I have a cousin who, during the Vietnam War, was a special operations soldier. What he did was classified information, so he seldom talked about it and even then not in any detail. We do know he was dropped behind enemy lines to accomplish his missions, and we suspect that included Cambodia. When sent on missions, he had a number of weapons that were essential to his survival. He had a long-range rifle, utility-type knife, grenades and perhaps others that we still don’t know about.

Whether we realize it or not, each of us who have trusted in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ as our only hope for eternal life are in a serious spiritual battle every day. Satan is “…the god of this world…” (II Corinthians 4:4). This world is Satan’s present domain. We have, in effect, been dropped behind enemy lines to “wrestle…against…principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). Thankfully, we are not left to engage in this warfare in our own strength. We have the indwelling Holy Spirit, and weapons to enable us to survive and win this battle. The Apostle Paul tells us: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing…against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (II Corinthians 10:4-5). What could these weapons be? They are the Word of God and prayer. Scripture is a “powerful” weapon (Hebrews 4:12) that has the miraculous ability to cleanse our thinking (Ephesians 5:26), renew our mind (Colossans3:10), and transform our lives (Romans 12:1-2). When we read it with a yielded heart, it can bring every thought into obedience to the Savior. We also have the weapon of instant access to the Lord in prayer. God helped Paul in his deep distress through the prayers of the saints (II Corinthians 1:8-11). He will help us too if we avail ourselves to this weapon.

You are behind enemy lines today. Don’t leave home without the weapons of God’s Word in your mind and prayer in your soul. If you already left home without being properly equipped, put on the armor of prayer right now. Then, spend time in the Word when you get home. Tomorrow, be sure not to leave the door without being fully equipped with both of these weapons.