God Gives Tools for Our Protection

November 27, 2022 Background Scripture: Acts 1 9; Ephesians 6:10 - 24; Revelation 2:1 7 Lesson Passage: Ephesians 6:10 -18 Paul addressed many spiritual principles in this letter to the saints who were in Ephesus. I dare say, much of this would not be understood by saints today without Paul's revelation of it. There is much to be understood by a diligent and prayerful study of this letter. With so many great things to know and understand about God's purpose in salvation, there is no wonder that there is a constant attack against the saints by the forces of evil. This is spiritual warfare, and we are caught in the middle of it. This fight cannot be waged using tools, or techniques, of this world. On our own, we are woefully prepared for such a fight. Spiritual warfare requires spiritual weapons. Like any weapon, we need to get to know them and the proper and safe use of them. Spiritual weapons are intended for spiritual warfare. Put another way, spiritual weapons are not intended to be used against people. We are not fighting flesh and blood but principalities. We are fighting against wicked spirits in the heavenlies. Just as weapons that are designed for harvesting big game are not intended for self-defense or offense against a human being. We should get to know spiritual weapons and their proper use. Jesus called the devil the father of lies. We fight against that by speaking the truth in love. We should always stand on the truth even if it hurts us. Until recently, many of us had not experienced the devastation that is done by lies perpetrated from high political positions. Some individuals lost their lives, others had their lives threatened, and there was widespread property damage as a result of lies that were told and repeated often from the highest political offices in the land. Lying is powerful and it can do a great deal of damage. Christians fight against lies with the truth. After the damage is done, lies will eventually be exposed. The truth will always be the truth. We must walk in the righteousness of Christ that God has imparted to us. Self-righteousness is of little value to us. Christians stand on the gospel. It is the gospel message that beckons us to salvation in Christ Jesus. The same message is available to all. There is no other foundation to stand on. We must ever put our faith in God. Even when we don't understand His ways, we must trust God's plan. We must embrace God's instructions and submit ourselves to His will for us. There is much in life that can discourage us. Our faith in God gives us something to hold on to during difficult times, Our firm commitment and confidence in God allow us to handle demonic attacks. Our salvation reminds us that we belong to God. We were bought with a price and are no longer our own. We should not be confused about that. The word of God is everything for us. Jesus said we don't live just because we can find food for our bodies. The word of God gives life. By God's word we live, and by God's word we die. When Satan attacked Jesus during his testing after baptism, Jesus used the word of God to respond. It was a weapon Jesus used against the temptations of the devil. Jesus repeated what the word of God declared. Finally, our prayer life is our communication with God. An open line of communication is of the utmost importance in all manners of warfare. It is even more important in spiritual warfare. We are at war with an enemy we can't see and know very little about. God knows all about the devil and his demonic schemes. God will not allow us to face more than we can bear. We must always pray—and listen for God's instructions. God gives us spiritual tools to protect us in this sin-infected world. Robert C. Hudson November 5, 2022