The Full Armor of God

Relationships are wonderful, but they can also cause heartache. As humans, it is inevitable that we will have conflicts with other humans. We are all different, come from different backgrounds, and have different perspectives. Those things alone cause conflicts. However, we often have conflicts with those closest to us, with those who we love dearly. Sometimes those closest to us are the ones that hurt us the most. Have you ever gotten into an argument where you said or heard the most hurtful things? I have. I have been the person saying those things, as well as the one on the receiving end. I clearly remember a time when I was telling my mother-in-law how much my husband hated me. I was telling her about our latest argument and I said, "it's like I'm his worst enemy." I couldn't believe all the things he said to me. His words hurt and wounded me to the core. They were like one arrow being shot after another, each arrow piercing my heart just as painful as the first. It sounds awful, but I can imagine that this happens in a lot of relationships. Even in the lives of Christians. By living like this, we are not living the way God intended us to, but there is hope. Our helper is Christ. You see, after watching the movie War Room, I was reminded of our enemy. The enemy isn't stupid. Satan knows exactly what he is doing. He knows exactly what thoughts to slip in your mind to cause confusion, insecurity, and disruption. He is conniving and deceitful, doing all he can to destroy marriages, relationships, and lives. He even knows how to get you to hate yourself. After all, He is a liar, the father of lies (John 8:44) to be exact. He does these things daily, hourly, by the minute. He will tell you to cheat on your spouse, how much you need drugs, tell you how ugly you are, or how much you cannot live without this or that until it consumes, ruins, and destroys you. He stirs up a fight with your loved ones out of nowhere, just when you thought everything was going well. He breeds gossip, deceit, envy, shame, and guilt. He causes chaos and confusion because his main goals are to kill, steal, and destroy (John 100:10). Yes, you've read this before in my post The devil is real, and he is our enemy, but I cannot emphasize this enough because my desire is for you to know who you are in Christ, to enjoy life, and live victoriously. The victorious life that Jesus died for us to have. We are not powerless, the only way to keep us powerless is to keep us unaware. It's easy to be deceived. The devil does it everyday. 2 Corinthians 11:14 says that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Even I am blind sighted by the works of the enemy. I often forget who the real enemy is and allow myself to get angry, retaliate, or badmouth someone. We cannot trust ourselves to know what is of the enemy or what is not. We must ask God's Holy Spirit for guidance, put on the full armor of God, and fight back. Read Ephesians 6:10-18 with me below.

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 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. 13 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. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Without the full armor of God, we cannot fully be victorious. Do you know any people in the military who would go to battle unprepared? Without weapons or military gear? Would athletes go to the Olympics without extensive training? No, they practice, train, and gain the knowledge they need to defeat their opponent and win. They commit long hours to learn tactics and strategies to make sure they come out victorious. We must think the same way. Our enemy is not our spouse, children, or family member. Our enemy is not those who bad mouth us or disrespect us. The real enemy is Satan. We must realize who the real enemy is, then put on the armor of God. The verses above tell us to put on the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and sword of the Spirit. Lastly, scripture tells us to PRAY. Let us not neglect prayer, filling our minds and spirits with the word of God, or be naive of the enemy and his attacks. God is ready to dispatch His angels and power, but we must do our part. We have to be informed by reading God's Word, asking God to give us wisdom and discernment, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us, pray for protection, learn the enemy's tactics, and put on the Armor of God.

Let us Pray.

Father and Most High,

We praise You. You hold all the power, time, and wisdom in Your hands. You are always in control. Thank you for your son Jesus Christ and the victory he gained for us. Christ defeated death, and we know that when he returns, Christ will defeat Satan once and for all. I thank you for the readers and for wanting us to live victoriously, for your Holy Spirit. Lord, you want to heal our relationships and restore our lives. Thank you that we do have a way to stand against Satan and his minions. Please help us to see who the real enemy is in our lives. 2 Corinthians 2:11 says we are not ignorant of the enemy's schemes. As of now, the enemy is still on the prowl, seeking who he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). Let us not be victims, but stand up and fight. Teach us the meaning of the armor of God, prayer, and the Bible. We are not without help, and your word says that those who seek the Lord do not lack any good thing (Psalm 34:10). Dispatch your angels Lord and help us fight our battles. We can do all things though Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13), and no weapons formed against us shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17). We speak that over our lives Lord. Give us the knowledge, understanding, and wisdom we need. Thank you Father, for You are mighty to save. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Prayerfully,

Pam