what to do with incoming thoughts during spiritual warefare as a christian
The Bible often describes the life of someone post-obit Jesus using the language and imagery of warfare. This is where the term "spiritual warfare" comes from. Information technology refers to the ongoing struggle of living our lives in a fashion that puts pleasing God before pleasing ourselves or others. Spiritual warfare is also virtually recognizing that nosotros accept an enemy, the devil, who is battling to pull united states abroad from God.
For though nosotros alive in the world, we practice not wage war every bit the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the opposite, they have divine ability to annihilate strongholds. (2 Corinthians 10:3-4, New International Version)
The spiritual realm is very existent, and Christians must acquire how to fight the battle taking place there. The good news is that God gives y'all every resources you demand to engage in spiritual warfare. He wants you to take hope, considering He has already won the ultimate battle through Jesus' expiry and resurrection. He literally gives us His force past giving us his Holy Spirit.
The Bible's Guide to Spiritual Warfare
Ane of the longest passages in the Bible nearly preparing for spiritual warfare is in Ephesians 6.
Paul, the early on Christian leader who wrote this letter to the church in Ephesus, forth with much of the rest of the New Attestation of the Bible, warns his readers to prepare for spiritual warfare, having previously described what a Christian life should wait like and set the scene for the battles he knows we will all confront.
Paul writes,
Finally, be stiff in the Lord and in His mighty ability. Put on the full armor of God, and then that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not confronting flesh and blood, just against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your footing, and afterwards you have done everything, to stand. Stand house then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in identify, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In improver to all this, have up the shield of faith, with which y'all tin extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil ane. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in heed, be warning and ever keep on praying for all the Lord'due south people. (Ephesians 6:10-18, NIV)
Paul wants followers of God to know how to fight in this spiritual battle and, ultimately, how to win.
So often, people struggle to recognize that the battles they face every day are non confronting other people but confronting spiritual forces. Man nature leads usa to believe the conflicts we face up in life are because people have wronged us. While sometimes that is true, there is likewise a bigger, spiritual enemy whom God wants united states of america to focus on defeating.
So Paul urges you lot to put on spiritual armor.
God Wears the Same Armor He Gives You
God offers you lot the same armor He protects Himself with.
In the volume of Isaiah, we are told, "He put on righteousness as His breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on His head" (Isaiah 59:17, NIV).
Recognizing and making use of the armor God gives you is office of becoming more similar Him. So it is important to understand the different roles of each piece of armor God tells you lot to put on.
An Inventory of the Armor of God
The armor that Paul describes is based on the typical armor of a Roman soldier — the elite fighters of the dominant military power during his time. Paul uses these concrete weapons as a metaphor to describe the diverse characteristics and actions of those who will stand firm in spiritual warfare.
The Belt of Truth
The chugalug of a Roman soldier sat around his waist and was used to proceed the body armor in place. Information technology as well held a sheath for the sword to sit in, ready for the soldier to depict.
How Yous Can Use This Piece of Armor
Wearing the chugalug of truth means protecting yourself with the truth of God. The devil is going to tell you clever and believable lies nigh God and yourself. You can defend against this attack by knowing and trusting the truth that God has told you through Christ and in the Scriptures.
The Breastplate of Righteousness
The Roman soldier'due south breastplate was his trunk armor. The trunk armor protected the soldier's chest and eye and was tucked into the belt of truth. It was made of leather with a metal such as bronze laid over the top.
How You Tin can Utilize This Piece of Armor
To protect yourself with the breastplate of righteousness means to claim for yourself the righteousness before God that only comes from Christ then abound in obedience to Christ with His help. Jesus' death means you no longer need to strive to be justified through your ain actions. You lot simply merits by faith the righteous character of God made bachelor to you through Jesus.
When we focus on right living, honoring and obeying God'southward will, and saying no to sin, we are actively living out and experiencing the righteousness we accept as followers of Jesus. Righteousness is something we are given by God and something we abound into. Y'all are covered in Christ'southward righteousness that declares you lot innocent before God, and His righteousness allows you to grow in your own obedience equally the Holy Spirit changes y'all.
Shoes for Your Feet
Shoes were extremely of import for a Roman soldier. The soldiers traveled long distances at a time, and their shoes allowed them to move quickly. The last thing anyone wants is to walk barefoot on hot, rocky or wet basis. I'm guessing the soldiers felt the same way.
How You Tin can Use This Slice of Armor
Paul writes that the shoes Christians must put on are "the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." The key here is existence fully prepared. What are you doing every day to bring peace to others? How tin you share the good news about Jesus with people in your life? What are you doing each twenty-four hour period to live as God intends y'all to live? Answering these questions will help you stay alert and ready to ward off spiritual attacks.
The Shield of Faith
A Roman soldier would concord up his shield to protect himself from arrows. The shield was probably 4 feet tall and a pes and a half wide. Information technology was fabricated of wood and leather, with pieces of metallic at the top and lesser. A shield would have been the Roman soldier's greatest defensive tool against his attackers.
How You Can Utilise This Piece of Armor
Your faith serves the same purpose. The devil will effort to wound you lot past throwing lies, accusations or other negative ideas at you. The "flaming arrows of the evil i" (Ephesians 3:sixteen) can come in many forms, so information technology's important to know your faith in God volition keep these arrows from wounding you.
A way to grow in trusting God is to begin each solar day by taking a few minutes to remind yourself what is true most God and what is true about you. Finding a verse or 2 you can meditate on throughout the day will help trust in God become your natural response to any situation. This is similar taking up your shield for the solar day ahead.
The Helmet of Conservancy
A helmet protected the soldier'south head from attacks. The helmet was made of leather and metallic and covered the soldier's head and cheeks. It needed to be strong plenty to requite the soldier confidence as he went into boxing.
How Yous Tin can Utilise This Piece of Armor
The campaigner Paul gives united states of america a fuller clarification of this piece of armor in one Thessalonians v:8, where he talks near the "helmet of the hope of salvation." Paul is describing hope non in the sense of what yous promise will exist true just in the sense of what is certainly truthful about you lot when y'all trust in Jesus. The absolute certainty of salvation can requite you the confidence to enter the battle and, if necessary, take some blows.
Read more about the helmet of the hope of salvation.
Your salvation is the greatest gift Jesus could ever give you. Meditating on the conservancy you lot tin can never lose will help you overcome the fear that your thoughts or actions tin can ever separate you lot from God.
The Sword of the Spirit
The sword of the Spirit represents God'southward discussion, the Bible. This is the only piece of equipment designed for going on the offensive in spiritual warfare. A Roman soldier'south sword was amid the most powerful weapons available for anyone involved in combat at that fourth dimension. It was difficult to terminate.
How You Can Use This Piece of Armor
Paul describes the sword of the Spirit to remind you that you do not always have to be on the defensive in the spiritual warfare you experience. Just equally Jesus used Scripture to ward off the attacks of the devil during His 40 days in the wilderness, we can rely on Scripture to fight back when we feel under attack.
Explore resources to aid you read the Bible.
As a Christian, you lot can brand choices that will make yous less vulnerable to attacks from your spiritual enemy, the devil. One of the best choices you lot can make is to read Scripture and commit some of it to memory. When you ask the Holy Spirit to assist y'all bring to mind passages of Scripture when you virtually need them, you tin can exist confident He is gear up to answer that prayer. This is why Paul ends his description of the armor of God past encouraging the states to "pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests."
Find help for when you don't like reading the Bible.
Other Places the Bible Talks About Armor
Ii other places in Scripture are especially useful in preparing for spiritual warfare. The starting time is Romans 13:11-14:
And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake upward from your slumber, because our conservancy is nearer now than when nosotros first believed. The nighttime is nigh over; the day is almost here. So let united states of america put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of low-cal. Permit us behave decently, as in the daytime, non in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, non in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do non think almost how to gratify the desires of the mankind. (NIV)
Paul writes of the "armor of light," a metaphor about living an honest and honorable life. Paul suggests that hiding or keeping secret your sinful thoughts or behavior is like choosing to live in the night.
Putting on the "armor of light" means beingness honest about the temptations yous face and transparent with trusted friends about where y'all need God'south assistance. Living this style is worth it because the issue is intimacy with Christ and readiness for spiritual warfare.
The second place in Scripture nosotros take already mentioned to a higher place in relation to the helmet of salvation, but nosotros want to look at it again from a different perspective. Information technology is ane Thessalonians 5:8:
But since we vest to the solar day, let u.s. exist sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the promise of conservancy as a helmet. (NIV)
Both the Thessalonians poetry and the Romans passage talk almost "the twenty-four hours." This is a reference to when Jesus volition return to world and reign. The precise moment is unknown, so Christians are meant to live equally if it could be any moment — to seize the day, so to speak.
A expert soldier stays awake and "sober," with his armor already on, fix at all times for the battle that is coming. If you vest to Christ, this means putting on the armor of God daily and so that you lot are prepared when Christ returns.
God Is With United states
God is true-blue. He protects His people and equips His people for every spiritual battle. Call up, God the Holy Spirit lives within you. In that location is no improve protection you can have than God guiding y'all from inside and transforming your thoughts and desires so that you dearest Him and want to follow Him.
Find out more most the Holy Spirit and how you can feel God'south presence in your life.
There is no reason to fear. Instead, Christians have endless opportunities to clothe themselves with spiritual armor and grow in righteousness, hope and trust in God. While in that location will be troubles in this life, the Father provides everything you need to walk with Him for a lifetime.
Learn more than about spiritual warfare and prayer
Sources
"Faithlife Illustrated Study Bible" (Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 2017).
Snodgrass, Klein, "Ephesians," NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 1996).
Source: https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/spiritual-growth/armor-of-god.html
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