Ephesians 6:10-11 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.

The fact of the matter is, we are in a battle, and our enemy is a scheming devil. If he can’t defeat us one way, he will try another. That’s why two things in this passage are very important. The first is that we don’t have to fight in our own strength. It doesn’t take long on the spiritual battlefield to realize our strength isn’t enough! However, in the middle of our weakness, God manifests His mighty power. (2 Corinthians 12:9) The second thing we need to keep in mind is that the armor God provides is multi-parted, that is, it’s not just one thing. Paul lists it in verses 14-18, and each part is necessary for our stability and safety. Some armor is better than none at all, but all of it is needed. It doesn’t do much good to have your head protected, only to have your chest exposed! Sometimes it seems like we try to get by with as little as possible, but that is pure foolishness. The devil tries to trick us into laying aside one piece of the armor or another, and then he attacks. We need to make good use of the armor, as well as the two weapons (the Word of God and all prayer in the Spirit), so that we may indeed be able to stand firm.

As I commented to my wife this morning, sometimes the attacks are big and recognizable, but sometimes they are small and mundane. In my experience, the latter can be more dangerous, because we are slow to recognize them. We need the whole armor of God even for such things as lost paperwork and unreliable computers! It all comes down to trusting God, to choosing to look to Him rather than focus on our circumstances. Big challenges are easily recognized as challenges, but little ones slip under our radar, so to speak, and can rob us of the peace and joy that God intends for us. As a pastor, it’s fairly easy for me to recognize this when it happens to those to whom I minister, but I can still be blind to it when it happens to me! I need to be proactive in wearing and using the armor God provides, no matter how small the incident might seem at first glance. When I have seen such things escalate into major problems for others, there’s no reason to think I’m immune myself.

Father, thank You for this timely reminder. Help me apply it diligently! Thank You for yesterday and each thing it held, and thank You for today and all it holds. Help me receive this day with gratitude, looking forward to what You are going to accomplish around, for, and even through me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!