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Put On Your Armor

kendalllasseigne


Today I feel compelled to write about how we are at war. I’m not talking about the war between Ukraine and Russia. The war I want to discuss is spiritual warfare. No matter who you are, whether you know it or not, you have a mortal enemy who wants to destroy you, not just in this life but in the next life.


The devil is waging war on us, and he is attacking us daily. And not only us but our children, our families, our country, and our world. It’s not difficult to see this attack because we have walked God out of all of the institutions in our country that were founded on His principles. And we’ve closed the door. Our court system has ruled that there should be a separation of church and state and we have ferociously complied. We no longer have prayer in our public schools. We no longer have the ten commandments displayed in our courtrooms. Our media and government are now labeling Christians who speak out for their faith and beliefs as “hate speech.” As we have slowly removed God from our country and world, we have left fertile ground for the evil one to work in. But this spiritual warfare is not new today; it’s just much more prevalent and moves at a much faster speed with the advent of the internet and the rapid communication abilities worldwide.


The first rule of any warfare is to know your enemy. The apostle St. Peter warns us about the devil in his epistle. “Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8.” He is telling us to be alert, to be aware and to not let our guards down when it comes to the evil one. The devil only needs a small crack in the door for him to come charging in.


We must have hope in Jesus Christ as He has won the victory over the enemy. And as His followers, we must claim that victory and fight against the devil’s attacks. We must shed Jesus’ light upon the darkness that encompasses our world. And while this may be difficult, it is by no means impossible. We each can do our part and one by one we become a force.


The good news is that we are given the tools and weapons to resist the devil. St. Peter continues, “Resist him, steadfast in faith knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings. 1 Peter 5:9”. St. Peter knows that we have the strength to resist if we stay grounded in our faith and surround ourselves with believers.


Our job is to be prepared and we must put on the armor of God. St. Paul in his letter to the Ephesians gives us the very tools we are to use in chapter 6: 10-17. Let’s break it down. “10 Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. 11 Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. He begins by telling us to draw our strength from God who is the source of all things. Our God is a mighty God and a loving Father who will go to any lengths to protect us. We only need to ask for His help and He will send us the Holy Spirit.


12 For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evils spirits in the heavens. If you’re going to fight a war, you must know who you are fighting. St. Paul clearly tells us who the enemy is. The devil attacks us just as he attacked Job, He came after Job first through his health and when he saw that Job still praised God, he then attacked him through his family and his possessions. Yet Job stayed faithful to God in all of it and when defeated God blessed Job with double of what he had before.


St. Paul tells us how to put on this armor so we can stand firm against the devil. All soldiers put on protective armor whenever going into battle. They wear gear that protects their heads, bodies and carry weapons to fight back.


13 Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything to hold your ground. 14 So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, 15 and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”


St. Paul gives us the “spiritual armor” we need to fight the evil one. We must arm ourselves with His Word, with His truth and to stand firm in our faith. We are to draw the sword of strength from God especially when we are weary. And the biggest tactic of the devil is to lie to us. He tries to convince us to be complacent, to ignore his tactics, to let someone else fight, and To not even be aware that he is waging war against us.


We must be battle ready by honing our spiritual skills daily with prayer, reading scripture, and surrounding ourselves with other soldiers on our team. As a Catholic, my biggest weapons of choice are 1) studying the Word of God by reading the Bible. 2) meditating on the life and the teachings of Jesus by praying the mysteries of the rosary and 3) partaking in the Eucharist regularly. I try daily to meet Jesus in "my inner room" and pray. I am always more alert when I've started my day in prayer so I draw strength from God.


Let us begin our day thanking Jesus for His victory over spiritual death. “Be sober and vigilant” and always alert so you can resist all tactics of the devil. Keep your weapons sharpened and never underestimate the power of surrounding yourself with friends who are Christians. The devil has a much harder time attacking when you have your army with you. Let the Holy Spirit guide and be not afraid to fight the battles around you.


© 2023 Kendall Berry Lasseigne

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"Written from the heart,

Inspired by the Soul"

I invite you to spend time with God in your own "Inner Room."

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