Stand therefore… having put on the breastplate of righteousness…. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:14-17 (NKJV) When Christians get fixated on Old Testament law, it eventually causes us to feel defeated. We need to understand the finished work of the cross. We get ourselves into all kinds of trouble when we mix law and grace, old covenant and new covenant. Since the enemy knows the Word well, he’ll use that as an opportunity to use the Word against us. He’ll grab an Old Testament law out of context and attack us with it, and if we don’t realize what Jesus did for us on the cross, then we have a piece …

For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere. Ephesians 6:12 (AMPC) When reading today’s verse, it might sound a little scary at first. Despotisms, powers, rulers of darkness, spirit forces of wickedness— the lineup sounds straight out of a science fiction movie! The truth is, believers have nothing to fear. Jesus said that all authority and power are his (Matthew 28:18), he defeated the devil (Matthew 28:18) and he lives in us (Galatians 2:20). Satan has no power over us. However, Satan can plant lies in people’s minds, …

Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil. Ephesians 6:11 (AMPC) As believers, do we need to be afraid of the devil? To find the answer to that question, first I want you to notice what today’s verse doesn’t say. It doesn’t say that we need to fight against the power of the devil. You see, Satan is not powerful; he’s just a deceiver. He doesn’t come at us with power; he comes at us with lies to try to wear us down and trick us into believing the worst so we give up hope. But we can stand against …

By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left. 2 Corinthians 6:7 Today’s verse reveals the key to being strong in the Lord; it’s God’s Word, and it doesn’t have to take long. What often helps me to tune in to God’s presence is finding a verse that touches me. For example, I might be reading through Ephesians 6 when I’m stopped by the verse about being strong (v. 10). At first I might think, “I’m trying to be as strong as I can, Father.” But then he brings my attention to the part where it says to be strong in the Lord. All of sudden I’ll begin to reassess how …

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:4 If you want to walk in all the blessings of God, you need to know how to use spiritual weapons. Today’s verse speaks of these weapons, but it’s really talking about renewing your mind. You see, if you don’t develop the right beliefs from God’s Word, you are susceptible to believing the enemy’s lies. And here’s what’s interesting. When you’re in a crisis, those deep-down beliefs come out. When there are only seconds left in the game, many players fold under the pressure. But there’s a percentage of players who seem to bring out their A game when the pressure …