Are You Armed and Dangerous?
Did you know you are in a BATTLE? Did you know that you have a real enemy who wants to kill, steal, and destroy the things in your life?
Your family. Your marriage. Your relationships. Your finances. Your health.
He loves to steal your testimony by tempting you back into patterns of sin that get a hold of you. He enjoys destroying your witness of the power of Christ by capturing you in a gripping fear that is anything but victorious. And, he is always there to kill your joy, bringing instead worry, doubt and anger.
Are you afraid?
Praise God, we don’t need to be! Satan is a defeated foe. Jesus already faced him and crushed him. Jesus, who is in you, is greater than him. Satan trembles at the NAME of Jesus. You have the power through Christ to stand against the enemy. Do NOT be afraid of him!
Are you armed and dangerous?
The Bible tells us to put on the full armor of God and STAND firm and alert. (Ephesians 6:10-17) Notice that it doesn’t tell us to FIGHT, but to stand. God will FIGHT the battle for us. But, we need to equip ourselves with Jesus.
First, put on the Belt of Truth. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life…” So, buckle Jesus firmly around you. Picture Powerhouse Gym with bodybuilders squatting twice their body weight. What do they put on first before lifting any weight? A thick leather belt that supports, stabilizes, and protects their bodies while they lift. Jesus does exactly that for us- supports, stabilizes, and protects us as we lift the weights of the world.
My son just started playing football. You better believe I want him to wear that helmet to protect his precious brain! We are to put on the Helmet of Salvation, or the Jesus Helmet, to protect our minds against impure thoughts, worry, and negative, self-defeating thoughts. We take every thought that plops into our minds “captive.” If it is a lie, we replace it with the Truth.
Next, put on the Breastplate of Righteousness. Righteousness only comes through Christ, so we put Jesus on as our shield. What does a breastplate cover? Our hearts! Jesus protects our hearts when we allow Him to cover us.
Walk with the Shoes of Peace on your feet. Everywhere you go, allow Jesus, the Prince of Peace guide your steps. When you surrender to Him with every step, He will fill you with the peace that passes all understanding!
Next, lift up your Shield of Faith. Think “Gladiator” here! These warriors carried shields that were huge and covered their whole bodies. When the attack came, they would fall to the ground, allowing their whole body to be covered with the shield. It is your faith, believing in who God is and what He can do, that EXTINGUISHES the arrows of the enemy! It is your faith that PUTS OUT every scheme Satan uses against you.
Finally, lift up your Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Again, Jesus is the “Word,” so lift up Jesus as your weapon! Both the Living Word and the written Word will cut through every lie of the enemy. Read your Bible. Wield your sword. Call out to Jesus.
Notice there isn’t armor covering your backside, so don’t run from the enemy. Instead, stand firm, face him, covered in the protection of Jesus. When you are feeling defeated, take your place as a victorious child of God and call on the Name of Jesus. The battle has already been won and the victory is yours!
Father God, thank You that I am more than a conqueror in Christ! Thank You that You are “for” me. Thank You that You have equipped me with everything I need to stand against the enemy. Help me to remember that the battle has already been won and that I am already victorious in Christ Jesus! Help me to put on the armor daily. In Christ’s mighty name we pray. Amen.
Please visit me at my personal blog, Thirsty for Him!
Amen.
Are you armed and dangerous? I certainly hope so although there are days when I don’t feel that way. Thank you for this post.
Unfortunately, the ‘armed and dangerous’ can be my tongue…lashing out in anger or frustration or a judgmental comment. Thank you for this reminder.
Tracy, This was great for me to read today. I never thought of the belt that way, or the shield either. Great visuals to increase undersatanding. We need to be reminded that the battle is daily and we can’t go about without being armed and dangerous!
Tracy,
Notice that it doesn’t tell us to FIGHT, but to stand. God will FIGHT the battle for us. Wow,… If we lived like this, wonder what a different world we would have… Awesome post. When I am afraid I love to read Psalm 91. The 911 scripture. Powerful.
Tracy, wonderful thoughts and great post. Thank you.
Thank you Tracy for this powerful post. You are right – we do not need to fight the fight – just stand for what we believe in. I can say amen to that. It is sometimes hard to stand against the enemy, but with Jesus on our side – there is no worries…
Be blessed today and always…
Tracy—I read this post the other day and time didn’t permit me to comment then…but a couple of nights ago—I was being plagued with some “thoughts” that weren’t necessarily ‘bad’ but they weren’t really good. They didn’t give me peace in my heart—I pulled out my sword—mentally—for I had already gone to bed and NEEDED to get to sleep–and as I began to recite scriptures from memory—-my mind began to fill with peace—as only HE can accomplish. So when I read this post again…He reminded me that the equipment He gives us for BATTLE—can be used at ALL times…even when we don’t have the instrument for warfare in our hands! I love that about HIS WORD!
I really enjoyed reading this AGAIN!
Amen!! And I can relate to the football analogy =)