See Ephesians 6:12.

See Ephesians 6:13-17. Just as it would be foolish to enter a physical battle zone without proper protection in place, it is foolish to try to fight our spiritual battles without the armor that God has provided to us.

There are other passages in Paul's writings that also tell us to "put off" or "put on" something. If you'd like, try to find one, using a concordance or an online Bible search tool such as www.biblegateway.com.

Whose righteousness do you think this is? What does righteousness mean? If you'd like, look up the word righteous in a concordance to see other references to help you understand it. A site such as www.biblegateway.com allows you to search for a word such as "righteousness" quickly online.

As we learn to know and believe what God says about Himself and about us, we grow in our understanding of life. When Satan's lies are thrown at us, our best defense is often to combat those lies with faith or confidence in the truth that God has revealed through Scripture. For example, if Satan tells you that you've sinned too much and God won't forgive you, you may point to 1 John 1:9, saying, "If we confess our sin, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive ...." We can also have a powerful impact in the lives of other fellow soldiers, as we encourage them to believe God's Word. In this way, we share our shield of faith with them, helping to protect and encourage one another in the battles we face.

Some would say that it doesn't matter what you believe, just so long as you are sincere. How would you answer this? Why is it so important to know and believe the truth? How do you know what is truth?

The word gospel means good news. The good news of the gospel brings peace to those who believe in Christ Jesus. Even in the midst of a battle, we can have a peace with God that passes all human understanding. The sword is not a literal sword, of course. Ephesians 6:17 defines this sword as the Word of God. Many have noted that this is the single piece of armor listed that is an offensive weapon.

See Ephesians 6:18. We are not in a battle alone. How can you apply this verse to your life this week? Is there another believer in Christ who God has burdened you to pray for even now? Take a moment to talk to God about them, asking Him to help them in whatever battles they may be facing.