Armor of God Archives | Creating a Great Day

When Satan Attacks: God’s Armor as Protection

by April E | Faith, fear, Spiritual Growth, Spiritually Provoking, Trials, Trust, worry

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I grew up in Oklahoma and attended Oklahoma Christian University. Right after earning my degree in Music Education I moved to Germany to do mission work for 5 years. During those 5 years, I married my husband and we eventually became parents to our spunky daughter! We settled back in Oklahoma and added an energetic son to our family! I am now a stay-at-home mom who is still very passionate about mission work, Germany, singing, family, and most of all, my relationship with God.

Not “If” But “When” Satan Attacks

It’s not really a question of “if” but “when” Satan will try hard to fight against the plans of God. I felt like Satan was especially on the attack during the summer of 2015, when my family led a campaign to Germany. So many things didn’t go as planned or were frustrating, and it seemed like Satan was trying to ruin our excitement and efforts. But thankfully, we were able to use God’s strength to push through them.

As we prepared to leave for our trip overseas, a couple of things happened that were not in the plans. About a week or so before we left, we found termites in our house. Ugh! Thanks to a great friend and pest control guy, he was out quickly to get rid of those awful things. Then, only a couple days before we left, we had a strong rainstorm and our office ceiling started to leak. It was a holiday weekend, so of course no one was really open until THE DAY we were scheduled to leave on our trip.

Once again, friends stepped up to help. A friend knew a roofer and personally called and asked if they could come out as soon as possible. Thankfully, we weren’t leaving until later in the day. The roofing company came out first thing that morning, checked everything out, and fixed the leak. Thank you again, Lord! God showed us again that His plan was greater than Satan’s.

One Problem After Another

What, then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Romans 8:31-32

I felt like I actually got to see this verse face-to-face during that summer campaign. What a testimony to His goodness! One thing after another kept happening, yet God continued to work and allowed us to go on with the plans He gave us to do. We had a cancelled flight on the way to Germany, causing us to arrive one day late. I was feeling sick when we left and ended up going to the doctor in Germany for antibiotics. So, for the first couple of weeks of our trip I was without a singing voice. This was a problem since I was the music director and was also supposed to sing with the group!

One of our campaigners fell on some stairs and hurt his foot and needed to use crutches for a majority of the trip. My husband Clint got a bug bite or tick that got infected and had to take a strong dose of antibiotics in case it was Lyme disease. Clint also pulled his calf muscle at the end of our trip and needed crutches the last few days and for the trip home.

Realizing Satan was Behind the Attacks

Can you see why I feel so strongly that Satan was attacking us and trying to prevent the work we were trying to do? I’m thankful that in those moments, I realized it was Satan just trying to discourage us and prevent us from going on. That realization gave me the great motivation to not be discouraged, but to keep reaching for our goals and to do everything we could to ruin Satan’s plan.

Our Protection Against the Attack

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 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. 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. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Ephesians 6:10-20

Fighting Back with the Armor of God

If we can acknowledge when Satan is attacking, we can fight back using the armor of God to protect us. God has given us this armor to protect us from evil and to keep us close to him. First, we have the belt of truth.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 14:6

Jesus needs to be our first protection. He is the truth that gives our lives purpose. We need to trust in Him to fight our battles for us and to guide us through all evil.

Put on Your Breastplate and Shoes

The breastplate of righteousness protects our heart. We must make the decision every day to choose God’s righteousness over the evils of this world in order to protect our hearts from being overcome by darkness. The shoes of readiness could represent the need to stand firm in our faith and be ready to bring God’s gospel of peace to others.

How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!

Romans 10:15

Take Your Shield and Helmet

The shield of faith protects us from the flaming darts that Satan throws at us. Maybe those darts are doubts, worries, temptations, or difficult times. Whatever Satan hurls at us, we have to trust in God to be our protector and strength. The helmet of salvation is what helps sustain our confidence and assurance in our salvation through God. Satan wants to break our confidence in order to tear us away from God. Have you have had thoughts of doubt, worry, anxiety, and hopelessness start to take root in your mind out of nowhere? I know I do at times! I feel very strongly that these thoughts come specifically from Satan and this world’s evil forces. Praise God that He gives us so many promises of peace, hope, and love!

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

John 16:33

Don’t Forget the Sword

The sword of the Spirit is God’s Word, which the Holy Spirit led men to write these divinely inspired words. We must continue to go to the scriptures to learn how to navigate through all of Satan’s attacks. By strengthening our knowledge of God, it will bring us closer to Him. Other ways we fight against Satan’s attacks are praying in the Spirit. Let the Spirit speak through our prayers by listening and keeping alert with all perseverance. Ephesians also says that we should be in supplication for all the saints. It’s important we encourage each other and pray for one another in times when we are under attack. If we share with one another when we are attacked, we will have our brothers and sisters to lean on and fight with us.

Have you ever felt like Satan was attacking you?

How did you fight against these attacks?

I would love to hear how God helped you through these times!

Dear Apathy, It Is Time For You To Leave

by Anonymous | Encouragement, Missions, Obedience, Outreach, Spiritually Provoking

Dear Apathy,

We underestimated you. You have quietly made your way into the hearts of many, generations at a time. Where some people were focused on extreme feelings and actions, you silently grabbed hold of an entire unsuspecting group. You have produced the lie that “ignorance is bliss,” and the lie that has been fed to many, is now becoming a full course meal. You have become one of our greatest unknown enemies.

I see you in the home. I see how you have slithered your way into the hearts of husbands and fathers; wives and mothers; sons and daughters. Your ability to break down the family unit is horrifying, at best. I see your utter delight as families dissipate–or worse yet, just live comfortably with indifference as the spine of their family body.

A Code of Indifference

When I look upon the world, your wicked stain is evident. People are suffering and children dying…very few even shed a tear, while even fewer notice. Slavery, trafficking, murder, starvation, and illness plague nations; you sit silently by in smugness as masses of people follow your lead. You have programmed the hearts of many to react only when it is themselves that suffer, a code of “not my problems, not my worries” by which they live.

I see your handiwork in many places and in many forms. Perhaps the worst and most dangerous place I see you at work, is in the heart of the believer. A group of people, called by His name, turning a blind eye…no, much worse, turning an indifferent eye. They live and work among lost souls and they are surrounded by loved ones who are damned to eternal separation from all that is good and true, the very hell of being separated from the presence of God Himself. Yet, you have convinced them that apathy is better than risking it all – their friendships and relationships, or possibly even their reputations, are not worth sacrificing.

You have settled yourself into the hearts of many, your complacent disease eating away at the masses. Unnoticed is the fact that people from one end of the earth to the other are dying without hope, without rescue, and without ever knowing the One who came to love them and free them from bondage. Apathy, you are doing your work well. Yes, you are doing your work well.

A Warning

Finally, I feel like it would be best to warn you. You see, your days are limited and your reign is short. There is another group of people, and they are rising up. I see ones who cling to the words of God and not only claim them, but live them out for Kingdom’s sake. You will know them…not just by the words they say, but by what they do, as well.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 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. – Ephesians 6:10-12

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. – Romans 12:9-13

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. – Galatians 6:9

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? – Micah 6:8

The Conquering Redeemer

You see, your hold on us, a people group belonging to the fallen human race, is only possible when we do nothing. But there is One who can destroy you in an instant; in fact, He already has. The thing of it is, people are starting to take notice. People are starting to see your destructive ways and they are claiming His victory over you in their lives. How do I know this? Because I am among those who are being set free from your hold and my family is being rescued from your grasp. I am seeing people mobilize and take action. They see the broken, they see the hurt, they see the injustice and they are rising up against it all; they are rising up against you.

In conclusion, I revisit my opening statement. You were an underestimated obstruction to all things mentioned above, but you were never outside the knowledge of God. This was much to your undoing. Where you meant to destroy, He means to redeem and restore. Where you meant to stagnate lives, He means to rejuvenate and breathe life. Where you meant to inspire to do nothing, He empowers to go and do something. You see, in the end, you lose.

So I bid you farewell, dear Apathy…it is time for you to leave.