If you haven’t noticed, things are pretty crazy up in our world right now. The pandemic, political unrest/division, hurricanes, school shootings, mental health crisis, and terrorism to name a few of the things that are going on. It’s important to remember that this world is truly a battlefield and we face a spiritual war with an enemy who wants to steal, kill, and destroy. As the Church Lady from an old SNL skit would say, “Could it be…SATAN?”
I’ve always had a difficult time understanding who Satan is and how he works in our lives. I can’t help but picture a red man with horns and a pitchfork as he is often depicted. I know for sure that he is often trying to get in my mind and up in my “bizness”. So, I decided to do a little more research on who our enemy is and how he impacts us.
Here are some descriptors of Satan:
- He is the Father of lies (John 8:44)
- He leads the whole world astray (Revelation 12:9)
- He is a thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10)
- He prowls around like a roaring lion seeking who he can devour (1 Peter 5:8)
- He disguises himself as an angel of light, attempting to make sin look good and evil enticing (2 Corinthians 11:14)
- He is a tempter who lures with sex, money, power, greed, and lust (Matthew 4:3)
- He is crafty and manipulative (Genesis 3:1-5)
- He will try everything possible to throw roadblocks in our path and to stop us from being fruitful (Matthew 16:23, 1 Thessalonians 2:18)
He will attack us:
- In our weakest and most vulnerable moments.
- When we don’t expect it and let our guard down.
- When we think we can handle things and have it all under control.
- When we’re making a difference for God’s purposes.
How can we protect ourselves? We need to put on the full armor of God! The armor of God doesn’t sound particularly fashionable or comfortable. But can’t be much worse than Spanx and pantyhose. And it’s much more beneficial! And yes, we have a picture of Zena, the warrior princess in the post, but I had a little trouble finding an appropriate image – and that’s kind of how I picture myself in the armor of God:) Let’s learn more about it.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 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 6:10-18
As it says above there are some components of the armor of God. There are different interpretations but here’s what I got from studying the topic.
- The belt of truth refers to the truths of Scripture as opposed to the lies of Satan.
- The breastplate of righteousness covers the heart and shields it and the other vital organs.
- The shoes of the gospel keep our feet anchored and standing firm when Satan tries to mess up our footing.
- The shield of faith protects us from attacks of the evil one.
- The helmet of salvation is the knowledge that as believers we have been rescued from our own wickedness through our salvation, given to us through our faith in Jesus.
- The sword of the spirit is the Word of God and is the greatest spiritual weapon.
We are spiritual warriors! With God’s help, we’ve got this!
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:7
REFLECT
What will you do to protect yourself against the enemy?
