Armed for spiritual warfare (3)

Your spiritual armour must be put on correctly so that all the pieces fit; otherwise, you’re vulnerable to defeat at Satan’s hands. So how do you do that? Paul tells us how: “Pray in the Spirit at all times.” Your clothes closet is where you find what you need to wear in the natural realm, and your prayer closet is where you find what you need to wear in the spiritual realm. Only through prayer do you become clothed for spiritual warfare, so don’t go into battle undressed. Paul wrote, “Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh” (Romans 13:14 NIV). That’s one of the most effective verses in scripture when it comes to winning over temptation. Professionals who train dogs to listen and obey their commands no matter what start by throwing a piece of red meat in front of the dog. The untrained dog immediately goes for it, but eventually the trainer teaches the animal to give him its undivided attention regardless of what’s put in front of it. When the training process is complete, the dog will not take its eyes off its master even when temptation is right under its nose. There is an important lesson here for you. If you keep your eyes on Jesus, it won’t matter what kind of lie or temptation Satan throws your way. Every now and then you may want to “go for it,” but if you stay focused on Jesus and listen to His voice alone, you will be victorious in the fight.