Becky Crenshaw

Be serious.  Be alert! Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.  Resist him and be firm in the faith, knowing that the same suffering are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.  1 Peter 5:8-9

This summer we vacationed in Gulf Shores, Alabama.  My family stayed in a condo with my sister-in-law Blair, her husband, Mason and their little doll-face daughter, Joey Kate.  One morning during my quiet time, I forgot my Bible in the bedroom.  Not wanting to wake Brent’s sleepy-head,  I grabbed Mason’s NIV Study Bible that sat on the small glass table beside the couch.   As I read, a paper slid its way out of the pages.  A church bulletin from the First Baptist church they attend in West Tennessee.  Dated July 7th.  The header?

Putting On The Full Armor of God

I didn’t put it back into the Bible right away.  The title had me at hello.  I read that bulletin cover to cover.  Each word full of  meaning, power and purpose.

Scripture after scripture on how to fight the battle against our adversary, the devil.  Scripture after scripture of how to fight the battle of spiritual warfare.

That folded 8 1/2 x 11 became my study for beach week.

Pastor Hickman says, “Spiritual warfare is frightening and Satan is a powerful enemy.  Jesus calls Satan a thief who comes to “steal, kill and destroy.” (John 10:10)  However, the clear teaching of scripture is that if the Christ-follower has all of his armor on and is actively engaged in the battle he will have all the ability and protection he needs to stand firm against Satan and his demons when they attack.  When we are empowered to stand firm, Satan will flee from us. Each piece of the spiritual armor in scripture is essential for a Christ-follower to possess if they are to be strong enough to resist Satan.  They are to be applied every day of our lives because the battle with Satan is on going until the return of Christ.”

Yes, sir.  No words could be more true.  And I tell you why I write this to you today –  because, y’all, I am in it right now.  I have that “pit in the stomach” type of feeling.  A knowing that warfare is waging all around me.  The enemy is pushing hard against the protective walls I build around my family, my home, my husband and my heart in prayer.  He is slithering around, looking for a space small enough to slide in. The enemy doesn’t need to be a space very large to get into our lives.  Just one vulnerable slit in the barrier.  Any entrance will suit him.  He just wants in.  

And his plans?  Destruction of the uttermost.

So, brothers and sisters, what do we do when he is up against us on every side?

We resist him and stand firm in the faith.  And we find encouragement in knowing that we are all undergoing the same suffering throughout the world.  We are all in this one together.  And we all fight the same way.

How?  We fight the battle of Spiritual Warfare with Scripture.  This is our ONLY defense.  Do you hear me?

God’s Word is our only defense.

So, with no further ado… I am going to pack this page full of them.  If you are in the midst of a battle, gear up with me today. Push up your sleeves and get your game face on…

Bless God, we have the victory!!  We win!

So Blair, tell Mason I am sorry – I snagged that bulletin.   But I will give it back.  I promise.  🙂 Right after this very important post.

You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

If God is for us, who can be against us?  Romans 8:31

Therefore submit to God.  But resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  James 4:7-8

Be serious.  Be alert!  Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.  Resist him and be firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.  1 Peter 5:8-9

But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference between Jew and Gentile.   For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  Romans 3:21-23

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

You were taught with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires to be made new in the attitude of your minds and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.  Ephesians 4:22-24

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is NOT against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, 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 ground and after you have done everything to stand. Stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  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 mind, be alert and always keep pn praying for all the saints.  Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make know the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.  PRay that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.  Ephesians 6:10-20

Read these out loud.  Write them on notecards.  Get aggressive with the enemy.

The victory is yours in Christ Jesus.  Now go claim it.