Read (from the New Living Translation)

¹⁰ A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹² For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

¹³ Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. ¹⁵ For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. ¹⁶ In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. ¹⁷ Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

¹⁹ And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. ²⁰ I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.

Ephesians 6:10-20

Go Deep

Our minds play an important role as we walk through hard times. Joy from The Carlos & Joy Show writes about this today.

I’m not good enough.

I can’t do it.

With each step these thoughts entered my mind as I walked into the studio to do my show. Instead of feeling confident and planning through the amazing topics we had prepared, my mind turned to attack me with insecurities and fears.

You have probably had these thoughts at some point in your life, but if you suffer from negative self-talk like I do then you might feel this way every day. I know that many people deal with insecurity, but for some those insecurities can become a constant negative narrative in their mind.

I have a particularly busy mind, meaning that I’m always thinking about several things at once. All that over-thinking and over-analyzing can easily be used against me. That’s why I need to prepare and fight against it.

If you know you will be faced with an onslaught of insecurity and negativity then why not get ready to fight against it and win?

Ephesians 6:13 says “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.”

We have armor available to us and while it might not be as tangible as a shield, it can be even more effective. Our minds are a battlefield and we need to seek the Lord if we hope to win.

The days when I wake up late, fly into work, and then try to stay in a healthy mindset are always hard. But if I wake up and have a conversation with God, get into His word, and give the parts of my day to him ahead of time then I am prepared for when the lies comes flying at me like flaming arrows.

When my thoughts echo the phrase “You are going to fail.”

My heart responds with, “It does not matter if I fail or succeed because I am not defined by what I do, but rather who I am in Christ.”

When I hear, “You can’t do it.”

I respond with, “Exactly. I can’t do it alone. I will lean into the Lord for His strength today because I am not alone.”

God does not want us to be susceptible to every lie and negative thought the enemy throws our way. But the truth is that without him we will easily begin to believe the lies. One of my favorite verses is:

Philippians 4:6-7 “⁶Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

We have so much victory, peace, and power available to us if we know how to prepare. Don’t miss your time with the Lord today even if it’s a short prayer to hand the negative self talk over to him and ask for his full armor to guard and protect you.

Notes from the Beyond Suffering Bible

The Armor of God – Although we face a real enemy who is out to destroy our souls, the good news is that God has given us everything we need to be victorious in the fight. Our “armor” consists of truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, the Word of God, prayer, and the power of the Holy Spirit. So don’t get caught in enemy territory unprepared—put on the armor of God each and every day!

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