[Editor’s note: This is the second article in a three-part series written by Laura Houle with the approval of Hopewell Counseling. Laura is our daughter and is a passionate patriot for America. She is also a committed believer in Jesus Christ and an unashamed witness for the Gospel.]
Just like a frog in a pot of water unaware that the heat has been turned up, our beloved America is reaching the boiling point. And, just as a car comes equipped with headlights and wiper blades to keep it from careening off the road during a torrential downpour, every follower of Christ comes equipped with everything needed to fight off the attacks of Satan.
What is happening in America and around the world is not the typical election “changing of the guard.” An ugly, demonic presence has settled over this world. Satan and his dominion of darkness have been around since before creation, but his work was mostly done subtly and in secret. They are no longer hiding. We now have laws allowing the murder of babies up to the point of birth, transgenderism - confusing the sexes and mocking what God has created in His own image, rampant child sex trafficking and pedophilia, Satan shoes from Nike, a completely demonic Super Bowl halftime filled with occult symbolism and lyrics, Epstein island visited by countless celebrities and elites, many of whom use hand gestures and symbolism to demonstrate their allegiance to the Illuminati – a secret society that sells their souls to Lucifer in exchange for extreme fame and fortune and many more examples. Mark 8:36
It’s almost like Satan and his henchmen are daring us to do something about it. They are showcasing their vile depravity for the world to see. Non-believers aren’t equipped for this battle. We, through the power of the Holy Spirit, are the only ones who can take them on. Yet, very few Christians seem to understand their inner, blood-bought strength and power. If Jesus is your Lord and Savior, you already have everything you need to stand in the gap for your family and our country and fight Satan and his wicked agenda. AND, FIGHT HIM WE WILL!
I grew up reading about the Armor of God in the Bible, but I didn’t grasp the significance or its power in fighting spiritual battles until recently. Back in January, it all hit me like a ton of bricks – the heaviness of this godless, depraved, senselessly violent world in which we live, and I had a meltdown. I mean a BIG, hot-mess melt down. I collapsed on the floor and sobbed, paralyzed with fear and of no use to anyone. God is such a patient, loving and gentle Father. He showed me that I was trying to understand and fight something that cannot be understood or tackled in the flesh. The battle we are up against is not political or religious or racial or based on gender, it is 100% spiritual, and we must fight it in the spiritual realm. That starts with putting on the full armor of God. Once He showed me this, I repented for allowing fear and anxiety to control me and began to study the armor of God.
God has graciously given us the following spiritual body armor:
Helmet of Salvation– You receive salvation when you admit you are a sinner and invite Christ into your life to forgive your sins and be your Lord and Savior, and that is permanent. However, when you deliberately put on the Helmet of Salvation you are protecting your mind by claiming the truth that you are a child of the King. Your identity is in Him, and He has made you more than a Conqueror. You are a Prince/Princess Warrior. Put on the Helmet of Salvation daily to claim and walk in your birthright!
Belt of Truth– Oh, Wow, do we need this one! In these dark days with easy access to abundant misinformation, half truths and full out deception, we need to ask God daily to place the belt of truth around our waists so we can discern between the truth and lies. Many who we thought we could trust were not who they appeared to be. This can either push us away from God or be a painful reminder that we must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. He is the only, unfailing, constant source of truth, and He loves us deeply and promises to never leave us or forsake us.
Breastplate of Righteous– The breastplate is a vital piece of armor that protects your heart and vital organs. Righteousness protects our hearts in the spiritual realm. When we ask God to give us a thirst for righteousness and Godly values, we see the world differently. Things we once enjoyed (music, movies, entertainment options, off color jokes) are now unsatisfying and even repugnant. As we genuinely seek the righteousness of God, He begins to transform us. We become more like Him, and that radically alters what appeals to us and what we are willing to tolerate in our lives, in our homes and in our communities.
Shield of Faith – Faith and fear cannot co-exist. God tells us repeatedly to trust Him, have faith and “fear not.” (Isaiah 41:10 and 13, Psalm 27:1, Psalm 23:4, Psalm 34: 4-5, Matthew 10:26, Deut. 3:22, II Timothy 1:7) When we allow fear to take root in our minds, it paralyzes us. Fear does not keep us from dying. It prevents us from living the life God has ordained for us. When we make the conscious decision to take up the shield of faith, fear must leave. Fear is a demon, and we demolish it with our shield of faith. As I trembled in a heap on my living room floor crippled by fear, I knew that’s not what God wanted for me. It breaks His heart to see us in that state allowing Satan to get the upper hand. He wants us to fight back with the tools He has given us!
Feet Shod with the Gospel of Peace (aka Peace Shoes) – When we prayerfully put on the Gospel of Peace, we invite the Holy Spirit to give us His peace that surpasses all understanding. Even in the most stressful and chaotic situations, we can be at peace and remain calm and controlled. The Gospel of Peace spreads to others when we share the reason we have hope and joy in the most trying of times and encourage them to trust Jesus with their hurts and disappointments as well.
Sword of the Spirit – Ephesians 6:17 explains that the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, and it is the only offensive weapon God gives us to fight the devil and his demonic flying monkeys. And, it is all we need. When we use scripture to fight back, the demonic forces must flee. They are powerless against the living, active Word of God that is sharper than any double-edged sword. (Hebrews 4:12) Unlike God, Satan cannot read your thoughts. He is actually quite limited in his power and is not omniscient. So, it is not enough to recite a verse in your mind. You must declare it out loud with confidence and authority. You are a child of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and you have the authority to pierce the darkness with your sword and order Satan to depart. I began writing down key battle verses (many are listed in the paragraph on the Shield of Faith), and my goal is to commit all of them to memory so they are at the ready when Satan dares to take me on!
My dad and I have a weekly podcast, Hope for the Hurting, and we are starting a new study in May on the Armor in God where we will do a deeper dive into each piece of armor. You can find Hope for the Hurting on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Radio Public, Anchor.fm and Hopewellcounsel.com.
In the next newsletter, I will share some tangible action steps we can each take to push back the evil pressing in our nation and fight for the Judeo Christian values upon which America was founded.