BONUS: Marked by Armor

What a GIFT to have my dear friend Cari Trotter to pray for us this week about the armor of God. I was so incredibly blessed by our time and needed the chat and prayer myself.

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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.” —Ephesians 6:11–12

Most of us don’t spend a lot of time contemplating how to fight against the devil’s schemes, but Scripture does. Thankfully, Jesus has already won our ultimate battle by his death on the cross and resurrection from the grave. But, even then, there will still be trouble in this world because we have a real Enemy who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).

As we face the visible (and often invisible) battles each day, Satan’s success hinges on catching us unprepared and with our guard down. Let’s pray that our kids are battle-ready by wearing the armor of God, as seen in Ephesians 6:13–17:

• The belt of truth: Pray that God’s truth will defeat the enemy’s lies in their lives.
• The breastplate of righteousness: Pray that they withstand attacks of impurity and wrongdoing by clinging to righteousness.
• Feet fitted with the gospel of peace: Pray for a willingness to go and share the gospel.
• The shield of faith: Pray for protection from doubt, fear, and anxiety.
• The helmet of salvation: Pray for a mind controlled by God.
• The sword of the Spirit: Pray that God’s word is their offense, knowing it’s sharper than any sword.

Lord, the battles waged against our kids will be difficult and often unseen. Help them to be ready for anything they face through your protection and power. Mark [name] with a readiness that only comes from you. Prepare them with every tool necessary for victory in your name.

God’s word speaks: Ephesians 6:13–17; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; 1 Peter 5:8; 1 Corinthians 16:13