The Right Defense

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:10-18 ESV). Yesterday we began to look at the “Blitzkrieg” of the devil. Faith is the beginning of our defense. However, there are other things that we ought to do in order to turn away his attack. You may recall from history that the Poles had strength of numbers. There were over a million men in their army. Yet, when Hitler sent his troops in, it was as if they had little or no resistance at all. Part of the reason for that was in the fact that they tried to fight against tanks, bombers, and fighter aircraft with the horse calvary! They simply did not have the right equipment. Sometimes we try to fight the devil with the wrong equipment as well! In today’s reading, Paul lists the pieces of equipment necessary for our withstanding the devil: First, we need the “belt of truth.” Yesterday I began this little study with a reference to physical challenges we face and the resulting difficulties they bring into our life. With my own ongoing illness, I have noticed that the “belt of truth” that I need most is when I talk to myself. As much as I would like to believe that there will come a day when I do not need to take my medication and regularly see my doctor, that’s not the truth. Like Paul’s “thorn in the flesh,” this physical illness is a reminder of how much I need God. It is like a belt of truth to secure everything else. Second, we need righteousness and peace. There is a sense of victory that comes from knowing and doing what is fundamentally right. I have been told that if I had enough faith I could be healed. While I absolutely believe that God can and does physically heal today, I also know that there are times He chooses to strengthen us through the physical challenges we face. Faith in His power and trust in His will bring the peace necessary to defeat the devil. Third, we need faith and salvation. These need little expansion. We would be no more than mounted calvary facing armored tanks without faith and salvation. If you have let some of your equipment sit, pick it up now and put it on. You will find that facing the blitzkrieg of Satan is far easier when you do!