Armed!

Armed!

Ephesians 6:11 AMPC

[11] 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.

There is a divine provision for every earthly challenge. There is a spiritual preparation that must precede every phyisal confrontation. It is a bit shortsighted to think that one can flow through life without any pressure. It will indeed be foolish to think that this fallen human nature can stand up to the devil and his schemes. It is for this earthly phase that the devil is adequately prepared for. He is fully armed for, and fully equipped to deal with the human race, outside of God. This is why the human race needs the help of the only One who has defeated the devil and continues to hold victory over him. That is why no other help can be adequate for the fight that is now non-negotiable for all who will make it into eternal life with God. What this makes quite clear to me is that my identity and placement are important. I have to be sure who and whose I am, and where I am. 

The answers to these questions will define what I can access. How can God provide protection for people who do not believe in His power to keep them safe? How does God compel anyone to take on what He has put in place for their safety, if they will not come to Him and take on that which He has supplied? Remember: God does not force Himself on anyone, and He will not go against the exercise of my freewill. Whether I know it or not, this earthly phase is a fight. It is not a fight that anyone can avoid, and the fact that you are unaware of it does not mean it is not real. God has made that clear in many bible verses, but He also adequate provision and preparation of resources and weapons that will help me win. That is what is made clear in the verse above: there is an armour that is built specifically for the fight that I must fight. This is amazing. 

How glad my heart must be that even before the fight starts, I have a guarantee of victory already in place. It has to be made clear that there is a full armour. The verse above speaks of 'God's whole armor'. The armour is God's,  and His provision is sufficient for all that is ahead. I cannot pick and choose the parts that I am comfortable with, or the parts that are convenient. The armour of God is quite prophetic: long before any issue comes up, God knows about it, and has made provision for a solution by His armour. The devil will not give up, as long as there is breath in me, and I cannot afford to switch off, as long as there is breath in me too. The devil has been in this business of deceit long before I was born, so his experience in warfare is second to none other than the Man of War. I take on that which the Man of War provides, so that I can end up with the victory that the Man of War has won for me. Nothing else, not even the full resources of the world, will secure this for me. Do you have this God? God's time of favour is here.