On The Battlefield
When you gave your life to Jesus Christ, you became God's friend. At the sametime, you inherited His enemy, and you took your place on a battlefield. You may
not think of yourself as a warrior, but that's just what you are. And the battle
is for the very hearts and minds of human beings.
In Ephesians 6 we read, "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able
to stand against the wiles of the devil" (v. 11).
The word "wiles" means
schemes, tricks, tactics or plots, and it's used of an animal that stalks its
prey and then suddenly pounces. In 1 Peter 5:8, Satan is portrayed as "a roaring
lion seeking whom he may devour." Don't underestimate him. He is a clever foe,
and he has studied human nature for thousands of years.
To fight him, you
need the right armament--spiritual armor for fighting the spiritual battle. Paul
uses the illustration of a Roman soldier in Ephesians 6:10-18. Here's what I
think these verses mean.
Having your waist girded with truth means we
should live truthful, authentic lives, without hypocrisy. The breastplate of
righteousness means right behavior, the practical, day-by-day adherence to the
precepts of God. The "preparation of the gospel of peace" means to always be
confident because you have peace with God, and always be ready to proclaim your
faith.
The shield of faith means your daily trust in God, which enables
you to stand against anything Satan has to offer. The helmet of salvation means
to have knowledge of the Bible, and to be confident because salvation is an
ongoing work.
The Word of God is your offensive weapon, as Jesus showed
in His temptation in Matthew 4. Studying the whole Word of God gives you an
arsenal of truths to use in a spiritual battle. Prayer is also an offensive
weapon. In the midst of the battle you are to talk to God, not the devil. Resist
the devil; don't carry on long conversations with him.
The day you gave
your life to God was the day that you got a whole new start. That day, Satan
lost. But he doesn't give up that easily. He would like nothing better than to
make you spiritually powerless, to steal your commitment, to make you less
fervent, and to make you ineffective for the Lord.
If you are a growing,
thriving Christian you will be a target for the enemy. Satan attacks you to hurt
the purpose and heart of God, and you need to know what his strategy is. He can
be blatant, but he can also be subtle. Either way, expect the fiery
darts!
But I have good news: "You are of God, little children, and have
overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world"
(1 John 4:4). And as Paul said in Romans 8:31, "If God is for us, who can be
against us?"
God is on our side! Remember that as you "suit up" and enter
the battle.
Scripture Of The Day: "But you belong to God, my dear
children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit
who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world." - 1
John 4:4 (NLT)
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