body armor

The enemy is breathing down our necks.

He's in the passenger seat when someone cuts you off, leading you to rattle off a slew of curse words.

He's in the midst of two friends exchanging gossip.

He's in bed with the person who decides sleeping in and having free time are more valuable than getting to church over the weekend.

He's beside the person looking at seductive content on the computer screen.

He's on the arm of the person caught up in an emotional affair.

He's even nearby when you choose to reach for the remote instead of your bible...again.

We, privy to this knowledge or not, are in the midst of constant battle.

We are being attacked from all sides.

He has studied us.  He knows our weaknesses.  He has mapped out our strategies.  He has a rock solid game plan to defeat us.

But 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.  And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." (emphasis mine)  God is our commander-in-chief, and his methods for fighting the enemy are clearly laid out in his word.  Paul wrote in his letter to the people of Ephesis on this very topic:

"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.  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 6:11-17 (emphasis mine)

We find a wealth of resources in Paul's letter about how the Lord equips us to fight the enemy.  There are seven pieces of armor that the Lord says are indispensable to us.

We must wear:

1. A belt of truth - to fight against Satan's lies and deceptions.
2. A breastplate of righteousness - to live in holiness and to give us a way out from the temptations we face.
3. Feet fitted with readiness - readiness to stand up for the gospel and to stand on guard to defend the way we live.

"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect..." - 1 Peter 3:15

4. Readiness that comes from the gospel of peace - we will not be overwhelmed with fear or anxious thoughts.

5. A shield of faith - trusting that the Lord will provide; that you will be delivered from the hands of the enemy.
6. A helmet of salvation - Jesus has already won the war; we already have the victory in Christ and evil will not prevail.  It's a reminder that we have taken off our old self and put on the new.  We're not who we were yesterday and we will not be so easily consumed.
7. The sword of the spirit, the word of God - This is a knife in the heart of the enemy.  With immersion in scripture, we gain understanding, wisdom, and discernment.  We ultimately empower ourselves to fight on the front lines, the Lord beside us, with invigorating strength and confidence.

So when the enemy invades your camp, prepare yourself.

Put on the full armor of God - truth, righteousness, readiness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God.

Then, "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong." - 1 Corinthians 16:13.

The Lord will deliver the enemy into your hands, and you will have the victory.