Faith On The Line - Stress, Stress Go Away Vol 18 | Page 16

cont. from p.2

editor’s corner

to tempt us constantly. In both Fiona’s
case and ours, the will is the deciding factor of whether
we choose to submit or resist.
Praise God that He gives us the equipment we need to
better submit to Him and to succeed in our fight against
Satan’s temptations. He counsels us to “put on the whole
armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).
The armor consists of loins girt about with truth, a
breastplate of righteousness, a helmet of salvation, feet
shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace, a shield
of faith, and a Sword of the Spirit.
Let’s take a look at just one of these weapons that we
have been given: “loins girt about with truth.”
The loins, according to Wikipedia, are “the sides
between the lower ribs and pelvis, and the lower part of the
back.” Another word for “loins” could be “core.” The core
is critical to any movement we make.
Without a strong core, we can injure
ourselves, even by just lifting a light
object. The major muscles of the core
reside in the area of the belly and the
mid and lower back. The core is used
to stabilize the body during movement
and it also provides the capacity to
expel substances from the body. In
addition, the core determines to a large
part a person’s posture. According to Wikipedia, “The core
muscles align the spine, ribs, and pelvis of a person to
resist a specific force.” What an amazing analogy to the
spiritual application of the armor!
When we put on the armor of God, we are to have our
“loins” or “core” encircled with truth. The core of everything we do must be based on truth. Our decisions should
be based on truth, and our words and thoughts truthfilled. As we practice this, we can “expel” or “resist” lying
thoughts and false arguments. We won’t be injured by
the slightest struggle against Satan, and we can be
stable. Our spiritual “posture” will be straight and strong.
Ellen White writes, “If the truth of God be not deep rooted
in the heart, you cannot stand the test of temptation.
There is only one power that can keep us steadfast under

The core of
everything
we do must
be based
on truth.

the most trying circumstances—the grace
of God in truth” (ML 310).
Of course, the spiritual armor is for our
minds, not our literal bodies “for we wrestle not
against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12; see also 1
Peter 1:3). It is in our minds that truth must be
solidified—the truth about the character of God,
about our value, identity, and calling from God,
as well as doctrinal truth. How important this
is in light of coming end-time events, when the
greatest struggle will be a spiritual struggle. If
we have not practiced putting on this armor and
using it, we will not be able to withstand the coming conflagration.
Each piece of the armor is for our mind. The
breastplate of righteousness is a covering to protect
the mind or heart. It deals with the overcoming of
sin, the putting on of Christ’s robe of righteousness, and the guarding of our heart from those passions and feelings that would bring us into sin.
The helmet of salvation is the assurance that, as
long as we walk with Christ, we have the promise of
eternal life with Him in heaven. The helmet protects
the head and mind, and as we wear it, we need not
succumb to doubts from Satan that God will not
save us. The feet shod with the Gospel of peace is
our willingness to share with others the wonderful
salvation and peace and joy we have received from
God. The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God,
and the shield of faith is that faith to repel and
quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. “Faith in
God’s Word, prayerfully studied and practically
applied, will be our shield from Satan’s power and
will bring us off conquerors through the blood of
Christ” (ML 313).
“We must put on the whole armor of God and be
ready at any moment for a conflict with the powers
of darkness. When temptations and trials rush in
upon us, let us go to God, and agonize with Him
in prayer. He will not turn us away empty, but
will give us grace and strength to overcome, and
to break the power of the enemy” (ML 309). This is
my prayer for each of us as we learn to obey Christ
in all things because we have learned to love Him
with our heart, mind, and soul.

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