Equipped for Battle

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:11-12 NASB

‎"Stand firm." under combat conditions.

Rulers: Demon Generals.
Powers: Demon commissioned officers.
World forces: Ambassador Demons to world capitols.
Spiritual forces: Rank and file demons.

Much of the evil we see in the world is not necessarily of human origin. MUCH of it is of demon origin. We are at war, fellow saints, and it is not pretty. It is the Angelic Conflict. Our souls are the battleground. We are not in it alone, however. The LORD of the Armies is in charge of this battle. Our equipment is provided. The battle plan is drawn. Learn. Apply. Stand firm.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

"The day of evil" implies more intense persecution than we see on any given day. We must train daily with our divine weaponry, though, in order to be at the ready when the big push comes. That means we must study bible doctrine and learn to apply it to every circumstance of our lives. Then when the crisis comes, we will respond immediately with truth, just as the fully trained combat soldier responds immediately with his familiar equipment. These are not euphemisms, brethren. This is war. We are in the thick of it.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:14-17

Our battle gear:

Loins girded with Biblical TRUTH, ready for action.

Breastplate of Christ's RIGHTEOUSNESS protects the vitals (innermost being), enabling us to continue the battle.

Shoes represent sure-footed mobility for going forth and proclaiming the Good News of Christ's PEACE, which reconciles us to the Father.

Shield of FAITH (what we know about God) repels the attacks of the evil one.

Helmet of SALVATION, our knowledge of the person and work of Jesus Christ keeps our priorities in order.

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, our only offensive weapon is the Word of God! We learn it, we metabolize it, we apply it, we teach it, we use it to demonstrate the superiority of our One God and His grace provision for us in the devil's world.