How Are You Using Your Weapons?

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On
the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ~2
Corinthians 10:4 (NIV)



A stronghold is simply something that
has a strong hold on us. Many times in the Psalms, God is referred to as
our stronghold, fortress, or refuge. We should want Him to have a
strong hold on us . . . and He does!



Unfortunately, there are
other strongholds as well, crafted by the enemy of our souls for the
purpose of stealing, killing, and destroying our lives. Praise be to
God, in His great goodness He also provides us with what we need to
demolish these strongholds--spiritual weapons.



Finally, be
strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of
God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For
our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore
put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you
may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to
stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your
waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your
feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In
addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can
extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of
salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And
pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and
requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all
the Lord’s people. ~Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV)


For the
stronghold Satan places in our minds and thoughts, God has given us His
helmet of salvation. Once we accept His free gift of grace and life, we
are eternally safe. No one is able to snatch you from God's grip (John
10:28-29).
For the lies Satan wants us to believe, God has given
us His belt of truth. He is Truth (John 14:6) and His Word is truth.
Counteract those lies with truth!
For the stronghold of blame
and shame Satan so often uses on us, God has given us the breastplate of
His righteousness. While we can't be righteous on our own (Romans 3:10,
23; Isaiah 64:6; Matthew 5:20), God through Jesus Christ's atoning
sacrifice has given us His righteousness in exchange for our sin (2
Corinthians 5:21). There is NO condemnation for those in Christ Jesus!
(Romans 8:1)
For the war of hate and malice Satan has waged on
us and the rest of the world, God has given us feet prepared to spread
the opposite--peace. Not peace like the world gives, but His peace (John
14:27), but shalom peace--total well-being, and a peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7).
For
the flaming arrows of doubt, despair, desperation and depression Satan
hurls our way, God has given us the shield of faith. Our faith in His
grace, goodness, and victory over sin and death is more than enough to
quench those fiery arrows.
For the message of hopelessness and
destruction Satan screams throughout the world, God has given us the
sword of the Spirit--His Word. Meditate on it day and night to keep your
heart and mind focused on the good (Psalm 1:1-3; Philippians 4:8).
For
the separation Satan tries to bring between us and God (Genesis 3), God
has given us the blessing of prayer. No matter what, no matter where,
He is always there for us, and He's as close as the mention of His name.