Journal Entry ~ 02/11/18

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. - Ephesians 6:12-13

When Paul says “the evil day”, he is not necessarily referring to the big battle coming in the future, he is referring to those days in our future when we will be tempted into sin. The evil day is when you’ve been beat down by an awful day, and your child triggers does something wrong - we explode rather than responding in a Godly way. Or perhaps the evil day comes when you’ve been struggling in our marriage and a man in the office is kind to you and shows you attention. Or perhaps the evil day is when you’ve been struggling financially and living on such a tight budget, and an opportunity presents itself to spend money so you take it out of your tithes. Paul uses the word wrestle verse 12 to indicate the evil day is when we’re literally wrestling with our choice about what we should do. 

We all have different weakness. Some of us struggle with the temptation of adultery or attention, some struggle with the temptation of anger, some struggle with impulsivity with food or money, some struggle with pride or a refusal to submit. Know your temptations. Arming yourself with the full armor of God starts with knowing your weakness and guarding them. Don’t put yourself in the situation that will allow sin to tempt you.  Don’t underestimate the enemy’s power to tempt you in those situations. 

We are instructed in scripture to flee from sin, but to resist the devil. Stay away from those situations that cause you to sin. When you see them coming, remove yourself until you have armed yourself with the whole armor of God - that’s how you resist the devil. Know your weaknesses, then arm yourself with the scriptures that speak to your struggles. Saturate your mind with His Word.  Jesus resisted the temptations of the enemy by reciting scripture as a way to teach us that’s what we’re supposed to do. Have those scriptures ready for when the temptations come. Then flee the temptation - walk away until you have your armor on. Get alone and guard your mind with His Word before you come back and speak those words out loud. That’s how you resist the enemy in the evil day. 


Press on ~ you are loved 💗

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