Devotional

Ephesians 6:10-17 (NIV) ...Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 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. Therefore put on the full armour 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round 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.


In previous blogs, I discussed betrayal and forgiveness, as well as boundaries and trust. I also mentioned our need for the armour (armor) of God. It is clear from the scripture above that spiritual warfare is very real. That's why we are instructed to put on the armor. We need to stand against the devil's schemes; the powers of this dark world; the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. We can rest assured the day of evil has definitely come and has been here since day one in the Garden.


Let's look at one piece of armor at a time. Why do you believe the belt of truth is to be buckled around your waist? Do you ever use the term "gut feeling"? Is it possible that our gut feelings are sometimes wrong? Absolutely, if we are discerning in and of our own wisdom and conviction. We should be convicted by the Holy Spirit about what is true and trustworthy. 


Our gut feelings need to be based in spiritual discernment as directed by the Lord God Almighty. We need to study God's truth daily. That means our truth is to be based on studying and knowing the written Word of God. Allowing Him to guide us daily while praying and meditating on His Word is how we are meant to walk His truth in each situation and relationship we encounter.