An email I got from my best friend, Ana. Definitely thought-provoking and encouraging!

Yesterday during my devotional I was reading about our “battle” and the equipment God gave us in order to fight effectively and successfully; the  whole armor of God.  And as I started to break down the verses, I felt so inspired to share about our battle and how God, our Commander-in-Chief, has graciously and fashionably adorned us to fight.  So, I decided to share.  By sharing, I am also enforcing the Scripture in my head.  Hope you are blessed as I was.

Ephesians 6:10-20

Part 1: The Battle – “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual  hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (v. 12)

The enemy has a strategy; evil spirits and powers placed in different stations on this earth and around it.  Some think that this verse can explain the 4 different levels of hierarchy in the enemy’s strategy for this battle of good and evil.  Principalities being the highest under the enemy himself. It is them against us; the devil and the fallen, against The Lord and the heavenly hosts. Their weapons are to blind us, confuse us, mislead and lie to us, weaken us, to make us lose our stand, our ground, to shake us, ultimately take our eyes and faith off of God and onto them;  causing us to stumble, become taken, and die in this battle. They are well-organized in order to cause the most confusion and chaos.BUT, God has given us what we need in order to fight back successfully!!!  The full Armour of God!

Part 2: The Weapons – “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you might be able withstand on the evil day and having done all to stand.” (v.13)

1. The Belt of Truth: Gird (To encircle with a belt or band. b. To fasten or secure (clothing, for example) with a belt …) your waist with truth.   A belt helps keep your pants up; but it is also an accessory, displaying the outfit.  Truth should be our accessory.  It is what keeps us covered.  It prevents gaps on the rest of our armor.  Displaying it separates us from the rest of the world. It shows who we are Children of God. Display truth like a nice expensive belt.
2. Breastplate of Righteousness:  The breastplate protects our bodies from trauma and death.  It covers our core and major organs. Righteousness protects us from being banged up by the enemy, preventing serious blows from to our most vulnerable parts.  A hard covering, protecting our faith, our major organ in the spiritual sense.  Saved by Grace through faith, our salvation!
3. Shod your feet with Preparation of the Gospel of Peace:  (Shod: past tense and a past participle of shoe.)  We are to over our feet, prepare to walk in peace and spread peace everywhere we go.  Let peace be the way we approach things. It is also another accessory for our armor.  A public display of the difference between evil and good, Christian and non-Christian; The Lord and Satan.
4. Shield of Faith: The shield protects us from all darts and weapons being thrown at us.  It absorbs the impact instead of absorbing it ourselves. Faith is similar in fashion. Faith in the Lord and His Son, Jesus Christ, makes the darts of the enemy less harmful. In a sense they bounce off, causing us to not be afflicted or to recover more quickly. It makes us impenetrable,  difficult to afflict.  It can also be a weapon, to bash the enemy in the face with!
5. Helmet of Salvation: Helmets are head-gear that keep us safe in potentially hazardous environments. Helmets keep us safe from trauma and death.  They protect our head and our brain, where our thoughts and the control of bodily functions occur. It is also another accessory.  Beautifully displaying the brilliance of God’s salvation.  A sign to others that I am ready for battle!
6. Sword of the Spirit:  The weapon of choice –  The Holy Spirit!  Through the spirit, God’s work can be transferred to our physical.  It is sharp and dangerous to the enemy; cutting into his plans and schemes.  If used correctly, after much practice and preparation (prayer), it can be a definite weapon of destruction of evil.
7. Prayer: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” (v.18) The combination of prayer and the Sword of the Spirit are critical techniques in our fight. The only way to improve on our technique is to practice it over and over and over.  Let us pray without ceasing; praying for each other, praying for godly things, and for God’s will in our lives. May we remain watchful of our surroundings, and diligent in praying for all of our fellow soldiers who are fighting the very same battle; the battle of our lives.

Hope you have been blessed by what God has revealed to me. Let us pick up armor and stand strong!