EP112 Providing the full protection

Saturday morning was damp and humid, perfect mosquito conditions. Sometimes walking in this place can feel like mosquito feeding time! However, this morning I realised no mosquito had come near me. My thoughts moved to the insect repellent I had put on before walking. I have two types of repellent I use, a spray from one brand, and a roll-on from a different brand. Today I applied the roll-on and it was definitely providing the full protection and I was grateful.

God's protection

Oh, my brain suddenly started going off, thinking about all the parallels between putting on the protection against mosquitos and putting on the protection God gives us to keep us safe from the enemy in the spiritual battles we face each day. Ephesians 6 is one of the chapters in the Bible where the Apostle Paul gives us some very clear directions about putting on the armour of God. He says,

“Put on God’s whole armour [the armour of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11 AMPC

Is the protection effective?

The armour that God supplies is the best! No questions there. 

But with the mosquito repellent, from my revelation on Saturday, I know that there are different levels of protection. I wonder if it is the application method (ie roll-on vs spray) or the repellent content that makes the difference? or both? Perhaps I might have to do a test on that! But in the interim, I will make sure that I am prepared and have the roll-on repellent with me for future walks. 

Protection preparation

So that brings up another question, how prepared are we when it comes to protection on our spiritual walk? How many times have you heard someone say "we are in a spiritual battle"? What does that mean to you? The Apostle Paul explains about the spiritual battle,

“For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly [supernatural) sphere.” Ephesians 6:12 AMPC

The spiritual battle is real

Just as mosquitos and the impact of their bite is very real, so are the spiritual enemies of God. This week someone shared with me about a dream they had where a demon came into their room and said “I am real”. This person’s response was to go to God’s word and seek after the truth. The truth in God's word is one of the pieces of armour God has given us - “the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17). 

We need to know about the spiritual armour we have access to and be daily putting it on.  Joyce Meyer says,

“It is important for us to see that we cannot fight darkness with darkness. I believe the best way to resist and overcome our powerful spiritual enemy is not by venting our anger and frustration in some fleshly manner. Rather, we need to put on our spiritual armour as described in Ephesians 6:13-17 and yield ourselves to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit within us as we pray (see Ephesians 6:18).” The Everyday Bible - Joyce Meyer, p1945

Gaps in the protection lead to distraction

Sometimes I am in a hurry to get going on my walk. I forget to apply the repellent to my neck. When I have my hair up the back of my neck can be vulnerable to mosquito bites. I can hear them buzzing around my neck and I spend my walk continually shooing and slapping them away. They become a distraction, impacting on the purpose of my walk, which often is to have conversations with God - talking and lots of listening.

And so too it can be for us if we are not putting on the full armour of God daily. Each part of God’s armour has its purpose. We don’t want any chinks in the armour where the enemy can come in and distract us.

The Message Bible says, 

“Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way prayer is essential for ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.” Ephesians 6:13-18 The Message

We are called to pray for one another, as each one of us is in this spiritual battle - some days it is just more evident than others. The Passion Translation says,

“Pray passionately in the Spirit, as you constantly intercede with every form of prayer at all times. Pray the blessings of God upon all his believers.” Ephesians 6:18 The Passion Translation.

The indispensable weapon

A final word about God’s Word, the indispensable weapon. One of the first books I bought when I became a Christian, aside from a New King James Bible, was The Spiritual Warrior’s Prayer Guide by Quin Sherrer and Ruthanne Garlock. It helped me to understand the spiritual battle we are in and the armour God has given us. They say,

“The only piece of the spiritual warrior’s armour which is both offensive and defensive is named last on Paul’s list: “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). William Gurnal aptly describes this piece of armour: “the sword is the weapon continually used by soldiers to defend themselves and to rout their enemies. Thus it illustrates the most excellent use of God’s Word, by which the believer both defends himself and cuts down his enemies.” The Spiritual Warrior’s Prayer Guide - Using God’s Word in prayer and spiritual warfare; Quin Sherrer & Ruthanne Garlock p41.

Build up your storehouse of scripture

So I encourage you to build up your storehouse of scripture. Meditate on it day and night. Ask God for Scriptures and Rhema words you can wield into the atmosphere. They both protect and attack - reminding the enemy of the authority you have in Jesus Name. They are God-breathed words that build faith as you declare them over yourself, your family, your community and nation. 

One of the scriptures I regularly declare over our family is: 

“No weapon formed against you (any member of our family) shall prosper” Isaiah 54:17 NIV

We live in a spiritual world, so let's not be naive and apathetic, but rather be equipped and prepared for each day, putting on the full protection that God has given us.  So we can do all God has called us to do without distraction!

 

To hear more encouragement from Wendy visit https://drawingclosertogod.org/podcasts