It’s important to learn the Word so your relationship becomes more vivid. God speaks to us in many ways, but I find it most comforting when He teaches me through the Word. Memorize a daily devotional scripture each day and watch it strengthen your faith and emotional stamina.
From Adam Clark, Studylight.com
Image – Roger Cole, Bible.com. YouVersion
God sacrificed His son for us. We owe Him. “As the Christian is thus purchased, ransomed, redeemed, he is bound to devote himself to God only, and to keep his commands, and to flee from a licentious life.”
“That this valuable consideration was the blood of Jesus, as an atoning sacrifice, an offering, a ransom, which “would accomplish the same great ends in maintaining the truth and honor of God, and the majesty of his law, as the eternal condemnation of the sinner would have done;” and which, therefore, may be called, figuratively, the price which was paid. For if the same ends of justice could be accomplished by his atonement which would have been by the death of the sinner himself, then it was consistent for God to pardon him.
Nothing else could or would have done this. There was no price which the sinner could pay, no atonement which he could make; and consequently, if Christ had not died, the sinner would have been the slave of sin, and the servant of the devil forever.
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
What do you see when you look at the image? The word anxiety seems to have center stage. Life often feels like this image, dark, anxious, and chaotic. That is how Satan wants us to feel. Gods word is fiighting to get through. The battle rages between Michael, Archangel, and Satan’s demons are fighting over the delivery of our blessings.
The second images’ message prevails – God cares for us. What we see in the natural is not the battle won, but the prevailing war. Our inner eyes (sight through our heavenly eyes) see the victory.
Be victorious today!
Claim victory over your life today!
God sends warrior angels to protect us!
Christ died on the Cross to give us the victory.
Victory is ours!There is an old hymn, Victory is Mine, by Dorothy Norwood
Victory is mine,
Victory is mine,
Victory today is mine.
I told Satan to get thee behind,
Victory today is mine.Joy is mine,
Joy is mine,
Joy today is mine
I told Satan to get thee behind,
I know that joy is mine.Happiness is mine,
Happiness is mine,
Happiness today is mine.
I told Satan to get thee behind,
Happiness today is mine.Victory today is mine.
I told Satan to get thee behind,
Victory today is mine.For my thoughts are not your thoughts,neither are your ways my ways.”Isaiah 55:8 NIVWhen the noise becomes so loud, anxiety raises its head, and the darkness becomes blinding in hurricane capacity, remember
GOD CARES FOR US. HE WILL NEVER LEAVE US OR FORSAKE US.CAST ALL OF YOUR ANXIETIES ON HIM.VICTORY IS OURS!Disclaimer – I used the first image to flush out this Post. I did not intend to offend its creator.
Re-Blog – https://wp.me/p98Coa-D1
Scripture Bible.com; Biblegateway.com, NIV
Images – Google Images
Song Lyrics – Victory Is Mine! Google.com
Thank you for visiting my Young Christian Warriors site and dailyinspiration-lisasthoughts.com.
PRAYER
Thank you, Lord, for giving me your law to follow throughout my life. I have hidden your Word in my heart to follow and avoid sin. Thank you for giving me the Holy Spirit to teach me your decrees. Please continue to give me focus so I can meditate on your precepts. Give me understanding so I can obey your laws. Open my eyes so I can see the wonderful things in your Word, and act on your commandments as the guiding principles of my life. Turn my heart to your statutes and help me keep my focus off my selfish ways. Help me to be more like Christ. Help me walk in your freedom and live in your truth. Let your compassion come to me and show me my salvation.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
God gave us the power and authority to pray for ourselves and others.
Jude 1:20 reads, build each other up in prayer. It is our responsibility as Christians to cover our friends and family in prayer every day. It is also our responsibility to stand with them in times of need. God created a family to support one another. The family can be blood relatives or extended members of your circle of friends.
God does not discriminate, nor should we. If He discriminated, the Gentiles would not have been adopted into the family, and we would not be given the opportunity to be part of the Christian Faith through adoption. 
How do we become strong? We build ourselves up internally with the Holy Spirit who dwells in us and makes us strong. Our strength then translates into how we perceive and react to the world. Our doctrine of faith is the foundation to build our faith, increase our knowledge, and improve our relationships with others in and out of the faith. Our internal knowledge unleashes how we build up one another.
The scripture continues and teaches us how to pray. It informs us to pray through the Holy Spirit. Praying gives the Holy Spirit the ability to guide our prayers to accomplish the fullness of their intent. The Holy Spirit directs our petitions. The only effective way to pray is in the Spirit. Some believe we must pray in tongues; others believe that it ended when they crucified Christ, ending the Old Testament dispensation. Regardless, for those who pray in tongues, praying in the Holy Spirit bypasses Satan’s listening ears. For those who do not, pray for the intervention of the Holy Spirit in praying to God, the Father. There is an expression that indicates our intent, ‘Prayers go up, and blessings come down.’
Our role of Christians is to abide by God’s Word. Jude 1:20 calls us to build each other up in faith, not to tear them down, demean them, or ostracize them in any way. We are to pray for them in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Re-Blog – https://wp.me/p98Coa-Br
Scripture – Biblegateway.com
Images – Bible.com, YouVersion; Google Images
Resources/References – Bible.com: Barnes Notes, Ellicott’s Commentary, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown’s Bible Commentary; BibleStudyTools.com: John Gills Exposition of the Bible
