Conquering Evil
Evil times are times when the worst of mankind surfaces. It is also a time when the Principality War is most visible. My last two posts shared thoughts about the present evil time, and how faith is our anchor. Today we’ll focus more in-depth on conquering evil by doing good. We are Gods army; we are the ‘ Resistance.’ It is our 
responsibility to resist the enemy in the time of evil. (Eph 6:13)
The word ‘conquer’ means, to overcome by force. In our case, overcoming by physical force is not possible. The Principality War is between God and Satan. The war exists in the second heaven and is played out on earth. If we are to be victorious and conquerors, we must use the weapons the Lord gave us that are described in Ephesians. Each part of the armor represents a component of our weaponry and is based in prayer. Paul tells the Ephesians to put on the armor and explains that they must be dressed to stand against the devil’s schemes. He also shared that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (See my post about the Heavenlies.)
Paul described the armor as Roman military uniforms. The importance of wearing the armor is still applicable today. The war is raging, and we need to dress in the appropriate attire to protect ourselves, stand, and fight in God’s army.
“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.”
There are six elements that compose our armor. Each element has its attribute though they must be worn together. Failure to wear each piece leaves us exposed to the wiles of Satan and the onslaught of his demons.
| Parts of the Armor | Definition of Attributes |
| Breastplate | The breastplate represents Christ’s Righteousness/Purity. It protects us from Satan’s accusations and charges. The enemy attacks through sin, and the temptation of the flesh. The breastplate protects our heart, through which spring the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23; Romans 3:10; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:8-9; Philippians 3:9) |
| Belt | The belt is the Gospel of Peace. The belt holds everything together. It is our commitment to the truth. It refers to the truths of the Scripture, as opposed to the lies of Satan. It is the foundation of our integrity and honesty. If we don’t have integrity, we will lose the battle. (John 8:44; John 8:32) |
| Shoes/Sandals | Sandals are the believer’s tranquility/solid footing of peace. Satan tries to place obstacles in our path. Jesus provides strength and discipline to our walk. (1 John 2:6; John 10:27) |
| Shield | The shield is our Faith/Certainty in God’s Word/Truth. The shield combats doubt, thrown as fiery darts. Faith is a gift from God that dwells in us. (Ephesians 6:16; 2 Timothy 3:12; Romans12:3; Galatians 2:20; 2 Timothy 4:7) Use the shield of faith to turn aside everything Satan and his demons hurl at you. |
| Helmet | The helmet is our salvation. It is being saved which protects our thought and mind from attacks. When we are sure of our salvation, we will not be moved by Satan’s deception. Our salvation is knowing that our sins are forgiven and gives us peace when the accusations of unforgiveness are hurled. (1 John 1:9; 1 John 5:11, 12) |
| Sword | The sword is the Word of God we use when we are being tempted by Satan and his attacks. The sword is the only offensive weapon. The sword protects us and destroys the enemy and his temptations. (Hebrews 4:12; John 17:17; Psalm 119:105) |
Each morning when we take out our outfit for the day, we must also take out our armor. Paul commands us to:
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. Ephesians 6:14-17 NKJV
Prayer is the thread that stitches the armor together. So, while prayer is not part of the armor, it is the thread that holds it together.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18 NKJV
READ, Conquering Evil by Doing Good, Part 2, tomorrow
Re-Blog – https://wp.me/p98Coa-DL
Scripture – Bible.com/YouVerison,Images – YouVersion, Google Images
Resources/References – Armor of God-WHat It Is and How to Use It. Debbie McDaniel, Crosswalk.com; Armor of God. What Is It? Bibleinfo.com
Daily Inspiration - Lisa's Thoughts 
Hi Lisa,
But didn’t Jesus dying on the cross overcome all this?
I do understand what you are saying and what the bible says and I mean no disrespect at all, but I prefer to put my trust in Jesus, love our Father as he asked us to and to love our neighbours as I love myself.
I used to read lots on spiritual warfare and pray etc, but my relationship with God has changed to one of allowing Him to fight for me rather than I fight myself. I’d rather focus on the good and the love in our world than the evil and hate.
I am chronically ill with ME and my condition is worsening day by day it seems. I am unsure whether the ‘devil’ is playing a part in it or not, but I refuse to look at him or give him my attention. He isn’t stronger than God, he can not defeat God because that war has alreay been won. And that knowledge gives me peace.
I hold my Fathers hand every day because there is no other option and even if there were, I wouldn’t take it.
Yes, there is a lot of evil around in our world, but I believe in the most respectful and humble way that the best way to fight, is to use our weapon of love. And I’m pretty sure that the enemy hates that more than anything.
Much love,
Fiona. x
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Hi Fiona,
First, thank you for your thoughts. I understand what you are saying, we must unconditionally love our neighbors. Yes, Christ died on the cross for our sins. I don’t believe we are focusing on evil and hate. Ephesians best expresses the battle that rages between good and evil and how we must prepare ourselves every day to ensure that we are protected. I personally do not begin my day with a focus on what can go wrong, but on God and working to become more Christ-like on a daily basis, choosing to think before I act and make sure I am using Christ’s virtues in what I do (Galatians 5:22-25). However, as I begin my day, I put on the Armor of God as Paul shared in Ephesians to protect my spiritual being, which also protects my physical being. We are not exempt from health issues, emotional concerns, physical maladies, or economic attacks. I believe our job is to rest in our Lord’s arms, pray, and do His work on earth. Love conquers all. Love will carry us through times of trials and tribulations, but just as we dress for the weather, we must also acknowledge that evil exists and prepare for his attacks. I do not believe preparation empowers the devil, conversely, we are acknowledging his existence. Acknowledging we are a child of God, and preparing ourselves from attacks.
There was a time in my life when I was a member of the Science of Mind Church, and we were taught that Satan did not exist, it was just an energy that we could control or overcome. However, that was not a comforting feeling for me because the Bible references him and his actions throughout the text. We live in a principality war, and it will come to an end as it states in the Book of Revelations. Adam and Eve were attacked by Satan. Satan attempted to entice Jesus. And, if he tempted Jesus, he can do much more to us.
I believe in God’s unconditional love and His will for us to love unconditionally. I believe His lessons about protecting ourselves from evil is just as important. We all have much to learn from the Word. It is our handbook and all truth. I also believe that the Word speaks to us through the Holy Spirit and our paths differ to meet our circumstances and our path to salvation. I enjoy this conversation and wish you well in your battle with ME. I will continue to pray for your strength.
Yours In Christ,
Lisa
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