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Ephesians 6:11 tells us to put on the whole armor of God so that ye may be able to withstand the wiles of the devil. Verse 12 goes on to say that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Most of what we war against is presented first to our mind or our thoughts. Something negative that we see or hear, from whatever source, triggers our emotions and we, in turn, respond based on our internal instincts.
Paul writes a letter to the Ephesians explaining to them that the enemy which they may face may not always be the common ones that we can see, but those that we cannot. He tells us how we should be aware of an enemy of our soul, who seeks to destroy our character with tricky strategies that appeal to our senses, such as temptation and lust.
He reminds us to always operate in truth and righteousness when we are in situations where we find ourselves constantly being challenged. As believers, we ought to respond with charity and peace. If not, our great testimonies of faith before others amount up to sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal (1 Corinthians 13:9). Just as we must practice good hygiene on a daily basis as soon as we wake up, we must also attend daily to our spiritual maintenance. Genesis 2:7 reveals that God built us with both a body and spirit, therefore we must not neglect basic daily necessities that help to keep our spirit healthy.
What are some qualities that Paul deems essential and necessary to the survival of our whole being? For one, girding our loins with truth and having a breastplate of righteousness will help us protect our character and integrity. If our feet are shod with the gospel of peace and we take the shield of faith with us every day, we can rest on the word of God, which is the sword of the spirit. A helmet of salvation protects our mind from the enemy making it his working place. Lastly, prayer with supplication in the spirit helps us to intercede on the behalf of other saints who in turn will also be praying for us.
Prayer: Father, when it is time for us to face life’s everyday struggles, remind us of your word which shows us how to be prepared to face adversary. If we are not prepared then teach us how to be on a daily basis. Let us be make our spiritual well being just as much of a priority as our physical well-being because we know it is not your will that any man or woman should perish. In Jesus name. It is so!