His Delight

I have come to understand spiritual warfare as a certain reality, a battle beginning in the mind and finished in faith. It is never fought in self-sufficiency, but in dependence on the Mercy and Grace of God. As a Christ-follower, my first line of defense is recognition of the SOURCE of the battle paired with the unshakeable knowledge that my weapons are NOT of this world. Worldly fighting merely prolongs the conflict and increases the casualties. Therefore, taking captive EVERY thought, bringing it into obedience to the Word of Messiah, is the first offense. Next, daily donning of the Armor of God, each piece of which reveals the Power of our Resurrected Savior, provides the moment by moment strength, protection, and weaponry needed to wage the battle: the Helmet of salvation (Y’shua IS our Salvation), the Belt of truth (He is the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life), the Shield of faith (Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of our faith), the Breastplate of righteousness (He Who was without sin became sin for us so that we might become the Righteousness of God), Shoes of the Gospel of Peace (He is our Peace), and finally, the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God!