Friday, February 17, 2022

Listen to the Word

"Therefore put on the full armor of God... the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit."  (Ephesians 6:13,17-18)

Most of the equipment for spiritual warfare that we read about in Ephesians is defensive in nature - a breastplate, a shield, a helmet, and so on. These items protect us from our enemy's attacks. But we don't just sit there and take our licks from Satan, hoping that our armor will hold. We must actively fight. So the passage moves on to mention a couple of offensive weapons: Scripture and prayer.

The Bible is our sword. Jesus used it as a weapon during his temptation, quoting Scripture to fend off Satan's attacks and send him packing. When we read it, study it, meditate on it, and memorize it, the Bible can become a weapon in our spiritual struggle, too.

Prayer is another powerful weapon, because prayer connects us to the God of angel armies. Prayer invites God to join the fray, and nothing that assaults us can stand against his power.

Live the Word

Tell God you want to face today's challenges with his power, not your own.