prepare for battle

The storms will come.  Much like the hurricanes of recent weeks there will be storms that come in to our lives.  Often these have high winds and heavy rains, but some of the storms come out of nowhere and take us by surprise.

Be reminded that the people who choose to follow Jesus have a proverbial “bull’s-eye” on them that makes them, or us, a mark for our enemy.  Remember that when God takes us places, is working in our lives and when we respond to God, the enemy WILL BE on our trail and seeking to knock us off the trail.

What are you going to do when the personal storms of life come your way?

Ephesians 6:10-18  NIV

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² 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. ¹³ 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. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  ¹⁸ 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 Lord’s people. 

Put on the armor God provides for you and me.  That might be preparing for the hurricane by putting boards on your windows.  That might mean spending extra time in prayer and choosing some of the weapons mentioned here. 

Our battles might just be in the unseen.  Many people I deal with are working on the battle in the mind.  It cannot be seen, but it is so hard.  There are spiritual battles all the time.  God says we need to be prepared.

My challenge is to take the armor that God offers and put it on.  Look at the different things mentioned in these verses.  Put each on!

Now, we are ready for the real battle.