Scriptures
Isaiah 64:6; Matthew 6:33; John 8:44; 17:17; Romans 5:1; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 10:5; Ephesians 6:11-17; Hebrews 4:12; 10:38; 1 Peter 5:8

Verse
Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Eph. 6:11

Thought
Many followers of Jesus have forgotten that the Christian life is not a playground but a battlefield. And as a result, they are ill equipped for battle. In Ephesians 6:11, Paul told us who the enemy was for the first century Christians. He’s the same enemy for 21st century Christians. Satan’s greatest triumph may be in causing people not to take him seriously. If people don’t believe you exist, they won’t try to resist or stop you. That may be one cause of the church’s weakness today. We fail to take Satan seriously and as a result, we are ignorant of his strategy and his power. Most of our failures can be traced to a foolish self confidence that overestimates our own abilities and underestimates the power of our spiritual enemies. Christ followers are in a spiritual battle but God has made provision to equip us for the fight. In the battle, Satan doesn’t have any rules and he doesn’t fight fair. That should not discourage us because our leader, almighty God, has provided spiritual equipment for us. In Paul’s day, Roman soldiers were stationed all around the known world. Seeing those soldiers walking the streets of Ephesus would have been a very familiar sight to the Christians living in that city. The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to use the equipment of a Roman soldier as an analogy of the Christian soldier’s equipment. That equipment makes up the full armor of God which is: Belt of truth, Breastplate of Righteousness, Shoes of the Gospel of Peace, Shield of Faith, Helmet of Salvation and Sword of the Spirit.

Questions
When was the last time you thought about being in a spiritual battle? What’s the greatest danger of failing to take the devil seriously? Do you feel that you overestimate your own spiritual abilities? Why are more Christians interested in the playground and not the battlefield? Which of the spiritual weapons in God’s armor would you least like to live without? Can you name the spiritual weapons that make up the armor of God? Do you ever wish you could just make a truce with the devil? Does the idea of spiritual warfare scare you? If so, why? How sharp is your Sword of the Spirit? When was the last time you experienced a flaming arrow of the devil? How can you help your children learn to equip themselves for the spiritual battles they will face? When does you thought life need a readjustment of the Helmet of Salvation?

Response
Ask God to help make you more aware of the spiritual equipment He has made for your protection in the battle you face every day with the enemy of your soul, the devil. Memorize the names of the six pieces of armor and make a commitment to put on each of them in order to be fully equipped today and in the days ahead. Ask for a greater sense of dependence on God’s provision and less on your own.

Prayer
Dear Lord God almighty, all powerful, and full of grace and mercy. I humbly ask that you give me insight and understanding into the spiritual battles that I am facing. I know the devil is a formidable foe but I am so grateful that you have provided the armor of God which will make possible my victory in the fight. I trust you and lean all of my being on your power to save me heavenly Father. In your name I pray, Amen.