The Warrior’s Walk

by Sue Towne

We’re almost through the first quarter of 2006, and by now we are beginning to get a sense of what this year may be about. As I write this in early January, one of the consistent themes I am hearing is an exhortation to walk as a warrior.

What do I mean by this? Walk clothed in the full armor of God every day and pray in the Spirit throughout the day. Be ready to act for the King at every moment. Recently (I believe, at the Lord’s urging) I have taken to praying the armor of God from Ephesians 6 each morning.

I begin with the Helmet of Salvation. This piece of armor is also mentioned in Isaiah 59:17 as part of God’s armor. In the Hebrew, it is the Helmet of Yeshua. Wow! Let that sink in. Yeshua has given us His own personal helmet to withstand the thoughts the enemy uses to bring us down.

Likewise, He has given us His own righteousness as the Breastplate to protect our hearts from the enemy’s accusations and negative feelings — like depression and despair.

The Belt of Truth gets us ready for battle. In Bible times, men would tuck the corners of their robes up into their belts to keep the skirt area from getting in the way of their weaponry during battle. When we know God’s truth, we are ready and confident about battling the enemy.

The warrior’s feet are shod with the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace. Though Ephesians 6 was written in Greek, it was written by a Jewish man who, in Philippians, called himself “a Hebrew of Hebrews.” The word he had in mind —translated “peace”— was shalom, a marvelous Hebrew word that means so much more than mere peace. Shalom is the blessing of wholeness. The longer we walk with Yeshua, the more whole our inner person should become. Our souls should begin to resemble the wholeness of Yeshua’s soul. The more whole we become, the more able we are to stand our ground against the enemy and not get knocked down in battle.

The Sword and Shield of the warrior of God are designed to take the brunt of the enemy’s attack as well as land blows on the enemy. With the Sword of the Spirit we can wage an aggressive offensive against the enemy. Within our sphere of influence, we can take back territory for the King.

So, cultivate a warrior’s mind-set. Remember that a soldier can be called into action at any time, day or night. We are no longer civilians (2 Timothy 2:3-4). We’re in the army now!

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright ©1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.