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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:13-17, NIV
The words she said shot through me like a bullet. I didn’t even know how to respond for a few moments. Just like a physical wound sometimes puts our bodies into shock and we don’t fully feel the pain at first, I was frozen in emotional numbness and shock, reeling from the blow. I could hear the sinister voice of self-doubt starting to creep into the edges of my mind, using this moment to try to gain ground again after I’d previously shot it down…
Spiritual warfare feels a bit like guerilla warfare, doesn’t it? Our enemy doesn’t announce himself before he pounces. Instead, he “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Therefore we must always “be alert and of sober mind” (1 Peter 5:8). Spiritual attacks can come from anywhere, anyone, and at any time. We must always be prepared.
The best way to do this? The Bible gives us clear instructions: be in the Word.
The Word is our armor and weapon: “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses” (2 Cor. 10:4).
Our armor is made of truth, righteousness, readiness, peace, faith, salvation, the spirit, and the Word. And these things destroy fortresses! God doesn’t promise us easy victories; some battles feel really hard-won. But He does promise us that in the end, we will still be standing (dented armor and all).
Maybe today will be an easy day for you; maybe it won’t. But as a soldier in God’s army, you walk into battle every day. Make sure you suit up properly.
Lord God, thank you for Your Word which You have given to us as the source of connection to You. Thank you for making the Word flesh in Jesus that we might have eternal life in Him. Thank you for the assurance and confidence we have that You are always with us and that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We pray that in the heat of spiritual battle, You would give us clear minds and hearts that have Your Word written on them, that we might not sin against You. Thank you, Father, for this protection and promise. We love you today and always. Amen.
Copyright Rhapsody Jordan-Parisi.
Rhapsody is a member and high school English teacher from North Carolina. She is passionate about helping overwhelmed teachers reclaim their time and peace of mind through support, encouragement, and intentional strategies. You can connect with her at tightropeteaching.com.
