Prepare for Battle

     Our pastor had another stellar sermon this morning on the importance of being prepared for battle, spiritual battle in this case. He noted that we should put preventative measures in place, before we get a full frontal attack by the enemy. That when "we put on the full armor of God," we have protection from Satan's lies and are reminded of Jesus' truths. Satan wants us to live defeated and powerless, but through Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit within us, we can "stand firm" against the temptations of the devil.
    Pastor also reminded us to put on the "breastplate of righteousness," making us new creations living in holiness as children of the light. We have been united with Christ and as such through His Spirit have power flowing through us, if we abide in Him. So when in that weak moment, when Satan walks us to the edge of temptations, we can call on God's protection and even if we fail, we can reconnect with God, who forgives us when we repent and humble ourselves.
     God is not the one who condemns us after we've fallen, feel worthless and think God hates us. No, "there is no condemnation in God" (Romans 8:1), the one who condemns us is the same one who temps us, tells us it will be okay, that no one will find out and then smears us with a full on assault when sure enough "your sins will find you out" (Numbers 32:23).
     Do not be confused, God does discipline those He loves, but He does not temp us into sin, ever. Yet, He will always welcome us back from the dark side. But we must call on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ and through His sacrifice on the cross, God only sees us in Christ as His pure and righteous children. Praise God for His mercy, purity, grace and goodness that you and I can abide in.

Part of an old canon arsenal around the Royal Palace of Monaco. Being prepared for spiritual battle means our arsenal of prayers, memorized scriptures and time in the Word are piled up and ready to go at a moment's notice, keeping us from surprise attacks.

^{Ephesians 6:10} Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.¹³ 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. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.