Day 7: Proper Equipment for Enduring the Battle

In life, we are faced with many challenges. The enemy tries to make spiritual attacks on us so that our faith cannot grow. To combat this, we must equip ourselves properly. The good news is that we are given tools to do this. Paul presents this equipment in Ephesians 6:10-18, where we can see how these armor pieces can be used to maintain our devotion to Christ.

• Belt of Truth and Breastplate of Righteousness (Ephesians 6:14):

These tools are essential to understanding our identity in Christ. First, we must grasp the truth (who God says we are, that God is sovereign, that God loves us enough to die for us, etc.) to combat the enemy's lies. Next, we put this head knowledge and heart knowledge into action. Righteousness means “right living,” which is possible for us even though we are sinners because Jesus died to pay for our sins (Romans 5:1-11). By living in a morally right way, we make it difficult for the enemy to break through our defenses.

• Feet Fitted with Readiness to Share the Gospel (Ephesians 6:15):

Our calling is to spread the Gospel to the world (Matthew 28:18-20). Without this, we find no purpose in our lives and knowing this allows us to live the way God wants. It may seem difficult but try asking a pastor or youth leader how they felt when they first shared the Gospel. It's a process that no one is perfectly equipped for, but God will give us what we need to do the work.

• Shield of Faith (Ephesians 6:16):

I remember an atheist telling me, “Faith is believing in something you have no proof of.” Culture often tells us we cannot believe in anything without proof. Science claims that truth only lives in data and facts. The reality is that faith is present in the lives of believers and non-believers. Think of a chair. Do you inspect every chair you sit in to confirm its structural security? I have sat in chairs that have broken on me, and I still have enough faith that a chair will hold me. God has given us His Word (which has never broken) and more. We must be able to understand that, or else the enemy can easily chip away at our belief.

• Helmet of Salvation and Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17):

The brain is the control center of the whole body. One broken link between the brain and the rest of the body can result in paralysis. Protecting the mind is protecting the command of our very being. Salvation is the only thing that protects us from the enemy's victory. Finally, the sword of the spirit is what we fight back with. Like any weapon, it requires training to use, and the power is not in us; the sword of the spirit is how we combat the enemy with what we know to be true.

We are enlisted in this battle the moment we choose Christ. He will never give you a battle you cannot overcome, but you must utilize these tools to maintain your faith and win the fight.

Questions to Consider:

• Do you feel confident in your ability to maintain your faith amid troubles? Why?
• When was a difficult time that you leaned on God?
• When was a difficult time that you didn’t?
• Try one of these things for 30 Days and write how it went:
• Read a chapter a day for 30 days (Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians)
• Pray for 5 minutes twice a day (5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes at night)
• Journal for 30 days
• Come up with your own practice!

Written by Christian