Citizen ATX
Citizen ATX
Armor of God: Sword of the Spirit
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Swords are known as one of the longest used weapons in the history of the world. Any soldier during biblical times would tell you that it is a death sentence to enter a battle without your sword. Why then would Christians go out of their way to leave their spiritual sword at home? In today's episode, Matt, Jonathan, and Stephen discuss why we should cling to the Sword of the Spirit as we walk through life as a DualCitizen.
Hello there and welcome to the Citizen ATX Podcast. My name is Matt Gillum, and we're glad that you're joining us as we're hitting the last week of our Armor of God series. Uh it's been a wild ride, but we've been excited to walk through all these different things that God gives us to empower us in the midst of the battles of our life. And so here in the studio with me, I have Jonathan Spencer. Hello, Jonathan. Hello, Matthew. And then also Stephen Vaughn. Hello, Stephen. Hello. And so we did get into an argument off-air, which I think it's not on topic, but still is important. I mean, because we we want to talk about important things here on this podcast about you know really thoughtful issues. But currently, Stephen Vaughn, our faithful producer, is drinking uh Mountain Dew, which I don't have a problem with. Mountain Dew is fine by me.
SPEAKER_02It's great.
SPEAKER_01The dew of the mountain. Uh but he's drinking, he got it at Taco Bell, which, if you're from Texas, Taco Bell is a Baja Blast place. It is a special flavor. And so, you know, humble listener, I hope that you will still listen to us, even though uh Steven is doing something clearly wrong by drinking regular flavor doctors.
SPEAKER_00Borderblind, unpatriotic, really.
SPEAKER_01I've got coffee, so I'm feeling good about it. Thank you. All right, so that this week we're gonna be talking about in the last piece of armor that Paul describes. He's talked about the belt, he's talked about the breastplate, he's talked about the shoes, he's talked about the shield, he's talked about the helmet, and now we're gonna roll into the last one. The and actually, as it happens, the only purely offensive part of the shield of armor. And so this is our suit of armor. And so in this one, we're gonna be reading from verse 17, where Paul started by saying, and take the helmet of salvation, which we talked about last week, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, and going on into verse 18, praying at all times in the spirit with all prayer and supplication. So, Jonathan, when when he starts talking about the sword of the spirit, what is he talking about? Why why uh what is the sword of the spirit? Why does he classify it as a sword? Um, and what's the point?
SPEAKER_00Well, he defines it for us. This is kind of a convenient one because he does call it the word of God, and and the word of God is characterized as this offensive weapon, which I think is important for us to, I guess, reiterate on this podcast. Uh, but the idea is that that that is a weapon we can use against the enemy, that that these other ones defend us, and while you ask a sword defends you, it's also meant for attack. And and uh the point being is that it's a a tool that God gives us uh through his strength to fight against the enemy and his attacks as they come. And you see Jesus pick up that that sword, actually himself. Uh, oftentimes in scripture, most notably in Matthew 4, when he's being tempted by Satan out in the wilderness, the first thing he does is he picks up his metaphor of sword. He picks up the word of God, he starts quoting the word of God to the enemy to combat the lies. Uh, and you see that sword of truth uh being used in real time, and you see the the end result, which is victory over that temptation.
SPEAKER_01Now, what one thing that I think we can pause at here right even at the very beginning when we're talking about this term word of God, uh and though generally what we would consider that is at least here in 2024, we look at you know the Bible, and we say, well, yeah, that's the word of God, and they we kind of use those those terms interchangeably. Uh, when Paul's writing this in the book of Ephesians, the New Testament didn't exist here. Right. In fact, he's literally writing the New Test writing the Bible as he's talking about the Bible. Um, and when we look at other places, I mean it does talk about other places where the Word of God is living and active, sharper than a double-edged sword, and we'll talk about that nature here in a little bit. But where where does that connection happen then to where why why would we if we're reading that, why would we not think, well, that's just the prophetic word of God that goes that God uses through the prophets to speak the truths into being? I mean, you think about uh in the the book of Genesis, the that all the creation was done by the word of his power, right? And um, when you have the prophets in the Old Testament, they spoke the word, the literal words of God. So where how does that connection happen here for us?
SPEAKER_00Well, the word of God is more than just a record of his word. We're told it's alive. That even Isaiah, if you even go to the Old Testament in Isaiah 55, Isaiah says that the word of God does not return void, that it always does what God wills for it to accomplish, meaning that even the prophets understood that when God speaks his word, uh it's alive and active, that it's more than just a document of a a uh quote he said one day, that that word's actually living through the power of the Holy Spirit and it has power within it. Uh and you get that reiterated there in the New Testament, as you alluded to in Hebrews chapter four, when we're told that the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword. Meaning those words that were written uh by people in certain times in certain contexts contexts, those words are still alive today in us, and God uses those to empower us, uh, to speak to us, to give us clarity, and I believe also give us victory over temptation and sin.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I think it's an important distinction to make because you know you you look in in our world right now, and there are a lot awful lot of people that know an awful lot about the Bible, but who do not believe in Jesus Christ. And there are people that will look at the word the words on the page in the Bible and try to use it even as a weapon against Christianity. And you know, it strikes me that when we're looking at this idea of the word of God as a sword, and one of the natures of a sword is that it's not made of the same stuff as the person who's using it, right? Like if you if if you're using a sword, it's gonna be made of iron or steel or bronze or whatever, um, something that's more powerful. And I think when we when we come to the the idea of the Bible as the word of God, because it also says sword of s of the spirit, it doesn't say the sword of the Bible, it makes the statement of the spirit of God. Right. And so there is this nature of it where when we are r rightly using the Bible, which was the the the record of God's interaction with people, and when we speak that and when we talk about it, we're not speaking on it from the authority of words on a page, but rather the one who generated that truth. Right. That the that the spirit of truth flowing through us as we stay um stay committed to what the truth of the Bible is brings those together. And the reason why I make that difference is because sometimes we use because the idea of the Bible as an offensive weapon is not new. I mean, you hear even the term you know Bible thumping, stuff like that, right? That's not what's being talked about here. This is not yelling at people and saying the Bible says this. That's not the same.
SPEAKER_00It's for yourself in this context as you pick up the sword. So I agree. I mean, it's ultimately about us individually using it to combat Satan's attacks against us. Like when you said, when you think Bible thumping, usually that's uh weaponizing it for other people. You know, it's not about self. And really the purpose of this context is you're gonna be tempted, he's gonna throw arrows, he's gonna attack you, you can fight back. And the way you fight back is you have to pick up your sword uh so that you can combat the enemy and his lies that come against you.
SPEAKER_01And I think it's it's meaningful too, especially as some of those who will be listening to this will be on their way to Thanksgiving dinner. And I mean, one of the one of the hallmarks of that dear tradition is uh family members letting other family members know how deeply they're disappointed in the behavior of others. Right. And you have the this kind of uh uh thing where people will quote the Bible at each other as a way as a means of shaming other people's behavior. And I think this is where that distinction comes in, is the is the why of it, right? The motivation of it and what gives it power, right? Like if we're if we're using the Bible as an excuse to try to conform other people to the thoughts and the lifestyles that we just like or that we prefer rather than what God's intention for mankind is, I see that as becoming divided from what the sword of the spirit is. Um I think I was talking with you about this the other day, Jonathan, and we had a um a member of our church who is been who is a judge um and had been moved to a different court, and he made this statement of uh talking about the process that the governor is practicing investiture in him. And it was it was it it kind of struck me because I think you know you think about a judge and you think about them sitting back there and it's like, well, what gives that guy the right? Like it's like I don't know who this dude is, and how does he get the right to tell me what what's what's right, what's wrong, what's law, what's legal, what's not legal. And ultimately, it goes back to that. It goes it goes back to the fact that somebody with real authority invested that real authority in that judge, bringing it to this conversation. What gives the sword of the spirit power, the word of God power? It's the fact that God has invested his spirit into it and his authority so that whenever we're using it, we're not using it based off of our own preferences, our own authority, our own desire, but rather on the on his authority, his desire, and his direction as our general to use the metaphor. Yeah. Um and so I mean, I think I think it makes a difference. Um but I mean w as we're talking about this, I think we on this podcast we make a big deal about saying we live in our earthly city, and we live in our spiritual city. How does our earthly city respond to the nature of offense? Because I mean, you know, this this this by its nature is an offensive weapon. It it is there's no there's really no apology for it. It is uh sword, it is what it is, it's a big sharp thing you poke people with. So how how does the world normally respond to things to things like this when Christians use them?
SPEAKER_00Are you talking about just to clarify that, you're saying when people quote the Bible against the world?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, generally, and in an offensive if they're using it in what we would call an offensive way, right?
SPEAKER_00Right. Well, if yeah, they will be offended. People are offended by the truth. That's uh that's just a uh reality. We're told Romans 1, the world will suppress the truth. So if that weapon's being uh yield wielded and then uh uh turned against the world to point out wrongs, normally, yeah, one would be a reaction usually of anger, suppression, or suppression, ignoring uh those kind of things. Uh but I think it's key too just to remember though the that when the sword's being given to us in this context, once again it's to combat the w the enemy's attacks against us. It's not in say pick up the sword and go attack the whole world. Right. Um we're supposed to bring the hope to the world of Jesus Christ, because the hope is that you can actually be saved from these things that are controlling you, our sin uh and ultimately death. But the the point of the passage to me is more so when Satan attacks you, you're tempted, you're tried, when the world goes at you and you you want to stumble, you can actually fight back. You don't have to choose sin. That's the point, is you don't have to choose sin individually. And the word of God is is so key to that for us to be able to overcome those temptations uh and persevere in those trials, we have to be uh we have to be picking up the sword regularly.
SPEAKER_01But again, it's not a neutral thing, right? Right. And I mean, there's a reason why there's a sword in this suit of armor that you can withstand these attacks, but you can't do that forever. Like there there has to be this forward movement. Um and this is where a lot of Christians I think falter because we think, oh, I don't have to choose a side, you know, I I'm I'm not gonna necessarily go in with whatever what all these other people are doing. I don't have to necessarily go in with what people are thinking about these these issues, but I'm certainly not going to be the one that brings truth into that situation because that's an offensive thing. I don't want to be an offensive kind of person. Right. And I think that that is a large portion of Christians that we just don't want to rock the boat. Like we're we're we're nervous that we're gonna hurt relationships or lose prestige or esteem with either our friends or family or coworkers because we're saying something that we know to be true. Um but that's the nature of this. And I I think I think we have to recognize that as part of the the battlefield piece of it. Um and so I mean and I I it does strike me as interesting too that um you know when Jesus talks about the kingdom of God, he he talks about it being offensive, right? And that it's uh what what is the actual word of it? It's uh it it it's uh set with violence and men of violence take hold of it, right? Isn't that isn't that the the paraphrase of it?
SPEAKER_00Well Jesus says that he's come to bring division, he does say that, and he talks about uh how he'll divide uh in Luke chapter twelve, and that that idea that his message is offensive. He talks about how it'll divide families, divide homes, uh and so there will be offense that will come consequently just with the truth of Jesus Christ and the sword of truth of the Bible.
SPEAKER_01Um we have to ask that question what is worse keeping the peace without bringing truth into the situation or using the uh using the sword for what it's for to bring truth into situations and to to make peace. Um I always I I always like to make that distinction when I'm talking with people about what peace peacefulness is. Peace is not something that's an abstaining from something, it's that you a person has to come in and make peace in order to stop a warring situation. Um and believers are designed to use the word of God for that. But it didn't finish there though, because in we in verse 18, which is not very often included when they're talking about the armor of God, because somebody chose to put a number there instead of a period. Um But it says praying at all times in the spirit with all prayer and supplication. So why is prayer then included in this when we're talking about the Word of God and then bringing prayer alongside as part of this sword of the Spirit?
SPEAKER_00Well, prayer ultimately is the greatest resource. I mean, in a sense, it's the glue that holds all the other stuff together we've been talking about through this whole series, because there's all these pieces of the armor and it kind of has that climactic point with the sword, but it comes back full circle to prayer, which gets us back to the beginning where we're told to put on the armor in his strength and his might that we need him. And it kind of comes back full circle, it's always been the way I see it, is it starts of you can't fight, you need God, and then at the end it reminds yourself you need God again. So uh I think you could read a passage like this and almost get uh some kind of false sense of of just uh strength and valor that I could fight the enemy now. Now I'm suited up and I'm gonna read my Bible and I got my sword. And he says, Don't forget to pray. Yeah, um, because you're gonna need God to make all this stuff work every single day. And God ultimately is our greatest resource. And and so I think that's the idea is that we have to pray to the Lord. Uh prayer is the glue that holds it together. And also uh prayer ultimately is us coming back to the Lord and and realigning ourselves with him, who he is, his purpose for our life. And so it prepares us for battle. It's it's like every day when we pray in the mornings and throughout the day, it's us reminding ourselves that we're under his authority, he's the one in charge, and that we ultimately need to submit to him all day, every day in situations and ask for his strength to be able to do these things, to pick up that sword and uh to put on the armor that we've already discussed. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_01Well, and that's one of the things that I've I've noticed in kind of I mean, we we here in Austin, Texas, we're at a Baptist church, right? And so I've spent a large portion of my career among other Baptist churches and things like that. And one of the things that we do very, very, very well is have a heck ton of Bible studies. Even the other day I was talking with with somebody about getting a guy's group together. I was like, oh yeah, we could do a Bible study. It's like, but we already do three Bible studies. Like, come on. But that there I think what this does though is that this is this challenges that somewhat because it is, you know, I made mention we made mention of earlier the the the Hebrews passage when it talks about the word of God as a double-edged sword. Um, I think honestly, that may be what that double edge is. I mean, that in one way it cuts forward, it also cuts backwards. That, you know, if we're if we're gonna try to live our lives as though we don't depend upon God or upon his his strength and his spirit, how can we expect that we have any anything that's really impactful for the environment around us? Um and so I mean what Jonathan then what does a kind of prayer that interacts as a sword of spirit look like? Like what because we can we talk about this in kind of big in big terms, but if we're actually exercising prayer in this mode as part of the sword of the spirit, what does that look like for a believer or for even a group of believers?
SPEAKER_00Well, it makes me think about it. I preached recently the Lord's Prayer, which I think kind of brings back to that point in Matthew 6, and you're you know, listener, you can go back and look at this. But I find it interesting because Jesus rebukes religious leaders who were your Bible study types. They knew the law, uh, and they were following the law, you know, the Pharisees and those that he's rebuking in that moment, but he says, don't be like them, he calls them hypocrites because they knew the law, they knew the word, and they even prayed, but they only prayed in public, showy ways, uh and they lack the sincerity and the humility that's supposed to accompany prayer. Uh and so I think what it looks like though, if you have a prayerless life and you do pick up your sword, you become Pharisaical by nature. Um, you become uh very, very smug in your religiosity where you think you know a lot, but you don't know how to practice anything, that you know the truth, but you don't live the truth, you don't, you don't have heart transformation, uh, because that requires the Holy Spirit and the power of God working in and through you daily. And if you don't go to the Lord in confession, if you don't go to the Lord in supplication, you don't do any of those things regularly, uh you're just gonna be a really, really smart, legalistic, smug Christian. That's what you'll become. And so I think that's what Jesus is getting on to. He's saying you can have all the right answers and pick up your sword, because the Pharisees did. They knew the word and they literally carried it with them uh in in some crazy ways everywhere they went. Wearing it sometimes. Exactly. That's what I'm alluding to. And so in that sense, they had they had their sword, uh, but they didn't have any prayer. They didn't have they didn't have an authentic prayer life, uh, one that was marked with sincerity, which really is what the Lord's prayer is about in my mind. A lot of it's about sincerity and uh and and submission, really, those two things.
SPEAKER_01Well, and there is there is an aspect of it, especially with like legalism, where because I mean in in the book of Psalms it says, I've hidden your law in my heart that I might not sin against you. It doesn't say I hid I've hidden your law in my brain so that I may not sin against you. I think we're very content a lot of times to let the information that the Bible has sink into our brain, but not touch our heart. Um because if if we allow that kind of stuff to touch our heart, it it requires action. Like you there's nothing that I mean, listener, as you're as you're thinking about this, there's nothing that you believe and feel in your heart that you don't act upon. I mean that that if we're just being honest, the things that we have those deep, deep, heartfelt beliefs about, you if you see that being violated or you see something going against that, you can't help but act against it. But we as Christians tend to try to separate ourselves from that, to uh not even separate, to um I guess distance ourselves from it to where it's not something that well I can accept this as a truth, but I don't necessarily have to act upon it. I think that that is a a very real sign that the the truth and the power of what God's word is is getting into your brain, but it's not getting into your heart. Uh Stephen, you were writing some stuff down over here. Like what where are some of your thoughts on this?
SPEAKER_02Well, I was thinking about what are some things that good soldiers do? Um, and there's two things that I wrote down. One of them is they practice, and the other one is they're ready in the moment. And so practice being for the Christian, daily Bible study, daily prayer, making sure you're putting your time and putting your work in, readiness being memorizing scripture specifically for things you're dealing with. Yeah. So that in those moments, when those temptations or moments come up, you can recite that scripture immediately. You can add it to your prayer life too. That's the cool thing I like to do a lot, is just bring those those scriptures into my prayers. And pray those things.
SPEAKER_00Well, and I think there's the memorization part of a discipline, which yes, that's important, but I think what memorization does is it it causes you to it trains you to make your decisions before you make your decisions. Because when you that's a big part too, ultimately, for training, going to that metaphor of soldiers. They're they're training them what to do when you come into these situations. They're training them already, this is how you react, this is what you do. So when they are faced with that enemy doing that, that technique, if you will, that strategy, they already know this is how we react in these situations. Right. Um, and I think the word of God has the same transformational effect that the more you memorize and the more you know what is true and how God uh views things and what he believes and what he commands. Well, then when you put yourself in that situation and the battle's there, it's like I've already pre-decided. Like I already know that's what it means in my mind to hide you hide the word of God in our hearts that we might not sin against him, as the psalmist says. It's that same thing that I've pre-decided. Because I think a lot of Christians get themselves in messes when they haven't pre-decided who they are and what they're gonna do. Because then the temptation comes and they're murky. They're like, well, maybe God maybe maybe he is okay with this. Well, no, he's not. You know, you need to pre-decide and study the word and know what he thinks so that when you're in the battle, it's like, all right, no, I've already made that decision. I'm not gonna play with this.
SPEAKER_01Well, it's because usually people will be will be very ready to apply the the word of God to their actions rather than the other way, where we use the word of God to justify the things that we want to do, wanna be, uh, versus allowing our actions to be placed in submission to that that word and that command of power.
SPEAKER_00The most dangerous Christians are the ones that that know just a little bit of scripture because they know just enough to get themselves in trouble because they'll they'll know a few thoughts like God is loving, God is kind, uh love your neighbor. There's things like out there that sound so good and true, and they are true, but they don't understand any of the other nuance or the other commandments that come around that that really give those the fullness of their meaning. So the problem is a lot of people will not pull out their sword enough and they're not prepared for those moments, and then they just have uh little gems that they can be misused to your point, Matt, to justify bad behavior or to guide them down a path they never should have walked in because they only knew enough to get themselves in trouble. Um so I think it is, it just further your point, Stephen, that people have to train, they have to start putting it in their hearts.
SPEAKER_01And I would say a lot of people do tend to they may even know a lot and they layer a lot of it on top of each other. Um, you know, you and I both can think back, and Stephen as well, can think back to situations where somebody was making an incredibly strong Stupid and anti-Christian decision. And then when confronted with scripture about it, it does they when push comes to show up, they say, Well, that doesn't matter. What I feel matters in the situation. And I'm justified in it because I feel that way. And it's amazing how that happens sometimes. And I think I think what we have to do, I think this is where humility comes into it. And the fact that uh again, a double-edged sword, because of because of its truth, because of its sharpness, it can cut you. Like, I mean, you even think about handling handling a sword, it's not just dang, it doesn't just potentially do damage to others. If you use it the wrong way and you and you bring yourself against it, you'll also get hurt by it. Yeah. I mean, that's I mean, that's just the nature of what anything that's offensive is. And the Bible, that's what that's what it does. It is, it is the word of God is truth that changes the world, that shows us what the world really looks like, but it also reverts back and shows us what we really look like. And we may not we may not like that, but it but because it's the one that's telling us the truth, we have to apply ourselves to that rather than the other way around. Right. Um, and so I listener, if you're when you come in come into these situations where you're having to make very difficult decisions, have you taken the time to really begin applying your to wrap your life around what Scripture says, what it what it is, what the truth is there about who Jesus sees what Jesus sees you to be, or are you taking the decision that you already want to make in your mind and trying to find uh escape hatches through scripture to be able to justify your behavior? Because those are not the same thing. And the second can do considerable damage, not only to your life through bad decision making, but also to your faith because it it it warps it. Um so I mean I I think that that we find ourselves a lot of times in that position. And I think a lot of Christians struggle because we feel weak, right? Like we're we we we preach a lot the the Jesus Jesus piece of uh you know, turn the other cheek, walk the extra mile, you know, stuff like that. And so how does that relate with this? That if Jesus also said, well, if if anyone's gonna strike you, turn to them the other cheek, how does an offensive weapon come in, and even if we're talking about only the bigger scale, just all this armor, how does that come into this meek and mild type picture that we see Jesus to be?
SPEAKER_00Well, it both are equally true. That I mean, one, when he tells us turn the other cheek, that's that is once again, that is actually the sword of truth speaking to us right there. So that is truth, and he's saying for us to respond in these situations certain ways, but that can be a good offense, I guess is my point. Like if you're saying how can that be an offensive attack, uh go respond with some grace to somebody that hates you and tell me that doesn't shake up the world a little bit. Like it will, that is, because that's that's so unexpected. Uh and that's kind of the whole point. The point of us is not just so that we win, but it's so that God wins. That's really the point. And when God wins, we do win as a byproduct of that. But I think that's the point is yes, it's so we can find victory, but it's so we can find victory in Christ. Because to that example, when you turn the cheek, and I know there's a lot to preach there, what that actually means, but but at the same time, when you when you respond graciously, we'll just say that way, under attack, uh that's so unexpected and that's so out of this world, supernatural. When you are a peacemaker instead of a peace breaker, that that absolutely is an offensive attack. That will offend them, that you're not mad at them and that you're not playing the game with them and and just coming back at them. And and that's kind of the point, is it it's once again, it shows us that we're fighting in his might. That's not a fleshly way of of attack, and and God gets the glory and we'll we'll receive the good for being obedient.
SPEAKER_01Well, so as we get to the end of this episode and also the end of the series, um, you know, friends, we hope that this has been something that's been encouraging to you, something that that helps strengthen you. You know, that it's it's something that takes discipline, it takes training, it takes intentionality, that as you're considering these different elements of the armor of God to really consider not just, yeah, I believe that to be true, but do you have you embraced it in your heart that you know this is true? Um it's not, I mean, it's not a a quick fix type thing, but it's at but it it develops as part of our relationship with God as we humble ourselves under his authority, his direction, his power, and then boldly walk forward with him. And so, Jonathan, Stephen, anything else for the listeners before we uh close the book on this series?
SPEAKER_02The armor only matters if we listen to the general. So it's true. Take on the armor, but listen to the general, follow God, cling to your word. Mm-hmm. That's yeah, it's only fine.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I like that he says finally at the beginning of the passage. Because he says finally, and he but he says finally, be strong in the Lord and his strength, and then he starts talking about how to be strong in his strength. But I think you just come back to that same first last ver that first verse last, you know, finally, like you just said, Stephen, you know, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
SPEAKER_01As a as a funny side note, I think uh Paul was kind of pranking people a little bit where they thought, oh, it's about over. Like, nope.
SPEAKER_00I've already hitch you about marriage, parenting, hitch you in every other way. Now I've got one more thing.
SPEAKER_01Well, friends, as we close this, I do think it would be good for me to go back and I'll I will read back through this this passage just as kind of our close here today. We hope that again, that this is something that is strengthening for you, empowering for you, and encouraging to you. And we hope that you're bringing around yourself a community of others who are arming themselves to walk in that spirit. And I would especially encourage you within this holiday season, if you've never found a community, a regiment, so to speak, to fight alongside, um, find a church that you can worship with. Find people that you can begin to work and grow and sharpen yourself with. It could make all the difference when the battle of life is of life hits. And so Paul says, Finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil, for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one, and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the spirit, with all prayer and supplication. Friends, stand firm in that armor. Thanks for taking your time to listen with us today, and we look forward to seeing you again next time on the Citizen ATX Podcast.