The Word of God commands us be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power (Ephesians 6:10-18). We daily stand firm against the devil’s schemes by putting on our spiritual armor. It is as important to dress spiritually each day as it is to dress physically. So declare daily that you are obeying God’s command to stand in all the armor available to intercessory soldiers in the battles we face.

Father, our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the authorities, the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. They are fallen angels cast down from heaven by the command of the true and living God. They are subject to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. We are in Him and stand in His already-assured victory. Therefore, we put on our full armor in You so that when the fiery darts come, we may be able to stand our ground.

We stand firm because we have taken up these weapons:

We buckle the belt of truth around our waist. Truth is the Person of Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life.

We put on the breastplate of righteousness. The Person and sinless sacrifice of the Lord Jesus is our Righteousness.

We put on our feet the sandals of the preparation of the gospel of peace. The Person of the Lord Jesus is our peace.

We take the shield of faith which extinguishes all the flaming arrows of the evil one. The Person of the Lord Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He is all the faith we need.

We take the helmet of salvation. My Lord Jesus Christ Himself alone is our salvation. His mind guards our minds.

We take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. The Word is the Person of Jesus Christ who came in the flesh and defeated the works of the enemy. His Word never returns to Him void.

We clothe ourselves in all of Jesus and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

“No weapon formed against us will prevail, and we will refute every tongue that accuses us. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from Me,” declares the Lord (Isaiah 54:17).

The One who was born of God keeps us safe, and the evil one cannot harm us (1 John 5:18).

In the name of Jesus, amen.

By Sylvia Gunter
used by permission

From: For The Father:  p. 15, ©1995
www.thefathersbusiness.com

The post Praying On The Armor appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“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.” Ephesians 6:12

When I was growing up the words of Paul in Ephesians 6:12 were generally valued for the second half of the sentence. That is, our struggles were considered to be against the Devil or demons who might trip us up as we tried to live for Jesus.

More recently I have come to appreciate the first half of the teaching. That is, we are not in a physical war of sword fights, cuts, and bruises, but one of power struggle against rulers and authorities who plan life without God. In more practical terms it means we ought to struggle against people in positions of power who lord it over those beneath them, taking advantage by treating them unfairly or squelching their freedoms to grow in faith.

Put in different terms again, to say our fight is against rulers and authorities means there are times when we should stand up for what is right, to defend the widow and orphan and immigrant, and not allow powerful leaders to run rough shod over anyone.

Do you see the misuse of power around you at work?

Do you see it in your neighborhood?

What might you do to give voice to those under the thumb of meanies?

How might you help ‘the least of these’ so you can love as Jesus called us to?

God, help me understand that You want me to be a change agent for what’s right and good at work and around my neighborhood. May I be a voice for the people who feel powerless to help themselves. Amen.

Action Point: Step in to situations where you can make wrong situations right. Or, if you are the one lording it over others, stop and ask how you might seek peace and justice with the other.

By: Dr. Bill Strom
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

• Pressing Undo –  by John Grant

•  Pressing the Reset Button

• The Power of Forgiveness – by Dr. Henry Brandt

The post Not Against Flesh and Blood appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Make no mistake. The devil is a real devil!

Every conflict is a contest with Satan and his forces.  For that reason the Bible says,

“though we walk in the flesh we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds”  (2 Corinthians 10:3-4).

What are these weapons?  Prayer, worship, and Scripture.  When we pray, we engage the power of God against the devil.  When we worship, we do what Satan did not do.  We place God on the throne.  When we pick up the sword of Scripture, we do what Jesus did in the wilderness.  He responded to Satan by proclaiming truth.  And since Satan has a severe allergy to truth, he left Jesus alone. Satan will not linger long where God is praised and prayers are offered. And because God’s promises are unbreakable, our hope is unshakable!

By Max Lucado
Read more Unshakable Hope
Used by Permission

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:    
https://maxlucado.com/about/

Further Reading

•  Dealing with Despair

•  Why Worry Yourself Sick? – by Muriel Larson

•  Salvation Explained

Follow Us On:  Facebook  • Twitter  •  Instagram  •  Pinterest

The post Pulling Down Strongholds appeared first on Thoughts About God.