For the week of April 23-27, the word is WHOLE
START YOUR DAY WITH PRAISES AS YOU BLESS THIS DAY AND ALL YOU HAVE – STATE HOW YOU WANT YOUR DAY TO GO. PROCLAIM THE PROMISES AND FRAME YOUR DAY WITH YOUR WORDS! ANOINT THE DAY. YOU ARE ANOINTED AND APPOINTED FOR A TIME SUCH AS THIS! BELIEVE IT!
Ephesians 6:10-18 (Amplified)
10In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].
11Put on God’s whole armor [the armor 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.
12For 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.
13Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].
14Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God,
15And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the [a]firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness [b]produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace.
16Lift up over all the [covering] shield of [c]saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one].
17And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit [d]wields, which is the Word of God.
18Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).
When you woke up this morning, did you think about the war waging around you? You may think as you are reading this that you are not in a war. The Word says differently! Verse 12 clearly lays out our opponents. Pretending this does not apply to you does not make it so. Think about this from the natural physical standpoint. If you were in the military and stationed at the battlefront, you would want whatever armor was available before you went outside and possibly even while inside. You would do whatever was necessary to keep your body safe! Why then when the Word tells us we are in a battle – when it says we have been given armor – do we continue to walk around uncovered? Why do we leave our armor hanging in our spiritual closet and only bring it out after we have taken a crippling blow! Once we are bleeding we try to pray and start grappling for our armor but then it is ineffective. We are in pain, bleeding, and often confused about what happened and how. That’s when we reach out to someone else and want them to use their shield for us.
What if you prepared properly? What if you weren’t caught off-guard? What if you did what Verse 18 instructs – Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people). What if you were the one to strip away the enemy’s devices? What if you never saw the enemy because you disarmed him long before he was able to be seen? That’s what prayer will do. It may look like nothing is happening but that’s because your prayers are working. You are keeping the enemy buttoned up and he can’t gain any ground. That’s why you must stay alert – stay watchful – stay purposeful and persevere at all times in all seasons! If you don’t let what you see motivate you in prayer but pray with diligence and fervor in all seasons then your effectiveness will be consistent.
For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (Amplified)
We are to walk by faith in the Word and not be moved by what we see. Things are not always as they appear so do not be moved by appearances; however, we are to avoid even the appearance of evil.
Abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 (King James)
The right thing is to eat no meat or drink no wine [at all], or [do anything else] if it makes your brother stumble or hurts his conscience or offends or weakens him. Romans 14:21 (Amplified)
Avoid the appearance of evil so we do not allow the enemy to use us to disarm those around us. Avoid the appearance of evil so the whole of our testimony stands. Avoid the appearance of evil so our armor is whole and complete. Avoid appearances – we are not to walk by appearances but by the Word. Put on the WHOLE Armor – PRAY without ceasing – FIGHT the good fight – RUN the race! KNOW YOUR ENEMY – know you are not at war against flesh and blood but you are in a spiritual battle. PRAISE God, Jesus already WON but we must continue in battle until we have run our entire race! Watch and pray – pray and watch – stay alert! Don’t let the enemy catch you unaware! Don’t be lulled into slumber – don’t let your guard down! Persevere – press in – push forward – build yourself up through prayer and meditation! Choose the WHOLE ARMOR! Choose to TRUST IN, RELY ON, ABIDE IN, AND REQUIRE HIS PRESENCE, HIS WORD, AND THE WHOLE ARMOR AS OF YOUR VITAL NECESSITY FOR OUT OF IT FLOWS VICTORY! Choose Well…
