I have discussed
this issue before, but I do really struggle with it. And I know that many have
already dissected these verses before but this is very applicable to my
situation.
Satan has been
throwing lots of darts at me lately. (Eph 6:16) I will explain:
As many of you know,
I am currently a salesman at a large horse trailer dealership. This job is a
wonderful blessing- manageable hours, ability to earn commission, wonderful
coworkers, etc. I get to meet a lot of great horse people and will get to work
horse shows during the fall and winter. I really am enjoying myself in the
"real world", even with its hardships.
This means that I am
constantly surrounded by big, beautiful, horridly expensive horse trailers. If
you are not familiar with living quarter trailers- take a gander at Outlaw Conversions. Just watch the
slideshow on their home page- I have about 10 brand new ones sitting outside my
window, with 3 more coming in the next few months. A bare bones basic package,
not including the actual horse trailer, is about $45,000. "The Big One"
as we affectionately call her, sits right outside my window. I get to stare at
her all day long. It sold yesterday for well over $100,000. She's
top-of-the-line, drop dead gorgeous and fully loaded.
Satan is using these
trailers, silly as it sounds, as darts. He is trying to fill my mind with lusts
of the world and I am struggling in my fight. I have let these thoughts
continue past what is required of my job and let them seep into my spare time.
The trailer I have now needs to be replaced, due to structural issues. But
instead of only buying what I need (which isn't much) I find myself demanding
much more. I'm getting greedy.
Ephesians 6:14-17 "14 Stand therefore, having girded your
waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the
preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above
all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the
fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And
take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of
God;"
The fight we fight
as Christians is not a physical one, but a spiritual one. Paul talks about this
in 2 Corinthians 10.
According to
Ephesians 6, I need to "gird my waist with truth"- my translation of
this is that I need to know the truth of God's word so I can know when the
devil is trying to convince me otherwise. Matthew
7:15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s
clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves."
"Breastplate of
righteousness"- this armor is protecting my heart, so it needs to be more
than bullet proof. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is my righteousness, no where
else can you obtain it. John 14:6
"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes
to the Father except through Me."
"Shod your feet
with the preparation of the gospel of peace" - shod your feet basically
means to put on shoes. How am I to prepare with the gospel of peace? There are
two ways of thinking with this phrase. One way is that the gospel of peace, the
gospel of Jesus Christ, should release our burdens and bring peace to our
souls. A worry-free warrior is much more effective than one distracted by
doubts. Another way is that what should be beneath us, our foundation, should
be the gospel of Christ. Everything else depends on that central belief. A
solider with flimsy shoes can't march long or far. Romans 5:1-2 "Therefore, having been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through
whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and
rejoice in hope of the glory of God."
"Shield of
faith"- my faith in Christ Jesus will help me overcome my temptations, to
overcome Satan. Where does faith come from? Romans
10:17 "So then faith comes
by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Read your bible and increase
your faith, its that simple.
"Helmet of
salvation"- without a helmet, a solider is vulnerable and not equipped for
close combat. Your salvation protects you from a spiritual death. This helmet
also displays who we fight for; we fight for the Son of God, who came to die
for our sins and set us free. Jesus is the only one who can guarantee our
salvation. John 10:9-11 " I am the door. If anyone enters by
Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to
steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and
that they may have it more abundantly.11 “I am the good shepherd. The good
shepherd gives His life for the sheep."
"Sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God"- The Holy Spirit works on our hearts
through the words of the Bible. Knowledge of God's Word is the most powerful
weapon in the world. Acts 17:6
"But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to
the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside
down have come here too." Your knowledge and understanding of this book
gives you the power to turn the world upside
down.
This armor set up
allows me to battle each day with the devil, and to WIN. The tools God has
provided to me won't take away my temptations (they will always be there), but
allows me to overcome them to achieve victory.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57
“O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But
thanks be to God, who gives us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
