I Have Norton Standing Guard

Ephesians 6:11-12 – Put on the full armour 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. (NIV)

Having been warned of a virus by a friend, I replied, "I have Norton standing guard! I hope he does what I pay him for!"

Immediately, I thought of the guard we have to protect us from evil, "the full armour of God." Have we learned how to use it and do we know when we are under spiritual attack? Sometimes we are ill or have loved ones or friends who are suffering. In our rundown or weakened condition, Satan moves ever so quietly into our presence, sowing doubts and fears we know we should not have. That is the time we must surrender all to God, putting on His full armour identified in scripture.

We can stand our ground but we must also be alert to the signs, so our minds won't be altered by the evil that is present, waiting to pounce upon us. We need to pray continually, giving thanks to God for the tools He has made available for us.

Ephesians 6:13-17 – Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (NIV)

Like the anti-virus software working to protect our computers from harm, Christ, who paid with His life, is with us in time of trial. We can be assured God is standing by, waiting for us to come to the full knowledge that He is in control and that nothing can come between us, when we submit to our Father in heaven.

Once we have done this Satan has no power.

Prayer: Almighty and everlasting God, fill our hearts with the Holy Spirit. Dwell within us, and keep us from the evil that surrounds us. We pray You will plant a hedge to protect us as we come to You earnestly praying, "You are Lord!" To You be all the honour, praise and glory. In Jesus' name. Amen.