'Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 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. Therefore put on the full armour 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.'
Ephesians 6:10-13
So maybe you have heard of the armour of God - maybe you haven't. Over the final few days of this close look at Ephesians, I will go into more detail about what each weapon/piece of armour means and how to use it. But firstly, who is our struggle against? I'm sure you've seen movies or read about battles and wars, and good VS evil. It kinda sounds like some make-believe story, when your watching it on the TV. As Christians, however, we have to face our own battles. The whole point of the armour of God is to protect you, and to make sure that the devil cannot turn you away from God.
There's two types of battles that you may fight. The first is a spiritual battle between you and the Devil. If you weren't a Christian, then the Devil would manage to turn you away from God, for you have not asked the Lord for protection. But luckily, God will give us the armour that we need to avoid temptation and evil. And even better, when you have the armour of God, the Lord will always be right beside you. You do not need to fear, for he will never abandon you.
The other kind of battle is one between you and the rest of the world. There are people out there who will want to contradict what you believe in, and will want to turn you away from your heavenly Father. If you feel that people are trying to draw you away from Him, don't worry. Know that God is always true, and always with you. The people who try to make life difficult have never found God. They don't know how wonderful he is, how he loves them soooo much. If you feel like they are winning the battle, put on the armour of God. Be full of faith, and truth, and righteousness. Let the Holy Spirit guide you. Then, you can never go wrong.
Prayer
Dear Lord,
Thank you that you love me. Thank you that you will never abandon me. Thank you for the Armour of God, which will protect me from evil and temptation. Please help me not to fall for the Devil, but to remain faithful to you. Help me to always know that you are real, and true, and that you love me.
Amen