Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
This passage of scripture teaches us the critically important lesson, that as Christians we must at all times be clothed with the godly armor, from the crown of our heads to the soles of our feet. The valid reason for this admonition is because all those who are true followers of Christ are in a war, and as such we should be attired spiritually as soldiers of the cross. The Bible explicitly states that the Christian's life is not a bed of roses, as many would like to believe, but we are rather embroiled in a serious war for our minds, with determined resistance and sudden assaults coming from the enemy's battalions. Let's read:
Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. 17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
It is therefore imperative that all Christians understand that when any piece of the armor is missing, there we become vulnerable to the "Wiles" of the devil. Some of us have the faith part but the prayer part is missing, while others have the sword part while the helmet is nowhere to be found. If we are deficient in any part of the armor, we expose our vulnerabilities to the unsleeping malice of the evil one, and thereby give him the advantage.
The passage in Ephesians 6 also mentions the helmet of salvation as being an essential piece of the armor. The helmet protects our minds, the place where our thought processes and decision making take place, and therefore it is of the utmost importance that our minds be kept by the power of God at all times. The devil often hurls many distractions at us, so that we may lose our focus and balance, for he knows that it is at such times that his temptations have the most power.
One of the more common ways in which our minds are affected negatively, is when they are subjected to continuous television, video, and radio productions of a secular nature, for we become imperceptibly changed into that which our minds constantly dwell upon. That's why the Lord instructs all those who desire salvation to keep their minds stayed on Him. When we dwell upon the lofty themes of the plan of salvation, the distractions of satan lose their appeal, and thus his bite loses it's sting.
The love of God, the intercession of Christ, the spreading of the gospel with those we interact on a daily basis, the eternal world, and the immortal inheritance, all these and much more should grasp our attention during the day so that the helmet of salvation can have the desired effect.
We therefore end with a verse of scripture which encourages us to have our focus centered in God at all times. Let's read:
Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. 4 Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:
May the Lord clothe us with His armor today, so that whatever experiences life may bring, we will be protected from head to toe. God bless!