Immune to Fear Week 2Sample

## Dressed for Battle The Bible uses military analogies to describe the way in which followers of Jesus are to prepare for attacks from the devil: whether they come in the form of fear, temptation, iniquity, sickness, or disease. Paul gives a famous example of this in his letter to the Church in Ephesus, “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 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. 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. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere” (Ephesians 6:10-18). In ancient times, a soldier in the Roman Empire would put on his complete battle gear before engaging the enemy. Paul explained that in the same manner, we should also be fully dressed in spiritual armor, ready for every battle. Our spiritual armor has both defensive and offensive components designed to protect our spiritual lives. Each piece of this armor serves a specific purpose and provides much needed protection for us. Salvation, faith, truth, righteousness, and peace, are more than Christian virtues; they are components of our spiritual battle gear! We must have these virtues to be both good witnesses for Jesus and effective soldiers in His army. We are God’s children of peace; we are likewise His children in war. That means you are destined to face adversity, and destined to win, because God is your Father! Proverbs 24:10 says, “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.” We put on salvation, faith, truth, and righteousness, so we can stand strong against the devil’s weapons formed against us. There is another weapon in our arsenal that packs the biggest punch to the kingdom of darkness! It’s the ultimate spiritual weapon known to mankind, and the only force strong enough to render Satan a defeated foe now and forevermore! Have you guessed what it is already? It’s the precious blood of Jesus! The cross was the ultimate thermonuclear bomb to the armies of hell. The poured-out blood of Jesus forever changed the trajectory of every battle that ever was and ever will be, to a complete triumph over the kingdom of darkness! Jesus has already won the victory over hell and death; it is up to us to believe it and align ourselves with this truth! “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death” (Revelation 12:11). The only ones that have any reason to fear are those who are fighting in futility on the dark side. However, we stand dressed and ready for every battle, knowing we have already been declared overcomers through the powerful blood of Jesus! Source: (adapted from Slaying Dragons. Chapter 6)