Guard Yourself Spiritually

"Where there is fear of God to keep the house, the enemy can find no way to enter."  -St. Francis of Assisi

Have you noticed how various professions require the wearing of safety equipment? For example, American football players are required to wear helments and pads to protect themselves while playing. Construction workers are required to wear hard hats for protection from falling objects. Even soldiers, police, and firefighters wear protective gear.

Were you aware that we, too as Christians are provided special equipment to wear as protection from spiritual attack; specifically against "the rulers of the darkness of this world?" It's true! You will find this all laid out for you in Ephesians 6:10-20. From head to toe the Lord provides us with body armor to protect us against the constant onslaught of Satan.

If one were asked what part of the body was most vulnerable to attack, you might answer, "the head." Not a bad answer! I mean, after all, the head is the seat of our intellect, the foundation of our personality, and source of our actions. This doesn't mean that the other body parts aren't important, as well. It's just that the head plays such a crucial role in the conflict with evil. 

In Ephesians 6:17 Paul refers to wearing a "helmet of salvation." What is the purpose of the "helmet" that he refers to? Look at it this way. We could say that our way of thinking needs preservation, or protection. The head, being the seat of the mind, which, when it has laid hold of the sure gospel hope of eternal life, will not receive false doctrine or give in to Satan’s temptations. 

This "helmet of salvation" emphasizes that genuine religion involves the intellect as well as the emotions. Without it (the helmet of salvation), the unsaved person has no hope of warding off the blows of false doctrine because he is without the helmet's protection. Thus, his unsaved mind has great difficulty telling the difference between spiritual truth, and spiritual deception. 

Jesus said that the great commandment is "to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37). We respond to God's will with our emotions and our mind. Only as we respond totally can we overcome the evil (Satan) that wants to destroy us.

Keep in mind that the conflict with Satan is spiritual, and therefore no tangible weapons can be effectively used against him and his servants. We're not given a list of specific tactics Satan will use. So we must be on our guard at all times. In closing I ask, are you wearing all the armor our Father God has provided for you as you face the assaults of Satan and struggle to win the battle of life?

Scripture: Ephesians 6:12; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; 1 Peter 5:8; James 4:7; Luke 10:19   

Prayer: I am thankful, Heavenly Father, for the expression of Your will for my daily life as You have shown me in Your Word. Amen

May God bless you!

Elise