Todd Johnson
Family Pastor
Ephesians 6:10-18
“10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 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. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints”
I love these verses! They are so encouraging to me to think about God providing what I need to face the battles that come my way each day. I was in my mid-20’s when a friend of mine challenged me to start my mornings with reading these verses and mentally put on the armor of God. I did that consistently for several months and will say that it did help me prepare for each day. Now, I have not been good about doing it as often and I really should get back into that habit.
We face a variety of battles every day and it is difficult to deal with them on our own. That is the great thing about being a follower of Christ, He doesn’t intend for you to ever try and battle the enemy without Him by your side. He gives us these verses to encourage and equip you to handle whatever may come your way. Whether your battle for the day is trying to be patient with your kids or coworker or processing the news that you lost a loved one, God’s armor will suffice. He will never lead you through a storm without giving you what you need to persevere through it. Remember, He will carry you the entire time if you need Him to. Your challenge for today is to take a few minutes and read these verses again, close your eyes and see yourself getting dressed in God’s armor. You won’t regret it.