Victory Day Thirty-Three: Suit Up for War

The horse is prepared for the day of battle,
but the victory belongs to the Lord.

Prov. 21:31, NLT

Do you ever feel like nothing you do makes a difference in the unseen spiritual war? The victory may belong to the Lord, but we have the essential job of getting our horses ready. What does that mean? I’m glad you asked.

In the Bible, horses represent strength, advantage, wealth, and pageantry. Foot soldiers wielding sticks are not very impressive, but an armored soldier riding horseback, with the banner of his king flowing behind as he rides, stops the opposition in its tracks.

We “prepare our horse” by putting on the armor of God from Ephesians chapter six. Why is it necessary? Two very good reasons (vs. 11-13):

·         so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes

·         so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand

            Verses 14-18 tell us what we need:

1.      The belt of truth holds everything together (vs. 14). If we don’t know the truth, we’ll lose more than just our pants in battle. We will “expose” ourselves to strange beliefs that leave us vulnerable to injury and death.

 

2.      The breastplate of righteousness (vs. 14) protects our heart. If we love anyone or anything more than God, our heart will be unprotected from the arrows of the enemy. God knows only our love for Him can shield us from destructive affections.

 

3.      Proper footgear is also important (vs. 15). We need to be ready to run – not away from battle, but to spread the Good News of peace. Those who surrender to God find release from servitude to a dark and cruel lord. God’s captives become children of His kingdom and heirs to the wealth of heaven. So we need to be ready to run with the news.

 

4.      The shield of faith (vs. 16) is what we use to put out the fiery arrows aimed at the gaps in our armor. Whether it’s intellect, unbridled emotion, physical strength, wealth, or skill we’re counting on, Satan knows every weakness. Only a steadfast faith in God can deflect these arrows and keep us from falling.

 

5.      The last piece of armor is the helmet of salvation (vs. 17). You can’t get very far without a head. A chicken may run around with its head cut off, but it doesn’t know what it’s doing and its destiny is the dinner table. We must decide in our mind whom we will serve. That’s why salvation is essential; without it we will mindlessly run in circles until the enemy cooks us up for dinner.

Did you notice that we get five pieces of armor for protection, but only two for fighting?  But what weapons! Our sword is the Word of God (vs. 17) and prayers led by the Spirit of God (vs. 18) work together to defeat the enemy, both for us and for others. Through them God can bring the victory.

So let’s suit up for battle and ride out with the Lord for victory today. He has given us everything we need to win.