When facing a challenge, how often do we try to be strong in our own power? We try to make it work with our abilities and pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, often to the detriment of ourselves or those around us. The good news is that we are called to be strong not through our strength, but through God’s.
The threat is that we have a real enemy that wants nothing more than to kill our destinies, destroy our lives, and steal our peace and joy (John 10:10).
No, the devil is not hiding behind every bush, flat tire, or unfortunate event, but we cannot ignore the reality of the spiritual world around us. There is a real enemy who “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8), but the power of our God and the weapons He has given us will always lead us to victory.
This week, as we seek God corporately and individually, we should be cognizant of the weapons of warfare God has made available to us that we might use each one accordingly:
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Our daily source of strength and primary way we will hear God’s voice
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Our praise that shifts our perspective and pushes back the darkness
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Our petitions and conversations with our loving Father
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13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
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Take a moment this morning to put on the full armor of God. Pray the passage out loud as you confess what God’s Word says about putting on each element mentioned. If you’re not used to praying out loud, it is normal to feel uncomfortable. There is power that comes from confessing God’s Word!
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37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:37-39 NIV
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