It's You Again God

78. The Full Armour of God

It's You again God,

Thank You that You have the encouragement to give me in all situations and when I feel weak I know that the place to go is always to You! I know that I find my greatest strength in You! You bless me so much! Sometimes I really notice the enemy coming to make me anxious and it's at this time that I know I must check to make sure I am  armed for battle! I am always blessed as I read the conclusion to this letter from Paul to the Ephesians:

"In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might. Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places. Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious]. So stand firm and hold your ground, HAVING TIGHTENED THE WIDE BAND OF TRUTH (personal integrity, moral courage) AROUND YOUR WAIST and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (an upright heart), and having strapped on YOUR FEET THE GOSPEL OF PEACE IN PREPARATION [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news]. Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. With all prayer and petition pray [with specific requests] at all times [on every occasion and in every season] in the Spirit, and with this in view, stay alert with all perseverance and petition [interceding in prayer] for all God's people."
‭‭EPHESIANS‬ ‭6:10-18‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Today I put all of these parts of my armour on and look forward to the blessings of drawing on Your strength as I stand firm against the enemy! I declare that I will be able to stand firm against every one of his schemes! Help me to always run to the truth in Your Word instead of believing the lies of the enemy who wants to bring me down.

I love how the Message version puts these verses:

"Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out."
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:13-18‬ ‭MSG‬‬

In Jesus' Name,
Ann.