“…….take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” (Ephesians 6:16 NIV)
Every Christian is open to spiritual attack. When fear, doubt, guilt, anger or discouragement sneak into our lives, the enemy is right there. He shows up when we are most vulnerable. Although we have powerful weapons against the enemy: the Helmet of Salvation, the Shield of Faith, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Belt of Truth, the Sword of the Spirit and the Gospel of Peace, there is one weapon that is often overlooked—- we have each other.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:7 NIV) Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV)
Sometimes we don’t realize we’re being attacked by the enemy. Often it takes someone else to notice and help us come back to God’s promises for strength, protection, love, and support. We can pray together, read God’s Word and search for Bible verses that strengthen our faith. We can socialize in Christian fellowship, lend a hand, or an ear. We were never meant to be alone in our Christian walk. We are on this spiritual journey together.
Prayer
Thank you, Lord for our supportive church family and for giving us an opportunity to reach out to lift each other up in love.
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Note: Before going into battle, Roman soldiers drenched their leather-coated shields with water. When the fiery arrows of their enemies struck these soaked shields, the flames were immediately extinguished. Soldiers could put their shields together and have more protection.
(The Armor of God, Rose Publishing Company, 2005)
