LESSON: Armor of God

Are You Prepared?

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 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. 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. Ephesians 6:10-13 NIV

Did you know you are a soldier? You may have never served in the military or fought in a war, but you are a soldier involved in a spiritual battle. The world belongs to Satan. Don't believe me? Read the newspapers or turn on the television. Sometimes we have to examine our households or ourselves. Something may have "gotten a hold" of your family or you and the end result is constant confusion in the home. Satan loves it when things are going his way. Every time an individual acts out unjustly, Satan probably jumps for joy.

Before we became Christians, we were lost. We were like children who wandered too far away from home into unfamiliar streets. I remember actually feeling lost. I often thought, "What was my purpose?" or "Who am I?" I remember telling people, "Yeh, I believe in God or a Creator", but in my mind I was wondering, "Did I really?" Satan loves confusion. When you are confused, you are probably right where Satan wants you.

When a person accepts Jesus Christ as their personal Lord, Satan loses control ... one less confused victim. Unfortunately, he does not give up! Instead he attacks a Christian harder. In 1 Peter 1:14, it says "As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance." This is a warning telling us, Satan will try and often succeed in his "schemes" if we are not careful.

"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." Ephesians 6:12

Satan is the author of confusion, but God is the author of order. God has a plan to stop Satan so he can no longer cause confusion. If you have had the opportunity to read the entire bible it is incredible to see how God's plan prevails despite the devil's ploys.

In the epistle to the Ephesians, Paul provides Christians with a plan for spiritual battle. Think about it! No coach wins a game without a game plan. No business is successful without a business plan. Even in battle, a plan is needed to defeat the enemy. Like a soldier in the battle field, Christians must be prepared to fight. Are you prepared?

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