“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4).

Several of these devotions have focused on spiritual warfare. We know that God fights for us, that He protects us. Last week, the devotion described how sometimes God provokes the enemy to destroy itself through confusion. We continue this theme this week by focusing on how Jesus promises to equip us for battle. There is a very important underlying assumption in this opening verse. The assumption is about who we regard as our enemy. Sometimes we overlook the real enemy by focusing on the people around us that we think have wronged us in some way. It is these people that Jesus tells us to love. In this case, our divine power comes from love.

Peter points out our actual enemy. He warns: “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). This describes a powerful and evil force, one that would require special weapons for defense. And in fact, Paul writes in Chapter 6 of his letter to the Ephesians exactly how we are to be equipped against this type of enemy. He describes it as putting 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.” 

1. “Stand firm, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist” – When we recall that Jesus called Satan the “father of lies” and how God considers deception to be an abomination, we realize how a zealous pursuit of truth will make us strong in the Lord. Jesus is the Truth, so when we trust Jesus, we are secure in our defense.
2. “…with the breastplate of righteousness in place” – The breastplate is designed to protect our hearts. What is righteousness? “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Therefore, we have the protection of righteousness when we have accepted Christ as our Savior.
3. “…and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” – We must be ready to share in the message of salvation; that is, to go on the offense with the good news of the saving grace of Jesus.
4. “Take up the shield of faith” – Our faith in the power of Holy God will “extinguish the flaming arrows” that Satan sends our way.
5. “….and the helmet of salvation” – The helmet guards our head, that is, our minds, our way of thinking so that we can distinguish between truth and deception. God is the author of salvation. When we accept that only by the grace of God through Christ Jesus are we saved, then we know the Truth, and the Truth will set us free.
6. “…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” – In other words, study and meditate on the Word of God so that it is ever on your mind and on your tongue, so that you can call on the Holy Spirit to tell you what to say and what to do. Follow Christ’s example: when He was tempted by Satan in the wilderness He quoted Scripture, to which Satan had no defense.
7. “And pray in the spirit on all occasions” – This means that we pray with the mind of Christ, we seek His will and desire to align our heart with His.

This sounds complicated, but it really boils down to the simple (not necessarily easy) message of grace. ^“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9). And when we accept this marvelous gift, Jesus also promises “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.”

Satan has no power over Jesus! And when we receive the gift of salvation, we are protected by Jesus, our mighty King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Take comfort in that wonderful fact.

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2: 9-11).

In Christ,

Judy