Last month I wrote about being an overcomer. We all want to be victorious in what life and the devil throws our way. And while the tips from last month are key, God does not leave us defenseless or without a weapon. The following is an excerpt from my book Carried by Grace (affiliate link).
In Matthew 6:6–13 Jesus teaches us how we should pray.
- Begin with praise (verse 9).
- Pray God’s will to be done in your life and other’s lives (verse 10).
- Speak out your specific needs (verse 11).
- Ask for forgiveness and forgive others (verse 12).
- Pray for guidance and protection (verse 13a).
- End with praise (verse 13b).
Don’t let prayer become an empty ritual. Jesus warned in verses 6–8 to avoid empty prayers. Pray from your heart.
Prayer is our best weapon and works in the spiritual realm, a realm we cannot see with our natural eyes. It is the world of God, angels, and demons.
When our military troops prepare to go into battle, they put on protective gear, grab their weapons, and load up with ammunition. They don’t go into a hazardous situation without preparation and protection. In Ephesians 6:12 the apostle Paul tells us our enemies are not flesh and blood, but are evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world. Remember Daniel’s prayer and how it took twenty-one days for the angel to reach Daniel because the angel had to fight the demons (see Daniel 10:1–13)?
God has provided our protection, and the apostle Paul outlines that for us in Ephesians 6:14–17 (NKJV).
Vs. 14: gird your waist with truth.
In Jesus’ day, to gird yourself meant you lifted the ends of your robe and tucked them into your belt so your feet wouldn’t get tangled in the folds of your robe during battle. Today’s application: put on truth as we would a belt around our waist so the things of this world don’t trip us up. We need to know what the Bible says so we can recognize Satan’s lies. We want to keep ourselves strong with truth at all times. John 14:6 tells us Jesus is the truth.
Vs. 14: “put on the breastplate of righteousness.”
A breastplate protects our vital organs. When Proverbs 4:23 tells us to guard our heart, the writer isn’t speaking about the physical organ, but about our inner man, the seat of our moral character, our emotions and passions. Christ’s sacrifice makes us right with God and delivers us from death. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we are putting on His righteousness just as we would don a bullet proof vest. Because the battle for our souls never stops, we must keep on the breastplate of righteousness, which is Jesus (see 1 Corinthians 1:30).
Vs. 15: “shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”
Our feet carry us everywhere we go, and God wants us to carry the gospel of peace with us. In the original language the word gospel meant to declare good news. God wants us to declare the good news of peace. He tells us our peace is Jesus (see Ephesians 2:14).
Vs. 16: take “the shield of faith”
so we can stop all the devil’s arrows/weapons from hurting us. The verse doesn’t say we can stop some of those arrows, no, it says all. I love that. Who is our faith in? It’s in Jesus and the work He accomplished when He died on the cross (see Galatians 2:20).
Vs. 17: “take the helmet of salvation.”
A helmet protects our brain, that vital organ that processes all the stimuli that enters our body via one of our five senses and keeps all our autonomic systems running. It is here where we think and reason and conclude. The helmet of salvation protects our mind and thoughts. Who is our salvation? Is man, or Satan? No. Jesus is our salvation (see Acts 4:11–12).
Vs. 17: take the “sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.”
Our weapon for warfare is to use the Word of God, just as Jesus did (see John 4:1–13, also see the chapter in this book titled “Know the Real Enemy” for a closer look at how Jesus used the Word). John 1, verses 1 and 14 both tell us Jesus is the Word.
In short, Jesus doesn’t have the answers; Jesus is the answer. (End of excerpt)
Jesus provided everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3), and we receive it by coming to know Him.
How can we trust God if we do not know Him?
Spend time reading the Bible. But each time before you begin to read, ask the Lord to reveal Himself as you read. He will. Seek to know God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. They will show you and teach you who They are.
Learn the fundamentals of faith with my Unshakable Faith Bible study (affiliate link).
This seven-week Bible study contains five to six lessons per week about your Kingdom identity, faith fundamentals, your authority and power, your weapons and armor, and more.
You’ll grow and strengthen your faith and learn to command the power and authority God has given you.