Do we have a prayer against the forces of evil in our world? Paul tells us to stand against the devil’s schemes, to stand our ground when the day of evil comes. For Paul, evil is not just a principle. Evil is personal. The Evil one fires arrows at God’s people. To make matters worse, the arrows are on fire. These are not “Nerf-darts” that we swat down. As a bow hunter, I know better than to try to stop an arrow, but I never considered what I would do if the arrow were on fire!?! We need a shield. Good news: our faith or trust in God is the perfect shield which protect us.
As you put on your armor today and every day, be grateful for the helmet of salvation. We never let our kids ride their bikes without helmets. If a football player’s helmet comes off, the play is over for him, and he has to leave the field of play for at least one snap. We are more aware of concussions than ever. The only protection for our minds is the salvation we have found in Christ. God gives us Spiritual wisdom and the mind of Christ.
Not only do we play defense with our armor. God has given us two offensive weapons. First we have the Sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. We know we have God’s word in the scriptures. I read in Psalm 39, “My hope is in you.” Last Saturday God clearly said to me in my prayer time, “Feed my sheep.” So what is God saying to you today? Do not be afraid to obey.
Our second weapon is prayer. Remember Frank Peretti’s book, This Present Darkness, in which the fervent prayer of a faithful Christian changed the course of a church. We can pray with you, but we can’t pray instead of you. We pray in the Spirit – as God guides us. Prayer should never be boring. We are talking to God and listening to him. As we pray about the mundane things of life (and God cares about everything in our lives), let us not forget the marvelous: the people of God. Pray for one person by name today. Watch God work. Good news in our spiritual battles: we win in the end!