HOW TO STAND AGAINST CHALLENGES:
Ephesians 6:13-17 NKJV
[13] Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. [14] Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, [15] and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; [16] above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. [17] And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
It is essential for one to remain standing if one is to win life’s battles. The Bible teaches us in Ephesians 6 that the way to do this is to put on the whole armor of God. Having on this armor is visible through our attitudes and declarations during challenges.
Paul likens the pieces of the armor of God to the armor that a soldier in those days will wear to protect themselves in battles. Without this armor it is unlikely one can survive in battle. As soldiers of Christ the first piece of this armor we need to put on is TRUTH, not just knowledge of God’s word. The Three Hebrew boys knew the truth about the protection of God and demonstrated it through how they answered Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3:16-18).
When we value and live in righteousness, it becomes a breastplate that protects us from all attacks of the enemy as demonstrated by the life of Job (Job 1:1, 8-10). Righteous living pays! The next piece of armor is to put on our shoes of preparation of the gospel of peace. This is to be prepared in season and out of season, to proclaim and advance the kingdom of God through our words and the way we live. We must let our lights shine so that men see our good works and glorify God (Matthew 5:16).
The fourth piece of armor is to live by faith, firm belief and trust in God’s word. This will shield us from all the fiery darts of accusations, emotional and verbal attacks of the enemy. The shield of faith will keep our hearts and feelings protected. Then we must put on the helmet of salvation knowing that God has delivered us from our sins, sicknesses, and curses, and that He will deliver us from every other situation we find ourselves in. God delivered Daniel and the three Hebrew boys. He will deliver you and I too.
The final piece in this formidable armor of God is the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. Friends, if we want to win life’s battles, we must arm ourselves with some powerful truths to declare against the enemy. The Holy Spirit gets into action when divine truths are declared. Jesus Christ demonstrated this for us in the wilderness against Satan himself (Luke 4:3-13).
It is now your turn and my turn to put on the armor of God, take our stand on His word and victory He won for us and defeat our enemies