HOW TO BE COMBAT READY

Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. Ephesians 6:11 (NLT)

There is a battle for our minds every day, yet many believers don’t even realize they’re at war. As a result, the enemy’s attacks catch them unprepared and unprotected.

Unarmed soldiers who head into battle are easily wiped out. That’s why militaries equip themselves with combat equipment and weapons. And if they head to war, they don’t bring knives to a gunfight. They fight fire with fire. We need to operate the same way—because we’re engaged in spiritual warfare, we need to defend ourselves with spiritual armour.

In Ephesians 6:13–17, Paul details the powerful armour God has provided to help us win the daily battle for our minds: the belt of truth, body armour of His righteousness, the helmet of salvation, footwear ready to spread the Good News, the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, which is His Word.

Each piece shields our thought lives against the enemy’s attempts to get in and wreak havoc. Because we aren’t born with armour in place, we need to put it on intentionally for it to protect us.

How do we do that? By staying in God’s Word, we steadily arm ourselves. For example, let’s say you’re battling a thought that keeps telling you, “You’re beyond God’s redemption. Look at your awful past!” If you know you’re righteous in Christ, that thought won’t stand a chance. The armour of God’s righteousness will crush it because you protected your mind with wisdom from His Word in that area.

Stay engaged in God’s Word and you’ll be armed to fight fire with fire.