"Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age..."
Ephesians 6:11 & 12
I must admit that I have a hard time remembering this admonition. When people are in my face or I have been thwarted on every side when Im just trying to do good, I want to jump in and fight with someone.
But our fight is not with people, it's with the influences, powers and darkness of this crazy world we live in. Why do I continually take on battles that are not fought in the natural? And why do I not consistently put on the armor of God? Pride? Laziness?
We are distracted from out post by all the little battles in our lives when we should be standing guard where God has positioned us. What more can we ask? He gives us a commission, armor, ammunition and a cause for which to fight.
Let us answer the call to fight the right battles in the right way. Anything else is a waste of time and effort.
I think I will try to make it a morning habit, just like brushing my teeth and eating breakfast, to get dressed in that armor, deliberately taking on one piece at a time. How in the world do we not take this more seriously? As I'm thinking about it, it seems we must be sleepwalking sometimes to ever conceive that we could go without it.
ReplyDeleteLovely, but you said,
ReplyDeleteBut our fight is not with people, it's with the influences, powers and darkness of this crazy world we live in.
It's the people who influence, who are the powers of darkness. Take abortion, for instance, the president spent our money promoting abortion overseas, not to mention the millions of abortions he encourages here in this country. That's just one example of evil at it's purest.
But I understand where you're coming from. My battle is within myself. I'm constantly chastising myself for my thoughts and words. God gave us a huge task when he gave us free well. And Rhonda's got a good thought, take on one thing at a time, like putting on a suit of armor. If only it were possible. Who ever gets just one problem to work on.
Sorry, I didn't mean to get carried away. It's just there's so much bad going on in this country and in the world. It's sometimes hard to remember to keep the faith.
Thanks for the post, I enjoyed it.
Rhonda, sleepwalking is an easy habit to adopt. We dont really mean to, but we are constantly told by the world that everything is ok. Thanks for the comment.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth,
I can appreciate your comment. I personally believe that God is the all-powerful influence in the world and in people's hearts and minds. But He wont violate our free will. It's up to the individual to decide which spirit they will follow. We can follow the darkness, and it is the spirit of darkness that is the power, not the human mind. Just my interpretation of the word. I have determined to speak forth the light and life of the gospel in an attempt to dispel as much darkness as I can. With God all things are possible. "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world."
Blesssings.
Hi Jan,
ReplyDelete"Put on the whole armor of God", Thanks for posting something I need to be reminded of daily. Also, I wish you a beautiful Thanksgiving.
God bless,
Michele Katherine
Oh my goodness! Our Sunday School lesson yesterday was about us putting on the armor of God. Let's always be prepared. Have a great day.
ReplyDeleteI need to remind myself that people are not my enemies; the devil is behind all the jerkiness they exhibit! Thanks for reminding me, dear.
ReplyDeleteStopping by to say I posted "amazing awaits" on my blog today. I'm so glad that Barbara forwarded you this word pic to you. We share pics all the time on text and on email.
ReplyDelete:)
Merry Christmas!