“Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. ” Ephesians 6:11.
You can live in victory in spite of the attacks from the enemy against your vision. I know that it is easier said than done. You are dealing with a present attack that is coming at you full steam ahead. You are dealing with some serious issues that will not let you have peace. You don’t really want to hear another person tell you everything is going to be alright. You don’t want to hear that this too will soon pass. You want real assurance and a guarantee that you can really overcome the intense attacks against you.
If you are like me, you may have tried to use your own tactics and weapons to fight the enemy, but quickly discovered that his schemes and strategies were more deceptive than you first thought. You may have found that your strength was not enough to stand against his destructive weapons. You really thought you could handle him on your own.
The enemy loves to attack those who believe that they are not vulnerable or susceptible to his tricks and schemes. He loves to attack the arrogant, self-centered, know it all person. If you have fallen into this sinful attitude you need to humble yourself, submit yourself to God and follow His lead. When you take this initiative God will empower you with a winning battle plan.
To withstand every attack from the enemy you must depend on God’s strength and put on every piece of His armor. God is not going to put the armor on for you nor is He going to make you use it. The choice is up to you whether you are going to wear His armor or try to fight the enemy with your insufficient armor. If you make the choice to wear His whole armor, victory is possible. But if you choose not to wear His armor and fight the battles your way, you have just chosen spiritual defeat.
You can decide today to wear God’s armor and put the enemy on the run. Fighting with God’s armor will give you an offensive attack that will release you from the enemy’s dominion. Take a look at what will happen in your life when you wear the whole armor of God and use His weapons.
Gird your loins with the belt of truth. Girding your loins with the belt of truth holds your battle armor in place. The belt of truth helps you to walk in integrity. It holds your values and character intact. It will help you diffuse the lies of the enemy that tell you God has left you, you will not make it or you will always be down and out. If you are not wearing the belt of truth you can be easily deceived by your emotions into living a life contrary to your designed vision. When you gird your loins with the belt of truth, the truth of your vision will come alive in your life empowering you to victory over the enemy’s attacks.
Put on the breastplate of righteousness. When you put on the breastplate of righteousness you are protecting your heart from the fiery darts of the enemy. When your heart is protected it keeps you in tune to God’s direction for your life. You are constantly reminded to ask God to search your heart to make sure that you are not harboring sin that will hinder you from living your vision in full effect. The breastplate helps filter your heart from the junk that the world, others and the enemy wants to feed you. It keeps you in right standing with God and helps you to live a life pleasing in His sight. Your heart is protected to love, lead and live the right way.
Shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace. When you have your feet shod with the gospel of peace you are prepared to progress in battle against the enemy. You position yourself to wage battle against the adversary because you have spent time in the Word of God and know your direction. When you are readily prepared with the Gospel of Peace you share with the world your vision.
You wear shoes to protect your feet from injury when walking or running. You like comfortable shoes because they give your feet the comfort they need to support your weight. In the same way, when you shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace you are prepared to stand in the comfort of His peace even in the midst of the storms of life.
Take up the shield of faith. The shield of faith allows you to progress forward in your battles when the enemy aims and fires his arrows of evil. Picture yourself carrying the shield of faith in your left hand deflecting the fiery darts of the enemy. You are able to easily deflect the fear, worry and doubt the enemy throws at you. When you are carrying your shield and advancing forward it does not mean you have all the answers, but you have the assurance He has all the answers. Pick up your shield and begin to move in faith.
Wear the helmet of Salvation. Wearing the helmet of salvation protects your mind. The helmet protects you at all times in any battle because you are covered under Christ. You can claim the mind of Christ which can stabilize your thoughts when the enemy is attacking your mind with his lies, rumors and deceit.
You can demolish the strongholds that attempt to control your thoughts by wearing the helmet of Salvation. With the helmet of salvation you can have the victory in your thought life that II Corinthians 3:5 speaks of, “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. “
Use the Sword of the Spirit. You are given the privilege to use the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God to wage an all-out assault against the enemy. You don’t have to ever retreat with God’s Word in your heart because it is readily available for instant use. The Word puts you on the offensive against every attack of the enemy.
God speaks to you through His Word to encourage, equip and empower you for the battles that are present and ahead. The Spirit of Truth will use the Word to reveal God’s vision to you and help you overcome every scheme that the enemy throws at you. With the Sword of the Spirit at your disposal, you can advance in your vision and fulfill the promises in every area of your life.
Experience the Power of Prayer. Now that you are wearing the whole armor of God you can progress forward in battle. It is God’s desire that you progress forward in battle by seeking His face through prayer. It is through your prayers that you come to know the direction for your life. It is when you pray that God speaks to you about your purpose (who you are), your vision (where you are going), your values (how you need to live) and your goals (what you need to do).
You are to persevere in prayer until the victory is won. Pray that God’s divine vision plan will be executed in your life and in the life of other believers. Set aside a regular daily time for prayer. When God desires to do something powerful in the world, He moves people to pray. Get in position for prayer and watch the results!
“The hero is the man who lets no obstacle prevent him from pursuing the values he has chosen. ” Andrew Bernstein
Bernard Haynes is the CEO of Lead to Impact, a company designed to encourage, equip and empower individuals to realize and live their God designed vision. You can read more of his empowering articles and explore his website at http://www.leadtoimpact.com.
