This is about spiritual warfare. And this is letting us know how we can win the battle against the enemy of our souls. We cannot win the battle in our own flesh. We have to put on the armor of God daily with which to fight off the evil attacks of the enemy Satan, i.e. the devil. For he is a con artist, a trickster, and a magician with all sorts of sleight of hand tricks up his sleeve. He has all sorts of schemes which he attempts to use against us. So, we have to take up the armor of God daily if we are going to win this battle.

“Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:13-17 NASB1995)

Truth

If we are going to win this battle against the devil (Satan), the enemy of our souls, we have to be the people of God who are living the truth of his Word, and who are speaking the truth of his Word to the people, and who are truth tellers, in practice, who are not liars by habit. Too many people today, in the name of Christ, are speaking lies to the people to make them feel good about where they are, even if they are living in deliberate and habitual sin against God. All that does is open the door wide for the devil to control.

Righteousness

We must be the people of God who, in the power of God, are walking (in conduct) in righteousness, i.e. in what is deemed right by the Lord, i.e. in what is approved in his eyes. This can clearly be seen by us in the teachings of the Scriptures provided that we are reading them in their appropriate biblical context and that we are willing to hear the truth and to reject the lies. For God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return (Titus 2:11-14).

The Gospel

We need to be students of the Scriptures who study them in their appropriate biblical context so that we can know the truth of the gospel and so that we can reject the lies which are gaining so much ground these days. And then we need to be living the gospel message ourselves before we go out sharing it with the people of the world. But we must be diligent to make certain that what we are regarding as “the gospel” is the one taught by Jesus and by his apostles, and not the “feel good gospel” being taught today.

For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

Faith

And faith is not something we can make up in our own minds. Faith comes from God, it is persuaded of God, it is authored and perfected by Jesus Christ, it is not of our own doing, of our own flesh, and we cannot even come to faith unless God the Father first draws us to Christ. And faith is divine persuasion, the persuasion of God as to his righteousness and holiness, and of our sinfulness, and of our need to deny self, die to sin daily, and to walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands, all in the power of God.

Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Romans 6:1-23; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Hebrews 12:1-2

Salvation

And our salvation, which is a gift from God, is not merely forgiveness of all sin and the hope of eternal life with God. For Jesus Christ gave his life up for us on that cross to deliver us out of our slavery to sin so we will now serve our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands. We are saved from our addiction to sin so we can now be slaves of God and of his righteousness. So, if we continue living in sin, making sin our practice, and if obedience to God is not our practice, we are not saved, and eternal life is not ours.

Word of God

We have to be students of the Scriptures. If you are reading this, you obviously have access to the internet, and you can find the Scriptures on the internet if you do not have a written Bible in your possession. But make sure you choose a trustworthy translation of the Scriptures, for many of these more modern ones take much liberty in teaching what is not of God. And then we must read the Scriptures in their full biblical context, for many lies are being taught from Scriptures taught out of context. And don’t rely on other humans to tell you the truth. Test everything against the Scriptures.

And when Satan is coming against you, to attack you, to confuse you, to make you doubt God or his word, please go to the Scriptures and read them in context, verse by verse and chapter by chapter and book by book. And use the Word of God to fight off Satan’s evil attacks against you. Use the truth of the Scriptures, taught in context, to refute the lies of the enemy which are spreading like wildfire these days. Speak the truth in opposition to the lies, and you will gain the victory over the enemy of our souls.

Your Word

Based off Psalms 119
An Original Work / December 27, 2011
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Praise You with an upright heart as
I learn of Your righteousness.
I seek You with all my heart;
Do not let me stray from Your law.
I have hidd’n Your word in my heart
That I might not sin against You.
Open my eyes that I may see
Wonderful things in Your word.
I am a stranger on earth.

I have chosen the way of truth;
My heart is set on Your word.
I will walk about in freedom,
For I have sought out Your truth.
Teach me knowledge and good judgment,
For I believe in Your law.
Your hands made me, and they formed me;
Give me understanding, Lord.
I put my hope in Your word.

Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light unto my path.
You are my shield and my refuge;
In Your word I put my hope.
My heart trembles at Your word, Lord.
May my lips o’erflow with praise.
May my tongue sing of Your truth, Lord.
Your salvation, Lord, long I.
Your word, Lord, is my delight.

Spiritual Warfare
An Original Work / March 23, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love