Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-” Ephesians 6:14-1
The last part of the armor is taking up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. God’s word is powerful and has many benefits to us. One of those benefits is that it allows us to fight offensively against the strongholds that are erected in our lives and those around us.
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
In times of pressure or attack, many people cave into their feelings, and, as a result, they retreat in sadness, anger, or rejection. However, the word of God allows us to wield it with power when there is opposition against our identity and our destiny in God. Jesus was tempted by the enemy to question His identity and to jeopardize His destiny. In the moment of temptation, He did not use His opinion to overcome the enemy, nor did He have a discussion with him. Instead, He used the word of God to overcome and to fight the temptations of the enemy.
The word of God allows us to measure and examine the truth versus lies. It also exposes the thoughts and intents of the heart. The beauty of the sword of the spirit is that it is two-edged. It does a surgery on us as it also exposes what is coming at us. It will discern our hearts and the lies that we have believed as well as the lies that others believe about us.
After we put on the whole armor of God, we pray, we watch, and we persevere. This could potentially be the hardest part because the attacks of the enemy can be long and unrelenting. At times, we may wonder if we are doing something wrong because there is no relief from the pressure. However, if we know we are doing all that we know how to do, then we need to stand and wait for God’s deliverance. The prayer, watching, and persevering press us into deeper places with God where we can’t do anything else except to wait on God to show Himself strong on our behalf.
Make it a habit of putting on the armor of God and allowing God to protect your spirit, mind, emotion, will, and body. Include Him in your battles today and see the difference in your life as you face various temptations.
