Diabolical Footsteps

January 2nd's devotion discusses Satan as a serpent in both Genesis and Revelation in the Holy Bible. He is seen to be cunning,articulate, a liar, a deceiver and destroyer, and an enemy of the Lord Jesus Christ. The devotion goes on to explain how we should never attempt to take Satan on by ourselves; we should rely on Jesus to fight our spiritual battles.

This one has me thinking. Every time I try to get closer in my relationship with Jesus,Satan seems to pop up and want to take me down. Every time I try to do the right thing,Satan is there to tempt me to do something I know is wrong. Sometimes I think I see and feel Satan's presence in people who are close to me, and it makes me unsure and a bit uneasy. This reminded me of a time when I was teaching Sunday school to a group of 3 and 4 year-olds, and I had to explain to them what it meant to 'put on the armor of God'. Because that was several years ago, I researched the armor of God as a refresher,and here is what I found:

To put on the "full armor"--and enjoy a daily and eternal love-relationship with Jesus Christ, thank Him for what He has shown you in His Word. Know the Scriptures behind your prayer so that your words and faith are grounded in the authority of the Bible. (Some of those verses are listed in the chart above.) Then pray through each piece. You can use the following prayer as an outline:

• The belt of truth: Thank you, my Lord, for showing me the TRUTH about Yourself, Your plans and Your ways. Thank You for reminding me that You are the only God, the Creator of heaven and earth, the King of the universe, my Father who loves me, and my Shepherd who leads me. You are my wisdom, my counselor, my hope, and my strength. You are everything I need each day!

• The breastplate of righteousness: Thank You for showing me the truth about myself -- that on my own I could never be good enough to live in your presence. Thank you for taking my sins to the cross and offering me your perfect, RIGHTEOUS life.  Lord, show me any sin that I need to confess right now, so that nothing will hinder me from being filled to overflowing with your Spirit. [Take time for confession] Thank you for forgiving me and for filling me with your RIGHTEOUS life.

• The sandals of peace: Thank you for the peace you give me when I trust and follow you. Show me how to help others find that PEACE.

• The shield of faith: Thank you for helping me have FAITH in you. I choose to count on everything you have shown me about yourself -- and everything you have promised me in your Word.

• The helmet of salvation: Thank you for promising me SALVATION both for today's battles and for all eternity.

• The sword of the spirit, the Word of God: Thank you for the scriptures you have given me to memorize. Please show me which  you want me to use to cut through deceptions and gain your victory in any battle I may face today.
  
  
  

  God's Armor	Know the Truth about...	Affirm key Scriptures
  Belt of TRUTH	God: the Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit	"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6) Deut. 4:39; Psalm 23:1; 18:1-3
  Breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS	The holy and perfect righteousness of Jesus in those who are "born again" and filled with His Spirit	"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." (Matt. 5:6)Psalm 100:3; Rom. 3:23-24, 6:23; Gal. 2:20-21; Phil. 3:8-10.
  Sandals of PEACE	Inner peace and readiness	"For He Himself is our peace..." (Eph. 2:14-15) Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:14; John 14:27, 16:33, 20:21.
  Shield of FAITH	Living by faith	"I am crucified with Christ:...and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God...." (Gal. 2:20) Rom. 4:18-21; Heb. 11:1; 1 Pet. 1:6-7
  Helmet of SALVATION	Salvation through Christ today and forever	"Nor is there salvation in any other..."(Acts 4:12) Each day: Ps. 16, 23; Heb. 1:3-6 For eternity: 2 Cor. 4:16-18; 1 Thess. 4:17; 1 John 3:1-3
  The victorious Sword of the spirit: GOD'S WORD	God's Word countering spiritual deception and accusations	"...the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory...." (John 1:14)  Heb. 4:12; Matt. 4:2-11; 1 Pet. 3:15; Ps. 119:110-112

  
  
  This has been a good reminder for me. I need to practice putting on this armor,perhaps first thing in the morning each morning. With armor such as this, I can battle anything that comes my way, whether it be a traffic jam, a negative peer influence, gossip, sickness, or even death. I know these things; I just need the reminders,because it's so easy to get caught up in my own life and what is directly affecting me at one given moment. It helps to remember that God has my back, I just have to ask for his help when I need it