It's been a great weekend. My extended family always comes to visit on holidays, and it was Mother's Day weekend, so I got to hang out with them all weekend. It was awesome, and I can't wait till the next holiday! But last night, after I got home and was alone for a few hours, I really did not feel great at all. I started thinking about all the ways that I don't amount to anything, and I felt very unimportant and unnecessary for anything.
Ephesians 6:12 says "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." Guys, Satan knows your weaknesses. And when he says you in a weak moment, he will pounce on it. He knows your insecurities and he knows just what he needs to do to make you feel like nothing. He has been doing it for thousands of years.
But we do have a defense! In Ephesians 6:10-17, the apostle Paul talks about the Armor of God, given to us to resist the attacks of these rulers, authorities, and spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places! He has equipped us with everything we need to defend ourselves. Today, I want to talk about a few pieces of armor that I have to help me fight the devil!
He gives us the Breastplate of Righteousness. Jesus suffering and death on the cross has paid the price for us. Through the perfect life that he lived, he took away all our sin. We are righteous in the eyes of God, and that righteousness protects us!
He gives us the Shield of Faith. Our faith protects us from any argument that may be brought against us. We have faith in the Lord and his Word that he has given us. The attacks of the devil can not penetrate our faith!
We have the Helmet of Salvation. Jesus paid the price. We have salvation through Him. The devil will try to get in your head, and while you will have struggle in this life, the devil will not win! Our salvation protects us from the mental attacks that Satan will launch against us.
And the weapon God gives us is the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. His Word gives us everything we need! Jesus showed us this in Matthew 4:1-11. In these verses, he is in the desert being tempted by the devil. But no word the Devil says can sway Jesus, for he has this Sword! Jesus has verses from Scripture that disprove everything Jesus says (verses 4, 7, and 10). Nothing can stand against the power of God's Word.
Even though I may struggle now, I know Jesus has already won the war, and he has given me everything I need to overcome. I am Righteous. I will keep the Faith. I have Salvation. And I have the Spirit in me and in the Bible, the words He has spoken and given to us. With the help of all these things He has provided for me, I will overcome the devil's attacks! Nothing he can do can stop me, for I am a Child of God.
"But take heart! I have overcome the world." -John 16:33