Verse of the day: Ephesians 6:11-12 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.
We saw from both the Apostle Peter and the Lord’s brother James that the best defense against our enemy (to make him flee) is to draw near to God and submit humbly under His mighty hand (1 Peter 5:6 & Jm 4:7-8). Ephesians 6:10 tells us to be strong in the Lord. So, it is no big secret that our ability to have victory over the devils’ attempts to derail us is to stay close to God and continue to develop an intimate relationship with Him. Too many of us go out into the battlefield of life without being prepared to handle possible attacks. It would be like a football player going out to play without wearing his shoulder pads and helmet. I imagine it would not be long before he would be sidelined with a serious injury; or a police officer who goes out to do his job but fails to put on his/her vest or other equipment that helps him/her defend themselves (or others) while carrying out his/her duties. As born again believers, we need to remember that the attacks against us do not necessarily come because of who we are personally, but because of Who we represent, and what we are called to do for Him (2 Cor 5:20; Matt 28:19-20). For this reason it is imperative that we put on the FULL armor of God, every day, so that we are not sidelined in our service and walk with the Lord. Part of the reason we fail to be victorious in our daily battles is that we forget who our enemy really is. How often have we lashed out at an unsaved person for something they did or said, or been at odds with, and refused to forgive, another brother/sister in Christ because of an offense against us? We treat them like they are the enemy, and fail to realize that the devils use those instances to first keep us from sharing Jesus with the unsaved (because now we are at odds with them and have ruined our testimony by our reaction and behavior toward them), and secondly, we have caused division within God’s family because we refuse to forgive and reconcile with our fellow Christian. The bottom line is that there is no valid excuse that we can truly give, based on God’s Word, to hold on to such attitudes and behaviors. Will it be easy to do? No, but not impossible. We have the Holy Spirit working in us, from whom we will find the strength to overcome such challenges. Each day, when we are confronted with situations that call for a response or reaction, we must stop and ask ourselves where this is coming from. Verse 12 clearly tells us that our struggle is not with people, it is in the spiritual realm. Our daily struggle is one that is invisible, and unknown to the majority of the population around us who does not know Jesus personally. However, for us, the born again believer who is diligent to study and obey God’s Word, it is no secret that our struggle is not with flesh and blood; and it is sad when we behave and respond like the world, knowing that our battle is really with devils. The Apostle Paul describes our true enemies as authorities, powers, world-rulers of darkness, and spirits of evil in the heavens; against a spiritual enemy we can only defend ourselves against using spiritual measures and weapons. For this cause we are to put on the spiritual armor that God has provided for us. Today, and every day going forward, we need to start being wise about how we respond to those around us, reminding ourselves that our true enemy is not the person we are sent out to lead to Christ (the unsaved person) or the person we are called to love and fellowship with (our brother/sister in Christ). It behooves us to prayerfully respond when we are offended or bothered by others, and realize that the person we see before us may not be the initiator of the offense; and regardless of where the offense originates, it does not remove our responsibility to respond in a way that truly honors God, and thwarts the enemies’ attempts to ruin our testimony and service to our Lord Jesus.
Without the Lord, we are helpless against the devil. He wants each person ever created to suffer eternally, as he will when God judges both man and the devils. However, God’s desire is that none would perish, but that all would be saved (2 Peter 3:9). However, in order to receive eternal life, we must call on Jesus, by faith, repenting and confessing our sins, and accepting His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23; 10:13). Would you call on Him today?
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