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Protect Yourself Against the Strategies and Tricks of the Devil
by Janice S Ramkissoon A reminder from Ephesians 6:10-18 1. 'Put on the sturdy belt of truth'; To speak of 'truth' we relate to fact or reality, accuracy, honesty, being sincere and loyal. Being truthful is therefore: habitually speaking the truth and so there is nothing false or deceitful in what you say or do. So watch what you say and do when you claim to say and do it in the name of Jesus. 2. 'Put on the body armour of God's righteousness'; Do not get involved in things that are not morally right; just; upright; virtuous; law abiding. You cannot profess Christ, yet you refuse to abide by the laws of the land in which you live. For example: a law abiding citizen pays his/her taxes. He/she cannot say, "I don't see the benefit so I won't pay it." That is the wrong attitude to have and the bible teaches against that mentality. One ought to show respect for one's leaders. 3. 'Put on the peace that comes from the good news so that you'll be fully prepared'; Peace relates to mental calmness; tranquillity; quietness. It is not of strife. Therefore, peace within, brings freedom from war which causes division among us. There is also freedom from civil disorder. Putting on the armour of peace frees us from disturbance. 4. 'Put on faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by satan'; Faith means to 'rely on' or 'trust in'. Being faithful is therefore: showing faith; remaining loyal; constant; consciencious; trustworthy. Being true believers. 5. 'Put on Salvation as your helmet'; Salvation is the saving of the soul; deliverance from sin (and its consequences) and admission to heaven brought about by Christ. Salve derives from the word Salvation and is a healing ointment for soars or wounds; thing that is soothing for wounded feelings or uneasy conscience. It smooth over or make good. It clearly tells us what Salvation brings so we can take all our cares to Christ and receive our healing; claiming our deliverance. 6. 'Take the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God'; Use of the Sword: In the bible we read that the swords are used in battle. In the gospel of John 18:10 we read of a disciple (Peter) drawing his sword 'with which he subsequently cuts off the ear of one of the arresting party.'* He was 'defending' Jesus. As it is in the natural, so it is in the spiritual. We need to use the Word of God (the Bible) in battle and not try to physically fight. Also, using the Word in battle does not mean to cast stones, with the Scriptures, at each other. Instead is gaining the knowledge and wisdom necessary to deal with the trials that will come our way; to understand what will not go out, except through prayer and fasting etc. The battle is not ours. It is the Lord's. 7. 'Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit'; This we must do for ourselves and for each other, every opportunity that presents itself. Make the time, if you find your schedule is becoming too busy. If we don't find time to talk to God we easily run out of fuel. We cannot afford to wait until we hit a hard spot to call on Jesus. We need to be in prayer: seeking His direction for our every move and giving Him thanks for all He does. This we must do, on a regular basis. It needs to be part of our daily lifestyle. Prayer changes things and submitting our will to God makes the journey much easier. Too often we fight unnecessary battles because we leave God out of the picture. 8. 'Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere'; I was blessed to have a praying 'grandma' and through that experience, I learned that most of the blessings I am receiving today and has received on my journey, aren't always through my own prayers but by prayers that others have sent up for me. It is important that we pray one for another, especially for all Christians everywhere so that they can be strengthened in doing the work that they are doing, reaching souls for Christ. The journey for Christ is never a smooth one and so we cannot afford to be selfish on the journey. I need you and you need me, so let us all pray for each other that we will stay focused and not stray from grace for there are too many lost souls out there who need to know about the love of God. Why put on all of God's armour? Put on all of God's armour so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the devil. Copyright 2008 Janice S Ramkissoon Notes: *(The New Illustrated Companion to the Bible, J. Porter)|Bible scriptures taken from the New Living Translation. The Oxford dictionary was used in highlighting the word meanings. Janice, a freelance writer, lives in the UK and enjoys spending time with her husband, Vince and their son, Javin. She uses her gift to encourage others towards a deeper relationship with God, through her inspirational pieces while her travel articles provide general advice for the holiday-maker. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |