Faith on the Go: Ep 3: Equipping Yourself with the Armor of God: Walking in Spiritual Vigilance

0:00 Welcome to the Diary of a Black Woman podcast, where faith empowers us to life's challenges. I'm your host, Connie Morris, and today we're diving into the critical aspect of spiritual life, spiritual warfare, and how to protect ourselves from deception. The title of today's episode is Equipping Yourself with the Armor of God. And it's episode three of Breaking the Deceit, Walking in Spiritual Vigilance. In this episode, we'll be reflecting on Ephesians 6, verses 10 through 18, where Paul describes the armor of God as a set of spiritual tools that God gives us to stand firm against the schemes of the enemy.

0:55 If we're able, if we're going to live in the truth and walk in alignment with God's will, we need to be equipped to resist the deception and the spiritual attacks. So let's explore how to put on this armor every day and live in spiritual victory. God always, always leaves us well equipped to defeat the enemy. So let's pray. Father God, we come before you asking you for strength and protection. As we dive into your word today, teach us how to equip ourselves with the armor you have given us.

1:37 Open our hearts to understand how to stand firm against the enemy's scheme and walk in victory. Guide us and protect us as we learn to fight our battles through your power. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. If you have your Bibles, go with me to Ephesians 6, verses 10 through 18. Here we see that Paul paints a vivid picture of the spiritual battles that we face as believers. He reminds us that our fight isn't against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of the enemy.

2:18 To stand firm, we need more than physical strength. We need spiritual armor, but we need God's spiritual armor. The armor of God is a gift from him. So let's just thank him for his gift designed to protect us and give us the tools we need to live out his truth. In today's world where deception and spiritual attacks are constant, understanding and wearing this armor is more critical than ever. So let's start out at Ephesians 6, 10, verse 10 through 18. We're just going to take our time and let's go to verse 10. says, finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

3:06 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against authorities, against the powers of this world, and against the spiritual forces in the heavenly realms. So Paul then goes on to describe six specific areas of armor that we can use to defend ourselves spiritually. So let's take a closer look at each one. Verse 14, the belt of truth. It says, stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist.

3:51 The belt of truth is the foundation of the armor of God. It represents the absolute truth found in God's word. Just as a belt holds everything together, the truth of God holds our spiritual armor in place. When we live in God's truth, we stand firm against deception. Think about the role that truth plays in your life. Are you grounding yourself in the word of God daily so that truth holds your spiritual life together? So built is the truth. What are you doing to stay grounded in truth?

4:33 Commit to starting your day with scriptures. When you meditate on the truth found in the Bible, you're preparing yourself to stand against the lies of the enemy. The more you know God's word, the easier it will be to recognize deception. Verse 14 still says, with the breastplate of righteousness in place. The breastplate protects your heart, the center of your emotions, thoughts, and desires. And we know from Genesis 3 that Eve's desires caused her to be deceived, right?

5:14 And so when we put on our breastplate of righteousness, it protects our emotions, our thoughts, and our desires. So the breastplate of righteousness represents living and right standing with God. When we pursue righteousness, we guard our hearts from the corruptions of the world. Are you guarding your heart by making righteous choices? Are you protecting yourself from harmful influences that pull you away from God? I like to ask, like, who are you listening to? because the first thing God asked Adam and Eve is who told you you were naked?

5:57 Who told you you were naked? Who are you listening to? Take time to examine your life. Are there areas where you need to align your actions with God's righteousness? Ask God to help you live a life that honors him and protects your heart against sin. What are you looking at? What are you listening to? A lot of times that has so great an influence on our emotions and our thoughts and our desires. Many times people say that, no, I have my sister. I love her. She sends me, she has my phone number, right? How many people got family with phone numbers?

6:38 But they like to communicate to you over the social media, but I'm not on social media, at least not on TikTok and all the other stuff. I said, are you sending me messages through TikTok? And she says, yeah. I said, well, can you call me? I'm not there. Get off TikTok and talk to me. I don't want to see what people doing on TikTok. I don't care about them. So be able to protect what your emotions and thoughts desire. Are you one of those people who are easily influenced by what you see here? And are you like to be part of the in crowd? Then be careful.

7:21 Put on your breastplate of righteousness. Take time to examine your life and are there areas where you need to align your action with God's righteousness? Ask God to help you live a life that honors him and protect your heart from sin. Number three, shoes of the gospel of peace. And with verse 15, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Shoes enable us to move forward, and the gospel of peace gives us stability and readiness. When we carry the gospel with us, we walk in peace, even in the midst of chaos and uncertainty.

8:05 We're always prepared to share the message of God's peace with others. I love that. Shoes have you moving forward. So if you're in a situation where you feel stuck, put on your gospel of peace shoes so you can go forward. How are you walking in peace? Are you ready to bring peace of Christ into every situation you face? When you feel overwhelmed or anxious, remind yourself of the peace that comes from knowing God. Be prepared to share that peace with others, especially in challenging situations.

8:47 Let the gospel guide your steps. Verse 16, the shield of faith. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. The shield of faith protects us from the attacks of doubt, fear, and lies that the enemy throws at us. Ooh, I love it. The shield of faith protect us from doubt, fear, and lies that the enemy throws at us. So when you're feeling doubt is kind of taking over, fear is taking over, or you don't know what to believe, right?

9:31 You put on your shield of faith and it protects you from those attacks. Faith is trusting. That's your faith because faith comes by what? Hearing and hearing the word of God. So you've already piled up a lot of faith from putting the word of God before you. And so faith is trusting in God's promises. Even when things look bleak, it allows us to deflect the enemy's attempt to weaken or discourage us. Is your faith strong enough to protect you from the enemy's attacks. Are you trusting in God's area of your life even when the circumstances are difficult?

10:14 Strengthen your faith by remembering God's faithfulness in your life. Keep a journal of answer prayer or victories to remind yourself of his goodness. When doubts or fear arises, hold up the shield of faith, trusting that God is working on your behalf. Number five, the helmet of salvation, verse 17. Take the helmet of salvation. I love that. Take the helmet of salvation. The helmet of salvation protects your mind. Our thoughts are often where the battle begins, and the enemy loves to plant seeds of doubt, insecurity, and fear.

10:55 The helmet of salvation reminds us that we are saved by grace through faith. We belong to Christ, and our minds must be aligned with that truth. Wow, it says, Helmet of Salvation protects your mind. Our thoughts are often where the battle begins, and the enemy loves to plant seeds of doubt, insecurity, and fear. The Helmet of Salvation reminds us that we are saved by grace through faith. We belong to Christ and our minds must align with the truth, with that truth.

11:35 Are your thoughts centered on your identity in Christ? Are you allowing negative thoughts to take root? Focus on your salvation, what it means to belong to Christ. Memorize scriptures that remind you of your worth and identity as a child of God. When negative thoughts creep in, take them captive and replace them with the truth of your salvation. And finally, verse 17, the sword of the spirit. The sword of spirit, which is the word of God. The sword of spirit is the only offensive weapon in the armor of God.

12:17 It represents the word of God, which can be used to fight against deception and spiritual attacks. Jesus used the scripture to combat the enemy's lies during his time in the wilderness. And we are called to do the same. I love that. Jesus used scripture to combat the enemy's lies. That means you need to know your word, right? Are you equipped with scripture to fight off the spiritual attacks? Do you know God's word well enough to use it as a weapon? Make scripture memorization a regular practice.

12:58 Pick key verses that remind you of God's power, promises, and protection. When you face spiritual battles, speak those scriptures out loud, just as Jesus did. Put on the armor daily. Now that we've broken down the pieces of the armor of God, let's talk about how to put this armor on daily. Every morning before you start your day, take a moment to pray through each piece of the armor, visualizing yourself putting on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation, and taking up the sword of the spirit.

13:44 This daily practice reminds you that you are equipped for whatever spiritual battles you may face. It sets the tone for a day of spiritual victory and prepares you to stand firm in the face of deception. Decrees for spiritual protection. I decree that I am clothed in the full armor of God with the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit. I stand firm against all forms of deception and spiritual attacks, and I walk in victory through the power of God.

14:31 You know, I say it twice, so let's go. Let's get ready. I decree that I am clothed in the full armor of God with the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit. I stand firm against all forms of deception and spiritual attacks. I walk in victory through the power of God. Let's pray. Father God, we thank you for the armor you provided for us. Help us to put it on daily and to walk in your strength and protection.

15:14 Help us to stand firm in your truth and to live righteously, and to share the gospel of peace with others. Strengthen our faith, protect our minds, and empower us to fight with your word. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Thank you for joining me today on the Diary of Black Women podcast with our Faith on the Go series. Just a reminder, chapter nine, Breaking the Seat, Walking in Spiritual Vigilance. Copy that will be available on the Diary of the Black Woman website. Blackwomenllc.com website for your enjoyment.

15:55 I hope these episodes has encouraged you to equip yourself with the armor of God and stand firm against the enemy's schemes. Stay tuned for our next episode. I think it's gonna be chapter 117, Whispers of Peace. Gonna be talking a lot about dreams. I've been getting a lot of dreams lately, so this one's going to walk us through a dream I had. Stay tuned for our next episode where we will explore even more profound insights from God's word. So until next time, may you walk in the strength and protection of the armor of God.