Notice on a slight format change:

Except for July 2012, these are mostly a collection of current devotional notes.

July 2012 is a re-write of old quiet times. My second child was born Nov 11, 1987 with multiple birth defects. I've been re-reading my QT notes from that time in my life, and have included them here. They cover the time before the birth and the few years immediately after the birth. They are tagged "historical." I added new insights and labeled them: ((TODAY, dd mmm yy)).

Friday, October 2, 2026

QT 10/2/2026 Eph 6:10–13, Why we must have the armor of God

Ephesians 6:10–13 (ESV) —

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

 

NOTE: I think sometimes we focus too much on ourselves or our relational abilities in living life for God, not realizing we have two classes of enemies. The physical / seen enemies to our spiritual growth are identifiable. They are evil people, corrupt politicians, media personalities, and a worldview created by those who hate God. But we are in danger if we rely only on what we see to fight our battles. The second class of enemies is an unseen group (not flesh and blood), but spiritual forces divided into rulers and authorities and just pure evil beings. The weapons have to be different and of a spiritual (unseen) nature. Paul calls this special group of tools, the armor of God. We can't limit ourselves to battles in the flesh, but we must be ready to battle in the spiritual nature as well, otherwise we are going to fall short and fail.

 

This is why we cannot win spiritual battles with new laws or voter registration or the right leaders or even apologetic arguments. It is only part of the problem. You have to prepare yourself to fight spiritual battles. In the next verses, Paul will lay out the armor of God and how to use it.

 

PONDER:

  1. Are you fighting spiritual battles only on the physical plane?
  2. Do you know how to fight spiritual battles in the spiritual plane as well?

 

PRAYER: Father, I pray even now for spiritual battles that are upcoming, specifically tomorrow night. I pray for a shield of faith, a wise use of the word of God, and a lifestyle that expresses the gentleness and kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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