Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.
(Romans 12:21 NLT)
I love action movies, I enjoy watching the good guy kicking
the bad guy’s butt and winning. So maybe that’s part of the reason I joined the
Army after college, I wanted to do something really great (this was after
Desert Storm and before 9/11). To this day, I struggle with regret and envy that I never got any
combat time in (after my husband and I got out of the Army, he has spent the
last 5 years working in war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan).
I've recently felt encouraged that my desires to conquer evil (aka the ultimate bad guy) can still be done here, without
going into the foreign war zones. After all, we are each taking part in a continuing spiritual war, so maybe I won’t be able to go
into combat in full battle rattle (that means dressed in all your military
armor) but I can put on the full Armor of God.
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Put on all of God’s armor so that you
will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against
flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen
world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in
the heavenly places. Therefore, put on
every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time
of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. (Ephesians
6:10-13 NLT)
The spiritual battles that we go through as Christians might
not be as physically dangerous as a military firefight, but they are extremely important and strategic in
claiming victory in our lives. We have to decide in advance, will we let the next battle we are in, strengthen us or weaken
us. The choice is ours, a person doesn’t go into battle without his
armor or weapons, so why would we try to fight a spiritual battle without ours?
Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body
armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from
the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these,
hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the
sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay
alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
(Ephesians 6:14-18 NLT)
When we remain prepared and vigilant, we will always be
victorious in our battles! So keep your guard up and keep your focus on the
Lord.
And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues
his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he
will give you to us!” (1 Samuel 17:47 NLT)
