Spiritual Weapons of Warfare
QUESTION: What are the spiritual weapons of warfare?ANSWER:We are engaged in a spiritual battle and must realize that we are subject to Satan's lies and we need spiritual weapons of warfare. Because of this warfare, and because God always meets our needs, we have spiritual weapons that God has given to us so that we may stand against the devil and his legion without being knocked down or tempted beyond our ability to resist.
God loves us so much that He wants us to succeed in this ongoing battle with Satan. He has given us armor of protection, which is Christ's righteousness and we must mentally put it on, along with His belt of truth, which enables us to defeat Satan's lies. God's righteousness is the body of armor that protects our hearts and ensures God's approval. Satan wants us to think that telling others the "Good News" is a worthless and hopeless task too big and difficult for us to handle. But the shoes God gives are the motivation to continue to proclaim the true peace that is available in God's gospel. God's shield of faith protects us from Satan's fiery arrows and temptations. God gives us an eternal prospective so that we can know that ultimate victory is for believers through Christ.
Satan wants us to doubt God, Jesus, and our salvation. God's helmet of salvation protects our minds from doubting God's saving work in us. The sword is our only weapon of offense. There are times when we need to take the offensive when we are tempted, angry, afraid, or praying for others. We can trust in the sword, which is the truth of God's Holy Word, and reading and burning it into our hearts as part of every day's activities will make us victors instead of victims. Each day, we must put on the full armor of God that he has provided
"A great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me." - 1 Corinthians 16:9 Ephesians 6:10-18 says, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 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 saints."
