Ephesians 6:11-13 says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness in this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
During this unprecedented time of quarantine due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak and as our normal schedules have drastically changed, we can either fill our days with anxiety and fear, watching the daily news headlines, or we can open our Holy Bible and read God’s comforting Scripture verses of hope to guide you through these perilous times.
As Psalm 119:11 tells us, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” The coronavirus and this quarantine are no surprise to the LORD our God. The Almighty God is always in control and we all need to seek His will and purpose at this present by “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18).
Who can doubt the reality of evil in this world? Almost everyone agrees that evil is moving very rapidly around the earth from drugs, to trafficking women in the sex industry, homosexuality, man’s inhumanity, murders, greed, sexual trauma, alcohol and drug abuse, suicides, as well as immorality. The Bible’s explanation recognizes the profound reality of evil and the deadly impact of the invisible evil spiritual forces that lie behind the scene in many forms.
The Armor of God
Ephesians 6:10-18 says, “… 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.”
The whole armor includes:
. The Helmet of Salvation
. The Shield of Faith
. The Breastplate of Righteousness
. The Belt of Truth
. The Sword of the Spirit
. The Gospel of Peace
The Helmet of Salvation
You can be prepared in every challenge, by making sure that you are a person sharing God’s truth. This includes sharing the gospel news about our Lord Jesus and why you believe in Him. 1 Peter 2:12 says, “Live such good lives … that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God…” “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense of everyone who asks you to reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:15-17). “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
The Shield of Faith
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
“… Above all, taking the shield of faith with which, you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one” (Ephesians 6:16).
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith” (1 John 5:4).
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
“For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
“As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him” (2 Samuel 22:31).
“He also prepares for Himself instruments of death; He makes His arrows into fiery shafts” (Psalm 7:13).
“You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great” (Psalm 18:35).
(Further Scripture verses: Genesis 15:1; Psalm 3:3; 18:2; 28:7; 33:20; 46:9; 76:3).
The Breastplate of Righteousness
In Isaiah 59, the LORD puts on “righteousness as a breastplate,” and goes to battle against injustice and corruption, restoring peace and order around the earth. Putting on the breastplate of righteousness means:
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain” (Galatians 2:20,21).
“You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the personal of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor” (Leviticus 19:15).
“You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions” (Hebrews 1:9).
“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17).
“… even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:22-23).
The Belt of Truth
Ephesians 6:14 says, “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth ….”
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’” (John 14:6).
“… having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evil doers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:12). Other Scripture verses: 1 Peter 3:15,16; John 3:16.
The Sword of the Spirit
Ephesians 6:17 says, “Take … the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” The Gospel new, gives us God’s plan of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ death, burial, and resurrection to save and give us abundant and eternal life through the Lord our God who loves us. “… if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
“When Jesus Christ was tempted by the devil, He used Bible Scripture verses to answer and the devil left Him” (Matthew 4:1-11).
(Further Scripture verses: Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 4:10; Joshua 1:9; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Mark 16:15; Hebrews 4:12).
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
The Gospel of Peace
Ephesians 6:15 says, “…and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace…” The Gospel of Peace is the good news that now through the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ we now have peace with God. Now we can go to God’s throne of grace and confess our sins and God the Father through the Son of God will forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.
According to 1 Thessalonians 5:13 and John 13:35, the Lord God wants us to live in peace and unity with one another. The Lord our God is love, joy and peace and wants us to know that He has everything under control.
“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6,7).
In conclusion, to fight the good fight, we need to be in constant contact with our Lord God, and that means to stay in contact by prayer and reading His word in the Holy Bible daily. Remember, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, please help us to put on the full armor of God so that we can take our 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. (Ephesians 6:10-18). Lord God, You have given us Your word and Spirit so that we will have the wisdom and protection to stand against the enemy. Lord God we know that You are in control and no matter how cruel and vicious the enemy’s schemes, he can never chain our spirits that have been set free by Jesus Christ. Lord God we need Your word far more than we need the news of the world. We know that this quarantine is no surprise to You. And maybe You are allowing this season of uncertainty so that we will recenter our lives on Your will and purpose for our journey on earth. Lord, we may forget at times … that this world is a battlefield. Every day we face a spiritual war with the enemy of our body, soul and spirit which comes from the forces of darkness, led by the devil whose main objectives are to kill, steal and destroy. The devil does not care if we are not prepared and prayed up for the new day. He does not want us to be prepared. Lord, please help us to fast and pray, watch and pray, pray one for another, and to pray without ceasing with songs and praises to You our blessed Creator, LORD and Master. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
All Scripture verses are taken from the New King James Version of the Holy Bible.
By Constance A. Burns, NAAV Contributor for Moments of Meditation and Scriptural Readings; email: cburns@naavets.org.