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. Ephesians 6:10-11 NIV
The Bible makes it clear that we have an enemy who wants to pull us away from God and destroy us! So how do we stand up against his attack? We must learn to employ everything God has provided to protect us. Just like a soldier at war depends on his armor to protect him, so we too can count on the things listed in this passage to keep us safe when the enemy is on the prowl.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist. Ephesians 6:14a NIV
Truth will protect us, but what is truth? When Jesus was praying for his followers, He made this request of the Father, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” (John 17:17) So the first place to start if we want to stand firm is with the word of God. Paul says to buckle truth around your waist. In other words, completely surround yourself with it! It will help to hold you together!
With the breastplate of righteousness in place Ephesians 6:14b NIV
Truth helps us understand the difference between right and wrong. But as James tells us, it’s not enough just to hear the word, if we want it’s protection, we must do what it says. (James 1:22) Doing the right thing is like a breastplate, it protects us, especially our hearts, from being vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks.
With your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace Ephesians 6:15 NIV
Standing firm involves your feet, right? So how do you avoid having your feet knocked out from under you? Make sure you’re standing on solid ground! Let God’s word be the catalyst for your firm footing, and walk with God by your side every step of the journey!
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Ephesians 6:16 NIV
Be absolutely sure that your faith…what you believe….in based in truth. Satan is called the father of lies for a reason. The flaming arrows he throws at you will be full of lies. If you are under attack and struggling to stand firm, take some time to identify the lies Satan is telling you. Write them out even, then ask God to show you the counter truth for every one of his lies! Write out the truth as well. Keep a running list of the lies and the truth. Review it as often as you need to so you won’t forget. Don’t let his lies, his arrows, knock your feet out from under you!
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17 NIV
Protect your mind with the word of God. Read it, think about it, journal it, share it, memorize it. Keep it close to your side to protect you. It is your offensive weapon against the attacks that come against you!
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. Ephesians 6:19-20 NIV
Pray, pray, pray and pray some more! God loves it when you set everything else aside and just spend time in prayer. He loves to listen and He loves to speak with you! The more time you spend conversing with Him, the stronger your stand against the enemy will be!