Day 4: Take the sword of the Spirit
Take... the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17).
Triune God, through the Lord Jesus Christ You showed us the contrast between Your great love for humanity, and the deadly designs of the destroyer of souls: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10).
Lord, we do not truly apprehend the spiritual realm and its dangers— blindness, naiveté, and unbelief often combine to lull us into carelessness, mockery, or even pride. But You have described to us the struggle in which we are engaged: not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12).
We need only look at the manifestation of evil in the natural world to understand its reality, its cruelty, its deadliness, and its power. The Holy Spirit warns us through the apostle Peter: Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). And our Lord Jesus taught us to pray, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (Matthew 6:13).
You teach us to recognize evil, not to cower before it, or to be preoccupied with it, but to resist it, and refute it, and stand against it. And although we cannot stand against evil in our own strength, we stand in Yours. You have given us the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). And we have the example of the Lord Jesus, who was tempted in every way just as we are— yet He did not sin (Hebrews 4:15).
Thank You O God for safeguarding and defending us. Thank You for Your armor— the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of gospel peace. Thank You for the shield of faith and for the helmet of salvation. And thank You for the sword of the Spirit that tears down enemy lies and distortions.
Thank You that the Lord Jesus, the One who is the Truth, the One who is the Word, showed us how to lean on the Word to parry the thrusts of deceit and deception. Thank You, that standing securely on what our Lord says, we can dismantle attacks on our weaknesses, our vulnerabilities and our insecurities.
Lord, thank You for the covering of prayer— for Your people, for each other, for ourselves, for our children, for our families, for our friends and circles, for our communities, our nations, our world. Help us to pray in the Spirit for all these— on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests (Ephesians 6:18).
Give us the strength to persevere, to prevail with alert, ceaseless prayer. Defend us, O God. Shield and protect us in the safety of Your shelter. Deliver us from evil.
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