Standing in Faith When War Is All Around Us - The Crosswalk Devotional - January 17
Standing in Faith When War Is All Around Us
By Lynette Kittle
Bible Reading:
“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.” – Ephesians 6:13
Amidst a wartime backdrop, I began reading Facebook posts written by a Ukrainian pastor’s wife, mother, writer, and fellow believer in Jesus Christ.
Connected through mutual friends, her personal stories moved my heart, as I related to her asking God to watch over and protect her family from the advancing, brutal, invading enemy.
Even though we’re not living in a physical war zone as she is, all of us are born into a spiritual battlefield, where we’re called to keep alert and on guard of a destructive invading enemy, one who wants to rob us of our homes and kill all that is precious to us, where day in and day out, we face ongoing battles of good versus evil.
1 Peter 5:8 urges, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
Likewise Jesus in John 10:10 warned, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Identifying the Enemy
Although it seems at times our enemies are in human flesh and blood, Ephesians 6:12 describes who we’re really at war with in this world. “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.”
Whereas we can usually see worldly enemies physically approaching us, spiritual enemies aren’t so easy for most of us to identify. One rare glimpse of the spiritual battles taking place in the heavenlies comes from Daniel while he was struggling to understand why God hadn’t answered his prayers yet.
He received a heavenly visitor who described to him what was causing the delay, “But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia” (Daniel 10:13).
Gathering Up Our Spiritual Weapons
Likewise, whereas physical weapons destroy and deconstruct things seen, our spiritual weapons demolish things unseen. As 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 explains:
“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.”
Suiting Up for Standing Firm
As Ephesians 6:10 encourages us, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.”
Like soldiers put on helmets, bulletproof vests, and combat boots, God hands us armor to wear for facing spiritual battles on earth. As Ephesians 6:11 describes. "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”
But it’s up to us to put it on, as Ephesians 6:14-17 goes onto describe what this armor consists of how we should wear it.
“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
As well, the Apostle Paul urges, “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” (Ephesians 6:18).
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Has it felt like life is knocking you down? If so, ask God to help you back up, stay alert, and suit up with His full armor so that you’re able to stand firm for Him.
Further Reading:
Facing Earthly Struggles
Photo Credit: ©Pixabay/Khusen Rustamov/xusenru
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.
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