Remember and Stand!

This morning I am reminded of the famous "Armor of God" scripture from Paul's letter to the Ephesians 6:10-17 NIV:

[10] "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
[11] Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
[12] 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.
[13] 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.
[14] Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
[15] and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
[16] In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
[17] Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

I know there have been many reflections and sermons written about these verses.  However, I am just so aware of the truth of these verses.  Lately I have been battling and feeling a bit beat up by circumstances outside my control.  In that place I tend to feel sorry for myself, and take on a bit of a "woe is me" attitude.  One day while recounting to the Lord my worries, I felt like He said, "What are doing sitting there letting the enemy beat up on you? Your are my son, stand up and proclaim my truth over your life!"

I can tell you that instantly my perception of my situation changed and my mind and heart were buoyed up!  I realized that I had been sitting there allowing the enemy to beat me up in my mind and in my spirit.  I was listening to his accusations against the Lord, and His goodness, and finding that I was agreeing with some of the accusations.  What a terrible place to be!

The truth is that I need to learn to be strong in the Lord and in HIS mighty power.  I am not strong but He is! I need to put on His armor, and take my stand against the schemes of the enemy!  He comes to steal my joy, color my perception and sow division, fear and deception.  This is my real battle, and in God I have the right armor and His strength and authority!  My job is to stand my ground!  I am to hold that which He has won and paid for (me).

His Truth, His promises are to protect me, to guard my soul!  His righteousness is to guard my heart!  He gives me shoes that allow me to stand firmly in the Gospel of Peace!

As I wrote those words, I was reminded that for any combatant, whether in the boxing ring, on the football field, in the batters box, or on the battlefield, foot work is one the keys to victory.  It is our footwork that allows us to maintain our balance, that keeps us from falling, that helps us stay focused on our battle. The Gospel of Peace is what allows this, for God has promised the peace that passes understanding, available to us through the Holy Spirit!

Anyone that regularly fights, needs to know how to get into the zone - where they are not distracted, not caught off guard, or off balance, but totally focused and  aware.  This may not sound like peace, but I have heard its like everything else just is shut out, and their ability to focus is greatly enhanced, and time seems to slow down.  The movies always portray this by having everything get quiet and the object of focus becoming the only thing one sees.  It is usually in that place where greatness is remembered and strength and ability are unleashed.  That is what peace can bring us in this crazy busy world in which we live!  

Next, take up the shield of faith that allows us to block and extinguish the flaming arrows of the enemy.  He is trying to enflame us!  He is trying to cause us to be offended, to get angry, to be overcome with fear!  The shield of faith, the knowledge that God is in control, that He is the one whose shield and armor you are wearing will enable you to cast aside those fiery arrows.

I need the helmet of salvation to protect my thoughts, to remind me of who I am and the price that has been paid for me!  I need to protect my thinking, guarding it and keeping the enemy from having access to a strike a deadly blow.  Make no mistake the enemy tries to strike a deadly blow to our minds!

Finally, the Lord gives us the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God!  We see Jesus use this mighty weapon during His temptation in the wilderness (See Luke 4:1-12). Oh to be reminded of scripture in the midst of the battle, that we might proclaim the truth and remind the enemy that he is already defeated!

At the end of the day, I just need to remember who I am, and whose I am, and stand on that.  I need to remember that I have God's armor to wear, and it doesn't do me any good if I don't wear it!

Amen!