Every day we are in a battle.  The devil does not rest.  He does not take days off or go on break.  He spends all his time trying to defeat us, and he often has his way with those who are weak in the faith.  So, we must do everything we can to be strong.  We should realize, however, that our strength does not come from within.  It is not our personal strength that allows us to overcome the devil.  It is the strength that we derive from the Lord.  When Paul admonished the brethren at Ephesus to put on the armor of God, he first wrote the following admonition. 

Ephesians 6:10 (ESV)
¹⁰  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

It is a severe mistake to think that you can overcome Satan by yourself.  He has been around a long time and has taken down many Christians just like you and me.  Satan has defeated some who were babes in Christ and others who were seasoned saints.  He has conquered Christians who were lacking in knowledge and others who were mighty in the scriptures.   Knowing this, we should realize the importance of utilizing the strength that we have in Christ.

We do this by using the tools that God has given us, tools such as prayer.  A praying Christian is a Christian who is hard to defeat.  Another tool is our access to the blood of Christ.  The blood of our Savior has the power to cleanse us from all sin.  That means that if the devil gains an advantage over us by tempting us into sinning, we do not have to remain defeated.  We can repent, ask God for forgiveness (Acts 8:22), and He will be faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7).

These are wonderful tools for us to use.  In the end, however, the only way we can withstand the onslaught of the devil is to put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:11).  That is when we are truly strong.  Every piece of the armor has the power of God behind it.  However, sometimes Christians forget they are engaged in a very real and ongoing battle.  As we live our everyday lives, caught up in the various affairs of life, it is easy to forget that we are at war.  After all, no bullets are flying by our heads or bombs landing at our feet.  We do not hear the cries of the wounded all around us.   But herein is the problem.  Only those who are in battle put on armor.  If we forget we are in a battle, we will neglect to put on the armor, and, eventually, we will become another spiritual casualty.

So, each morning when we get out of bed, we must remember that we are soldiers in the army of Christ and arm ourselves for the battle.  Remember that the devil is real.  He is not a figment of our imaginations.  He is not a fictional character.  He is a real, personal being, and he is on the attack.  As Peter said, he “walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”  Many Christians will not survive.  Many Christians will quit and go back to the world like Demas (2 Timothy 4:10).  Do not let that be you.  Be strong in the Lord by putting on the His armor.  That will not happen by accident.  You must determine to do it. 

As you wind down for the night, think about these things