Now is the time for battle......

6 – Protect Your Head



Take the helmet of salvation….. Ephesians 6:17

In my childhood and through my teens I spent many happy hours riding quite a few kilometers on my bicycle. In those days safety helmets were not required as they are in Australia today, and fortunately I never had any nasty falls. Today kids wear helmets for bike-riding, rollerblading, and similar risky ventures so that if they do take a tumble their head is protected because our head is one of the most vulnerable parts of our body. It contains the operations control centre of our being, our brain.

In spiritual warfare God recognises our need to protect our head because the enemy attacks our mind. Unprotected, we are vulnerable to his attacks. Our helmet is referred to as the helmet of salvation. How does that work? Salvation changes everything; we become a brand new creation, born anew to a living hope that we have in Christ Jesus (1 Peter 1:3). We have a new status as a child of God and we are to develop a brand new way of thinking (Romans 12:2). We have to learn to think like God thinks by renewing our mind through understanding hi’s word.

Just like a computer needs to be re-programmed according to what task we require it to do, so when we come to faith in Christ our minds need to be re-programmed. It’s a whole new way of thinking because our thinking was corrupted by our sinful nature. It is a process which takes time and practice, learning to think like God thinks.

Our mind becomes a vulnerable area which the enemy likes to attack through lies and accusations. It is therefore vital for us to renew our minds by reading and remembering God’s word. This is how we learn to think like God thinks. We need to remember that we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 1:30), that we are forgiven through the blood of Jesus (Ephes. 1:7), that we are redeemed from our past life and set free to live in newness of life (2 Cor. 5:17 ) and so on. It is the knowledge of who we are in God, the truth of our salvation, which is our protective helmet.

Another great scripture passage to remember is… ‘We use God’s mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the devil’s strongholds. With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their, (read ‘our’) rebellious ideas…. 2 Cor. 10:5-6 NLT.

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you so much for such a great salvation. Help me to walk in all its fullness to bring glory to you as I withstand the attacks of the enemy to undermine my faith. Amen

Now is the time for battle......

5 – Raise That Shield


In addition to all of this, take up the shield of faith…..

Ephesians 6:16

Have you noticed that our reflex action when something comes flying towards us is to raise our arm like a shield to protect our face or head from injury? It is an automatic reaction of self preservation.

Roman soldiers carried a large and heavy shield to protect themselves from the arrows that were directed at them in conflict. In order to get closer to the enemy to get a better battle position, sometimes a group of soldiers would huddle together each holding their shield above their head in tight formation with the other shields thus making a turtle-like formation. Those on the outside would use their shields to protect their bodies. A group like this was virtually impenetrable so long as they stayed in close formation and moved in unity.

In those days a favourite weapon of the enemy was an arrow that had been doused in oil and set alight. This is why Paul uses the illustration of ‘the fiery arrows of the devil’, likening the attacks of the enemy to those fiery arrows. They are deadly. Remember the enemy is out to steal, kill and destroy us (John 10:10).

Our shield is the shield of faith – an invisible but nonetheless powerful protection against the unseen attacks of Satan. In many of the Psalms, (3, 5, 18, 28, 33 and 144), David and other writers refer to the Lord being their shield and protection from their enemies. David prayed and trusted God to be his protection from his ‘flesh and blood’ enemies who were out to destroy him. Our enemies are not flesh and blood, even though it sometimes feels like they are!
How do we lift our shield of faith to protect ourselves? We remind ourselves that we are valued and loved by God; we get to know his word and what it says about us. We believe that God is for us and not against us and that he is able to protect us and bring us through whatever difficulties may come against us. Believe the word that says ‘God is a very present help in times of trouble’ Psalm 46:1, then stand firm using that promise as a shield against fear and doubt.

Our attacks may come through thoughts, through people or through our own thoughts of unworthiness or inadequacy. The trick for us is to recognise these attacks of the enemy for what they are, and to hold up that shield of faith, trusting in our loving Saviour, then we will be protected. The word of God promises that if we ‘resist the devil; he will flee from us’ James 4:7. Just keep resisting the temptation to entertain such thoughts or accusations and the enemy will slink away defeated.

Prayer: Faithful God, thank you for every provision you have made for me to fight a good fight against my enemy the devil. Help me to recognise his attacks for what they are and raise my shield of faith, trusting in you and in your word. Amen

Now is the time for battle......

4 – Slip Into Your Shoes

For shoes put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.
Ephesians 6:15

One of the things you will see in country New Zealand is people walking barefoot. They even drive their cars barefoot to go shopping in bare feet. Of course, they are in the minority but it happens because they just love going without shoes….. don’t ask me why! Though I grew up in New Zealand I never learned to be comfortable going barefoot, perhaps because I remember one very painful experience. I was at home playing with friends and running barefoot through the lawn which was full of clover in flower. Bees love clover and they didn’t appreciate my stomping through their territory. One of them expressed his displeasure by leaving his sting in my toe. Ouch – the pain is unforgettable!

The third part of our spiritual armour that we are instructed to put on is shoes. Shoes protect our feet from injury as we walk in ‘rocky’ places and they speed us on our way. There will surely be rocky places in the pathway of life.

Notice that Paul associated the shoes with the gospel of peace. Receiving the gospel message and allowing it to become a part of our lives brings us into a place of peace with God and a place of growing peace with ourselves and others. The world is searching for true and lasting peace – it is to be found only in Jesus Christ. He is our peace.

The shoes of an athlete are important. They are designed to give protection and support and to help the wearer perform at his or her best. The shoes of the gospel are shoes of peace that enable us to stand in the peace of God in any situation. This can be such a testimony to those who don’t know God. When we learn to face trials wearing these shoes, people will be amazed at how peaceful we are. We can then share with them about the goodness of God and so our peace becomes an ‘open door’ to share the gospel with them.

Slip into these shoes today and be ready to walk confidently wherever life may take you.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the peace and protection that you provide for me in so many ways. Please give me open doors to share your goodness and love with others. Amen

Now is the time for battle.....

3 - Cover Your Heart

….with the breastplate of righteousness in place….
Ephesians 6:14

You’ve prepared to fight and tightened that belt of truth around your waist. You are reading God’s word and making it the foundation for your life; now it’s time to put on the breastplate of righteousness. No soldier would think of going to war without his vital organs being covered. Today it takes the form of a bullet proof vest. So what is the breastplate of righteousness as far as we are concerned? It is our protection from the attacks of the enemy on our heart.

Susan thought that she’d led a pretty good life. She had a successful marriage, she worked for charities, and she never did anyone any harm. She felt that she was quite a righteous person and that God wouldn’t have any complaint with her when she came to stand before him. Dave, on the other hand, had been a drug-dealing, wife-beating womanizer. He knew that he was rotten through and through and he found it difficult to believe that God could have any time for him at all.

Both Susan and Dave needed to discover the truth about righteous-ness in a different way. Susan had to realize that to God, in all his purity and holiness, our righteousness is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Nothing we could ever do would make us good enough for God. That is why Jesus Christ who was pure and sinless came to die in our place. He took our sins upon himself on the cross. Now his goodness or righteousness becomes ours when we receive him as our Saviour and Lord. Dave had to realize that no sin is great than another; that Susan’s pride in her own goodness was as sinful as his drug-dealing and wife-beating. God loved each of them equally and each had to come to God in the same way, through Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). The shield that is our protection is the righteousness that comes from Jesus Christ. It makes us acceptable to God and it tells the devil that we are not trusting in ourselves but in God’s mercy and goodness.

Jeremiah 33:16 speaks of “The Lord our righteousness.” When Susan is tempted to compare herself with Dave, she needs the breastplate to remind her that only in Jesus Christ is she good enough for God. It protects her from a prideful heart. Dave needs the breastplate to cover his shame and remind him that Jesus Christ paid for all his sin. Satan can no longer accuse him because he is covered with the righteousness of Christ.

Put on that breastplate so that you can stand confidently before God, knowing his mercy; and boldly before Satan, knowing that he has nothing with which to accuse you because God has got you covered!

Prayer: Lord Jesus thank you so much that I don’t have to try and be good enough for God. Thank you that in your mercy, grace and love you have become my righteousness. Amen