Prayer – Lord, help me to be strong in You and in Your mighty power.
A
final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of
God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies
of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but
against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers
in this dark
world,
and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece
of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil.
Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground,
putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For
shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully
prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the
fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword
of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:10-17 (Underlined for emphasis.)
Meditate.
Are you putting on your armor every day?
We
review this once more, as we are told to put on the armor of God so that we can
stand firm against evil in this world. That evil is all around us…even when we
cannot see it. I recently heard someone describe that cold is the absence of
heat, darkness is the absence of light, and evil is the absence of God. Very
good descriptions! Where there is no God recognized and acknowledged, evil
abounds. Just think how some of the cities of the United States…and even
throughout the world, have turned into scary places that you wouldn’t even want
to visit in the daytime. Too dangerous. Sinister people control the streets and
encourage vandalism, revolution, and treacherous acts of violence. We have
promises of God that He will protect us and this message to put on His armor is
a good place to start. Put on all the pieces: the helmet of salvation, the belt
of truth, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, and take up the sword of the
Spirit. Don’t leave home without them!
Here
are additional verses that should encourage you as you seek the Lord, stay away
from evil, and continue to pray unceasingly. Consider it a personal note from
God to you.
Always be joyful. Never stop
praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who
belong to Christ Jesus. Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at
prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away
from every kind of evil. Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way,
and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord
Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is
faithful. 1
Thessalonians 5:16-24
Stay away
from evil. That seems to be the key. Choose to be strong and in His mighty
power.
Verse
of Salvation ~ And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until
you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for
all to see. 1
Peter 1:5
© 2024 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
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