In a powerful message I recently delivered to Colour City Church in Orange, I shared a timely challenge that has been on my heart: it is time for us as believers to boldly take a stand for our faith and colour our cities with the love of Jesus. Drawing from Ephesians 6, I wanted to unpack what it practically means for us to dress for spiritual battle and stand firm on the “evil day.”
Here is a summary of the key takeaways from my message.
Identifying the Real Enemy
Before we can fight, we need to know exactly who we are fighting. Our battle is not against “flesh and blood.” We are not fighting our local governments, politicians, or physical illnesses like the flu; instead, our true adversaries are unseen spiritual principalities and powers of darkness.
Because our battle is spiritual, we must dress for it intentionally. Just as a diver wouldn’t put on a wetsuit to go to bed, we as Christians must purposefully put on our spiritual armour every single day to enter the fight.
Putting on the Armour
To stand firm, we must break down the specific components of the “whole armour of God” that every single one of us needs to put on.
- The Belt of Truth: Jesus is the ultimate truth, and knowing what God says about you is essential to fighting off the devil’s lies. I love sharing the incredible testimony of my mother-in-law, Sue, who was diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer. After rejecting the lie that she was going to die and choosing instead to stand firmly on the truth of God’s healing, the cancer miraculously disappeared from her body in just three days.
- The Breastplate of Righteousness: Righteousness is a gift from God that we can never earn. When we confess our shortcomings, God completely cleanses us, removing the sin as if it never happened. Knowing that you are made completely right with God silences the devil’s accusations and sends him running.
- The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace: You don’t put on shoes just to sit on the couch. The Gospel is meant to send us out into the world. Because the Gospel is “tragic good news”—good because of heaven, but tragic because hell is a reality—we must always be prepared to share the hope of Jesus with everyone we meet.
- The Shield of Faith: I always stress that faith is something you do, not just something you say. To experience God’s overwhelming blessing, we must be “doers of the word” and actively step out in faith.
- The Helmet of Salvation: Salvation is a beautiful work of grace received through faith. I often warn people against overcomplicating salvation with religious rules and debates over specific rituals; instead, simply put the helmet on and get moving!
- The Sword of the Spirit (The Word of God): This piece of armour is the Rhema—the living, spoken word of God that prompts us to act. Acting on God’s spoken word can yield incredible miracles. A living word sent me to Uganda on faith without full financial backing. By stepping out, my team and I overcame intense physical and spiritual opposition, and we witnessed incredible miracles—including a mute girl speaking her very first word (“Amen”) and people being completely delivered from demonic forces.
A Call to Pray Always
Having put on the whole armour, our final and ongoing step is to be “praying always” with all perseverance. I want to leave you with an encouraging reminder that as believers, we are “condemned to win.” When we intentionally put on our spiritual armour and commit to prayer, no force can stand against us.
Are you ready to take a stand today? Put on the whole armour, step out in faith, and let your light shine!