It is found in Ephesians 6: 10-18...
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Be strong. How? By understanding and applying the principles outlined by Paul in this passage.
- Put on Truth (v14a): What is that? Jesus told us, ‘Thy Word is Truth’. John 17:17. Paul likens this to a ‘belt’. The belt holds everything together. Without it we will fall apart. Buckle it up by reading and applying it to your life. Obey it. Find out what it says and do it. Don’t compromise. Don’t argue, just obey.
- Put on Righteousness (v14b): What is that? Answer, doing right in thought, word and deed. Think right, speak right, do right. No compromise. No half measures. No excuses. Obey the Word and ‘examine yourself’ in every area. 2 Cor 13:5.
- Bear faithful Witness (v15) to the Grace of God to all with whom you come in contact. ‘Let your light so shine before men that may see...’ Mat 5:16. The Gospel brings men and women into a relationship of ‘peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ’. Romans 5:1.
- Adopt a Faith Perspective (v16): Remember, we ‘walk by faith, not by sight’. 2 Cor 5:7. Faith will shield you from the fiery darts of doubt and unbelief that the ‘much tribulation’ (Acts 14:22) through which we all must constantly pass this side of heaven will rain upon you.
- Be Sure of Salvation (v17a): Allow nothing to rob you of the certain knowledge of your personal salvation. If you have placed your trust and faith in the finished work of Christ on the Cross allow NOTHING to shake your faith in His promise of eternal life. Cling to it like a drowning man to a rubber life ring. Memorise the clear promises of scripture and assure your heart before Him. 1 John 3:19. Start with John 3:16 and go on from there. Add to them daily. Make it your absolute priority to know the words of Jesus that guarantee your salvation clearly in your heart and mind. If you need help find a Bible believing follower of the Lord Jesus and ask them to help you learn the promises of Christ concerning salvation. Do it now. Don’t waste time.
- Read The Word of God (v17b): Paul started with Truth and he finishes this list with Truth. You cannot ‘resist the devil’ (James 4:7) if you don’t know the Word of God. The Word of God is the only weapon of offense available in this list. All the other items listed are defensive. All are vital –and paramount is the Word of God. ‘Study to show thyself approved unto God...’ 2 Timothy 2:15. The Lord Jesus used the Word to resist Satan during the temptation in the wilderness. Three times in Matthew 4 he countered the temptations of the devil with clear statements from the Sacred Writings (Holy Scriptures). Notice too that Satan knew the Bible and tried to use it against the Lord. However, the Lord Jesus did not hesitate to counter this again from the Word. There was great subtlety in this by Satan because he knew that the Lord had laid aside His glory and was resisting temptation as the pattern Son (1 Peter 2:21) as an example for you and I. Nevertheless, He did not cease to be fully God, and so He trumped Satan and defeated Him with these words, ‘It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God’, v7.
- Pray Constantly (v18): Always, all the time, without ceasing. For yourself and your brothers and sisters, for Israel, for the persecuted believers, for the Word of God to touch the lives of men and women that they might be saved... Pray, pray, pray.
Only by consistently keeping these seven vital truths in mind and practicing them daily will we be able to successfully resist the devil and the spiritual forces of wickedness that are loose in the world in which we live. ‘Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.’