Put On the Whole Armour of God

"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

"Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

"Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverence and supplication for all saints;"

-Ephesians 6:11-18

Our Sunday School teacher reminded us today that the forces of evil are real, that Satan waits for our moments of weakness to attack, knowing exactly which tools to use on us. They are the same tools he has always used on us and he knows what adjustments to make for each individual person.

He hammers at us with discouragement and frustration while chipping away at our self-worth and divine nature. If he can encourage us to believe that there is no evil force and especially no Satan, then he can encourage us to believe that there is no God, no reason to pray, no reason to have faith, no reason to do good, and especially that there is no heaven.

His attacks on the family are relentless because he knows that the family is the foundation for all civilization. If the family falls, so does society. Sadly, he has managed to convince others that his lies are the truth.

We read the above passage from Ephesians in Sunday School today. The teacher stated that the times we live in don't allow for just one evening prayer anymore. Ephesians says to pray always. We are also reminded in Luke 21:36:

"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."

Pray always. Pray without ceasing. Never stop calling on the Lord for deliverance. One prayer a day isn't enough. Reading scriptures on Sunday isn't enough. The teacher told us that if we intend to be saved with our families, then family nights must be held consistently, family prayers must be daily, scripture study isn't just for adults; children should also be on a scripture study plan.

If we heard on the news that a hurricane was headed our way, we would secure our homes and get out of the way of the storm. Our spirits are in deeper need of protection. Put on the whole armour of God that you may stand protected against the storm of the adversary. How do we put on the whole armour of God? The scripture passage in Ephesians tells us: pray always, take the shield of faith, wear the helmet of salvation.

We can find peace from the passage in 2 Kings 6:14-17:

"Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.

"And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?

"And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

"And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha."

They that be with us are more than they that be with them. We are not alone. Jesus Christ is the Savior of mankind. He already suffered all the temptations that face us and he was victorious.

Satan may be winning battles, but he will never win the war. Jesus already won the war. All Satan can do at this point is collect prisoners of war, and, make no mistake, he will take all he can get. But the war has been won; Jesus is on our side as long as we are on the side of righteousness.

They that be with us are more than they that be with them. The greatest advocate we have is Jesus Christ, but let's not forget our loved ones who went before us. They cheer us on, they pull for us, they whisper in our ears to help guide us. They love us and want us to join them so they are interested in what happens to us.

They that be with us are more than they that be with them. It doesn't get any better than that.