ONE – every lie, every condemning one. (Can you tell this is my favorite piece of armor)?
The helmet of salvation is the last piece of DEFENSIVE armor. It keeps me safe in my salvation. Nothing can take it from me (or you)! NOTHING. It protects my head, my brain and my thoughts against any lies of the world. It keeps our thinking straight and not confused when the master of confusion comes around.
Now we put on our only OFFENSIVE PIECE: the sword of the spirit, or of course, the Word of God. I gotta read the Word to carry that Sword. I gotta know it in my heart, not just my head. So I carry my Sword and use it mightily every time I can.
Ray Stedman wrote an awesome book entitled, “Spiritual Warfare”. After I read that, I KNEW I had to put on my armor everyday and be prepared. Prepare yourself, my friends. Put on your armor EVERY DAY. And go forth in His divine power as Peter says:
II Peter 1:
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
May our hearts see . . . . . and BE PREPARED!
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