Now is the time ...... To Stand Firm

…….then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Ephesians 6:13 (NLT)

Have you ever tried to dress an active toddler? What a task! They wriggle and fidget, squiggle & squirm; they are anxious to get on with their day. The next adventure beckons them; getting dressed is just an inconvenient and unwelcome interruption in their busy life. If only they would stay still the job would be done much quicker!

Notice in Ephesians 6:14 it tells us to ‘stand your ground, putting on the belt….” It is possible to get dressed while ‘on the run’, but really it’s much quicker to stand still and focus while dressing. Many Christians tend to run from one thing to another, reluctant to stop and spend time in God’s presence. We need to be still to focus on his word and listen for his voice. We could save ourselves a lot of anxiety if only we would spend time in God’s presence and get his wisdom and peace for our day.

Dressing in the armour of God needs focus; we need to remind ourselves of his instructions as we face spiritual battles. If we do that, the enemy won’t be able to knock us out in the fray. Verse 13 says that if we put on every piece of God’s armour, ‘Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.’

When Peter speaks about watching out for the enemy who ‘prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour’ (1 Peter 5:8), he goes on to say ‘Stand firm against him and be strong in faith.’ Again in verse 12 he encourages ‘stand firm in this grace’. What grace? In verse 12 he says something that deserves serious thought. ‘My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that (the trials) you are experiencing are truly a part of God’s grace for you.’ That’s rather a strange thing to say, but he has reminded them that what they are experiencing is the same experience of their brothers and sisters all over the world. When we are going through tough times we do well to remember and pray for fellow Christians who also suffer. In doing that we can find courage because one of the things the enemy likes to do is to make us think that we are the only one getting such a rotten deal. That’s his way of getting us to spiral into self pity and isolation.

Don’t go there – remember the devil is a liar, and that there are plenty of people going through difficulties just as bad if not worse than yours. Pray for them and your focus will change for the better. As we stand firm, then the wonderful promise is that ‘after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support and strengthen you and place you on a firm foundation.’ (Vs 10). That's the grace that results from suffering trials. So, stand firm, you can win!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to take time to stand firmly when the enemy attacks me, knowing that you will strengthen me and help me because you are my strong place of refuge. Amen

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

8 - Pray


Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)

Some of the churches in our area have joined together to enter into a season of 40 days of prayer and fasting for the region. It’s so good to have times of special focus, so today I am spending some hours in the sunshine with the purpose of prayer – and writing. It just so happens that today is my time to write on prayer as part of our battle plan.

After telling us to clothe ourselves in the armour of God, Paul then urges us to ‘pray in the spirit at all times’. Prayer is our lifeline to heaven. On the battle field communication with the commander is vital because from him come strategies and orders on how to proceed. The Holy Spirit is our communications specialist. He’s the one who directs our prayers to the Father and communicates the Father’s directions back to us. We need him in our communication.

It is easy for us to bombard heaven with our prayer list but it’s quite another to say, “Holy Spirit please help me to pray according to the will of the Father today. Show me how I should pray and for whom I should pray.” It is vital to stay in tune with the Holy Spirit.

Staying in union with Christ and being mindful of and thankful for all that he has accomplished for us on the cross will also help us maintain an attitude of humility which is so endearing to God. James 4:7-8 urges ‘So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come close to God and he will come close to you.’ Also Hebrews (4:16 and 10:19) reminds us that we can come boldly before God’s throne of grace. We have confidence towards God if we come with sin cleansed. Then we can hear from God and pray according to his will knowing that he hears and answers our prayers (1 John 3:21-22)…… in His time, not necessarily ours.

Prayer is an amazing privilege because it can touch lives near and far, people in places of high authority and people in prison. Prayer does not discriminate and is not limited. We shouldn’t only pray for our immediate family and friends; we need to remember to extend our prayers to cover leaders in our church, community and country – in fact all in authority, so that they can rule well and we can live in peace (1 Timothy 2:1-2). I confess that I often fall short in this area. By the way, it is fine for you to pray for yourself too. It is not selfish as some would think. God has room for all our prayers.

We have been given great power and authority in prayer by Jesus Christ. Let us not neglect to use his gift to us, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer: Holy Spirit help me to recognise the great privilege of prayer and please keep me walking in close communication with my Heavenly Father through you. Amen

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

7 – Use Your Sword

…and take the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17

Today I have the pleasure of spending the day with my two younger grand- children, Dan & Leah. It’s a gorgeous day and I have been watching Dan bouncing on the trampoline. He wasn’t doing his double somersaults which he often likes to do. Today he had a large plastic sword and was bouncing and wielding the sword in deep cut and thrust movements – no doubt as he’s seen happening on his computer games or in the movies. He sure knows how to use that thing!

His timing was great as an opening for my writing of today’s Daydrops because our next piece of God’s armour is the sword and Paul tells us that our spiritual sword is the word of God. So how do we use God’s word as a sword, and how do we use it skillfully?

Jesus is our best example of using the word of God as a weapon. When he was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, (Luke 4), Jesus always used the scriptures to withstand or counteract the enemy’s temptations. When tempted to do a creative miracle and turn the stones into bread, he countered with “The scriptures say, Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”. He was saying that there is more important food, the food for our spirit that truly satisfies the deepest part of us.

When tempted with power and authority when Satan offered him rule over kingdoms of this world in return for Jesus bowing down to him, Jesus resisted the temptation and submitted to the headship of God his father. Acknowledging the truth of God’s word that “The scriptures say, you must worship the Lord you God and only serve him.” In his final thrust Satan tempted Jesus to throw himself down from the highest point on the temple and when he did he quoted scripture to support his ‘test’. Jesus recognised his subtlety and deception – we are not to test God with foolish actions. He said again, “The scriptures also say ‘You must not test the Lord your God’.”

Jesus had been brought up knowing the scriptures. Jewish boys learn from a very young age to memorize God’s word and talk about it and how it applies to life. We too must know the scriptures well. Colossians 3:16 invites us to “Let the word of God dwell in you richly…” If we will read the word and allow it to become a part of our thinking every day, it will dwell in us richly. The Holy Spirit can then draw from that storehouse of the word within us, when the need arises. At times when the enemy comes with temptations, the Spirit of God then has that rich store from which to draw to help us counteract the attacks of the enemy.

Allow the Holy Spirit to help you wield that sword with great skill and you will have all that you need, but we must do the work of putting the word into our hearts so that it can be drawn upon in time of need.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your holy and powerful word which is my weapon against the attacks of the enemy. Help me to study it and allow it to become a part of my daily life. Amen

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