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"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but
against the rulers, against the authorities, against the power 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.
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 saints." Ephesians 6:12-18.
Charles Stanley, great expositor of the Word of God, from
Atlanta, Georgia, says that each morning when he gets up, he
literally goes through the motions of putting on the armor of God.
What an exciting concept!
Talk about getting ready
for the battles of the day. We know that the enemy is out to
sidetrack us and derail us.
He usually is not standing out
in the open, but he operates in the "dark world". When we least
expect it, we are cut off in traffic, or get a flat tire on our car,
or miss an appointment with an irate customer, or get chewed out by
our spouse for some stupid thing we did last night, or ...you fill
in the blanks.
We have all been there and done that!
Usually when we least expect it, we get hit "below the belt"
and much as the fighter who sustains this "low blow" we can react in
three ways.
1. We grimace in pain, and shrink to our neutral
corner.
2. We get angry and fight back with anger and
retaliation.
3. We continue the battle, and maintain a clear
head, a right attitude, (many times after the pain subsides), and
press ahead in the battle.
This is why it is so important to
have that armor in place. Out usual habit is to jump out of bed,
attack the day, and leave God in the Bible on our shelf. We live in
a rat race, and most days we awake and join the race without even
thinking about how God can influence our day.
My
challenge to you.
Each morning when you arise. Get your
Bible and turn to Ephesians 6:11-20, and go through the physical
motions of putting on God's armor.
In your mind visualize
each piece of armor.
1. Put on the belt of truth! Buckle it
tightly around your waste.
2. Put on the breastplate of
righteousness! Visualize clothing your body with this armor, knowing
that the righteousness is not yours, but His.
3. Sit down
and put on your spiritual shoes. Shoes with a readiness to share
your faith with all who come into your path today.
4. Then
reach down and pick up your shield. Hold it in front of you and ask
God to give you skill in using it to protect you from Satan's
arrows.
5. Then put on your helmet of salvation. Thank God
for your decision to follow Him into battle.
6. Then grip
your Bible tightly and visualize it as a sword to defend yourself
against the enemy.
7. And last, but not least, envelop all
of this armor in prayer. "On all occasions". "Be alert". "Always
keep on praying for all the saints."
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