Ephesians 6:12, 14-18 (New International Version)
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.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
“…principalities and powers…”
Flesh and blood is easy. If I work out daily, take my vitamins, get enough rest, eat all the right foods…anyone can fight-and probably win. A physical match is a fight of physical strength and even sometimes wit. You can trick an opponent with a quick move there or a jab there…move quickly, duck fast, bob and weave, bob and weave…
But those boxing gloves won’t do you much good in this Christian walk
Those “rulers”, “authorities” and “powers”, they want our minds. The fight we have to fight every day is one for the soul. The fight is against anything that would drive a wedge between us and God. A lie, giving in to a temptation, being disobedient to God, lashing out at someone…these actions start in the mind, with a thought. It’s that battle which we fight every day. As we think, so we are. Those things we consider for any length of time, those things that we allow to incubate become actions-sometimes sinful ones. Sometimes we don’t even have to think too long, they just happen. From the “smallest” lie to the most egregious sin…this is what we fight against. And for a Christian it is an everyday fight.
That armor? The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet at the ready to walk in peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the spirit, prayer are all the things we need to protect ourselves during this daily fight. Always tell the truth, always walk in peace, recognize God’s righteousness that we now have, have faith in God, read your Word daily, pray. These are the items in our arsenal! Be ready to fight the fight….because the truth is, whether we are ready to step into the ring or not, the fight is coming for us.
DING! DING! DING!
Here’s the beautiful ending. He has prepared us for each and every thing He has called us to, including this daily fight. He has given us everything we need to win each day. We just have to pick it up and put it on. Sometimes that is harder than we think. But we can. And each day we can live victoriously, knowing that we have fought another day and won. Can you imagine how strong we can be as Christians if we put on our armor every day and fought the “good fight”? God can pronounce us winners every single day.
In this corner…
