Fight From Victory

Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Starting the day without Jesus is like going to battle without a sword—it doesn’t end well. I should know; I’ve done it countless times.

Instead of putting the Word before the world, I grab my phone first to scroll social media or answer emails, or I press snooze several times and start the day rushed and unprepared. Sometimes, by midday, I wonder why I feel so off, only to realize I didn’t settle my soul in the Lord. I went to battle without a sword.

The lure of a quick check-in online or a few minutes on social media is tantalizing. Like moths to a flame, we are drawn to what’s shiny rather than what’s best for our souls. Without even being conscious of it, we start and end our days by checking out of life rather than checking in with God. But praise God, one moment in the Word has the power to change our entire outlook.

God’s Word is more than a book to collect dust on your nightstand; it’s a weapon God has equipped us with to fight the enemy’s lies and replace them with gospel truth. Paul encouraged believers to put on the whole armor of God and live in the victory of Jesus (see John 16:33; Ephesians 6:10-17). Each day when we get dressed, the most important thing we can put on is God’s otherworldly, impenetrable armor.

The battle we fight is not against other people or illness or potential catastrophe, but “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness” (Ephesians 6:12). We do not fight in our own strength but in the perfect strength of Christ. Putting on God’s armor enables us to stand up and “fight the good fight of the faith” rather than retreat in fear (1 Timothy 6:12).

In the list of the armor God has provided for his people—the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace, the helmet of salvation, and the shield of faith—the only tool of offense is the sword of the Spirit. We protect ourselves from Satan’s flaming arrows with the armor, and we counterattack with the sword of the Spirit, the living and active Word of God (see Hebrews 4:12).

No matter how your morning started today, center this moment around Jesus. Open your Bible and pray God’s life-giving, soul-piercing Word. Slip your arm into the shield of faith. Put on the breastplate of righteousness, and stand firm in what you know to be true in God’s Word. Move forward in faith, with the gospel of peace springing in your steps. And most important, don’t forget to bring your sword to defeat every lie and discouragement the enemy sends your way.

As a child of God, you fight from victory, not for victory, and he has already given you everything you need for this day and this life, right on the pages of his Word.

Word before World God’s Word is the offensive weapon we use to fight Satan’s attacks. His flaming arrows are his impenetrable promises, piercing every lie.

Grow in Grace What battle are you fighting today? Don’t go to battle without your sword. Meditate on God’s Word, and fight from the victory you have in Christ!