Ephesians 6:10-11

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

January 16, 1991.

I will never forget standing in front of our television with Vikki before we left for church on that Wednesday night and watching President Bush announce that America was joining the Gulf War. Most of the troops hadn’t experienced war.

Yet troops and machinery combined in a display of military conquest unparalleled in history.

Thorough preparation proved to be an indispensible element in that overwhelming victory. That included developing and testing high-tech weaponry, recruiting and training troops, and engaging in mock battles.

Generals know that if they dare enter a battlefield unprepared they’re destined for defeat. Consequently, they do everything possible to prepare their troops for victory.

Similarly, our success in spiritual warfare is directly proportional to our preparedness. We must “be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might” (Ephesians 6:10), and also put on our armor (v. 11). God is our strength and source of victory, BUT we must trust Him and appropriate our spiritual resources.

If we delay preparation until the battle is upon us, then it’s too late. If our armor isn’t in place, we are vulnerable to the arrows of the enemy.

If we neglect prayer, worship, Bible study, fellowship in our local church,accountability and the other disciplines of faith, we cannot expect to prevail when spiritual battles arise.

No soldier who values his own life would step onto a battlefield unprepared. How much more should soldiers of Christ prepare themselves to fight against Satan’s forces?

Be diligent. Christ guarantees ultimate victory, but we can lose individual battles if we are unprepared. It’s even possible to lapse into periods of spiritual lethargy, indifference, and ineffectiveness, but that’s utterly inconsistent with our mandate to fight the good fight (1 Timothy 1:18).

Don’t be caught off guard! Let’s keep our armor on and remain alert to the advances of the enemy.