Take Inventory

The survival of the Apollo 13 astronauts depended entirely on the ingenuity of technicians and engineers in Houston who worked from the inventory of supplies available to the astronauts in space.

For example, it would have done no good to instruct the astronauts to tie the plastic bag around one of the hoses if there was no bungee cord on board the spaceship. The success of the “mailbox” depended on what the astronauts could do with the inventory on hand.

This is true in every survival situation.

In this book, we have been looking at strategies to survive the troubles we encounter in our culture and in our lives.

Our first survival tip is

1. Don’t Panic

No matter what the situation may be, take a deep breath, remain calm, and remember that God is in control.

2. Gain Situational Awareness

As quickly as possible, pay attention to your circumstances and call things as they truly are, not as you wish them to be. Once you’ve gotten your wits about you and have gained some sense of what is happening,

3. Take Inventory of Your Equipment

Of what you have or what you can find around you.

For survivalists, the difference between life and death, in many cases, is as simple as a map and compass, a knife and fork, or even a shoelace.

I realize that I’m showing my age here, but I remember watching a television show in the 1980s that was a great example of finding and creatively using pieces of this-and-that.

I was intrigued by the way Angus MacGyver, the hero of the hit show MacGyver, could use nothing but a paper clip, chocolate milk, or a pair of binoculars to disarm a missile, create an explosive device, or divert a dangerous laser beam.

He was a master at the skill of building useful things from whatever is at hand.

MacGyver was able to use any tool that was available in any given situation to save the world.

Of course, the chances are slim that you and I are ever going to be a MacGyver who saves the day in a life-or-death situation.

But in a way, we are called on every day to be a MacGyver to our families, our churches, and our communities.

As Christians, we are to use the tools we have available to serve God and help others.

Fortunately, God has given us an extensive inventory of tools that we can use not only to navigate our challenging times but also to fulfill His calling in our lives.

The Armor of God Now, when it comes to taking inventory in your current situation,

I’ve got some good news and some bad news.

The bad news is that Satan is a formidable opponent and wants to destroy you.

He is not going to rest until he does.

But here’s the good news:

God has given you all the tools you need to defeat the devil’s plan to destroy you.

The Bible refers to those tools as “armor.” That’s why Ephesians 6:13 says, “Take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”

No matter what circumstances you may be facing right now, when you take inventory, you can be assured that God has supplied you with everything you need for victory.

Satan is the ultimate force behind many of the difficulties you and I face every day. Though people today may dismiss or even ridicule the notion of satanic attack, the Bible never does.

The apostle Paul couldn’t have been clearer about this when he wrote, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (v. 12).

In other words, our real-world effects often have other-world causes.

We tend to blame other people for our problems.

We might say,

“My struggle is with my spouse, who doesn’t appreciate me,” or

“My struggle is against my boss, who mistreats me,” or

“My struggle is against my friend, who has wronged me.”

But Paul said, “No, our greatest obstacle in life is not another flesh-and-blood person.

It is a spiritual power being used against us by a very real being that the Bible refers to as Satan.”

The Bible is clear that Satan is the enemy of God and of God’s people.

Jesus called the devil “a murderer” and “a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).

In 1 John 3:8, John said, “The devil has sinned from the beginning.” And Peter told us to be spiritually serious and vigilant, because our “adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).

Satan is not only real but he has a scheme to destroy you.

I don’t use that term scheme accidentally.

Ephesians 6:11 warns us to “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” The word schemes (methodia in Greek) was originally used to describe a wild animal that would methodically stalk and then suddenly attack its victim.

The predator would not treat all its prey in the same way.

Different prey required different strategies.

In the same way, Satan has a unique “blueprint” that details his elaborate plan to destroy everything important to you.

Satan has a plan to destroy your marriage.

Satan has a plan for the rebellion of your children.

Satan has a plan to ensure your departure from the Christian faith.

Famous pastor David Martyn Lloyd-Jones warned of the danger of failing to recognize the spiritual battle being waged against us every minute of our lives:

“Anyone who is not aware of a fight and a conflict in a spiritual sense is in a drugged and hazardous condition.”2

Remember, any lull you may be experiencing right now in Satan’s attack on your life is only temporary—

it’s only time for him to reload and come at you again. If we are going to thrive as followers of Christ in this world, we must not be ignorant of Satan’s schemes.

Someone has said,

“Sin will take you further than you want to go,

keep you longer than you want to stay,

and cost more than you want to pay.”

Some have learned the hard way that all of Satan’s promises are lies, yet they don’t know how to find the truth.

Others are deceived by Satan’s lies and are willing to go wherever sin leads them. Both groups, however, have been “blinded . . . so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:4).

But there is hope!

You and I don’t have to be spiritual roadkill in this battle against Satan and his demons. We can prevail.

This is the reason Paul urged believers, “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:10–11).

When you and I put on the armor of God, we are strengthened by the supernatural power of Christ to defeat the supernatural forces of evil.

Our Spiritual Armor What is the “armor of God” that the Lord has provided for us?

Using a Roman infantryman as his model, Paul mentioned five defensive pieces and one offensive piece.

The purpose of this armor is to help us “resist [the devil and his evil schemes] in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm” (v. 13).

The original readers of Paul’s letter would have immediately understood the analogy of armor, because Roman soldiers were a constant presence in their lives. If Paul were writing today, he might use a police officer’s uniform as his example.

Every time they went to work, he would carefully put on each item of the protective gear of his uniform:

his badge, his gun and holster, and even his bulletproof vest.

Each part of his uniform served an essential purpose in helping him carry out the job he had been assigned to do. Likewise, each part of our spiritual “uniform” has an important purpose in equipping us for our spiritual struggles.

Let’s observe as Paul takes inventory of our spiritual weapons,

in the order in which a Roman soldier would dress before going into battle.

Put On the Belt of Truth

Roman soldiers wore a free-flowing garment called a tunic. When they were going into combat, they put on a belt and then “girded [their] loins” (v. 14) by gathering the loose ends of the tunic from between their legs and tucking them into their belt. By keeping excess material from getting in the way, the soldier could move his legs quickly without constraint or fear of tripping.

Paul likened the soldier’s belt to “truth” (v. 14).

Just as a soldier would tighten his belt around his waist to secure his tunic during battle, so believers should buckle the Word of God around their minds.

When thoughts come into our minds that tempt us to lust, anger, or fear, we need to immediately tuck those thoughts into the “belt” of God’s Word so that they don’t trip us up. We do this by recognizing those stray thoughts and replacing them with the truths of Scripture.

I think that is what Paul had in mind when he wrote,

“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:4–5).

We can also defeat those distracting and destructive thoughts by following the example of the living Word of God—Jesus.

In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul said to the Christians in Corinth, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”

When I read this verse, I can’t help but think of the WWJD fad that was popular several decades ago. Do you remember it? Christians of all ages wore bracelets imprinted with WWJD—What Would Jesus Do?—reminding them to think about how Jesus might respond to a particular situation and to follow His example.

We might not know what Jesus would do in every circumstance, or we might not always be able to do what He would do, but we will never go wrong if we try to follow Jesus’s example.

Put On the Breastplate of Righteousness

The next piece of equipment a Roman soldier put on was a breastplate—a form-fitting metal shell that covered the soldier’s upper body, front and back, held in place with leather straps. The purpose of the breastplate was to protect the soldier’s spinal cord and vital organs.

Paul likened the breastplate to “righteousness” (Eph. 6:14). Now, righteousness is one of those terms we use in churches without really understanding what it means. I think we can safely say that Paul didn’t have in mind self-righteousness—the belief that our good works alone will merit God’s favor.

How can I be sure that Paul didn’t have this in mind?

Take a look at Isaiah 64:6. Apart from God, Isaiah said, “All our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment.”

In the original Hebrew, the last phrase could be translated as “menstrual cloths.” That is what God thinks of supposedly righteous deeds we perform in our own strength and for our own purposes. “Righteousness” in the Bible usually refers to imputed righteousness. This is the right standing with God that we receive from Him as a gift when we trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior.

The moment we become a Christian, when we confess our sins to God and receive His forgiveness,

God performs a mysterious, twofold transaction.

First, He takes our sin debt and credits, or imputes, it to Jesus’s account.

At the same time, He takes Jesus’s righteousness and imputes it to our account.

Here’s how Paul described it in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “[God] made [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

In 1 Timothy 6:11, Paul urged Timothy to flee unrighteous pursuits and instead “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.” A righteous or holy life—

one trained through what the late Eugene Peterson called “a long obedience in the same direction”4—protects our hearts from Satan’s attacks.

When we are faithful to obey God’s commands, we “do not give the devil an opportunity” in our lives (Eph. 4:27).

Put on the Boots.

Lace Up the Boots of the Gospel Well-made shoes were an essential part of a Roman soldier’s armor.

They wore sturdy sandals with thick soles and wide leather straps that covered their toes and the upper part of the foot. They were more like boots than modern sandals. The metal studs on the bottom of their shoes gave them increased traction in battle, like an athlete’s cleats.

Paul compared the soldier’s shoes to the gospel. He said, “Shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (6:15).

There is little doubt that Paul was referring to the good news of Jesus Christ, which is the only means of reconciliation—making peace—between a holy God and an unholy people.

The spiritual boots in our armor refer to our willingness and ability to take the message of the gospel to others. But Paul meant more than just delivering the good news to others.

A soldier’s boots also kept him from slipping in battle.

In the same way, understanding our purpose in life—sharing the gospel with others—gives us stability in life, especially when Satan launches spiritual attacks against us.

Let me get personal for a moment. Whenever I’m tempted the first thing I think about is this:

If I give in to this temptation, and my sin is found out, how would it affect my family—my wife, my daughters, and my grandchildren?

What would my sin do to the people you love?

And how would it hurt the cause of Christ?

My sin would give the enemies of the Lord a reason to blaspheme, which is a strong motivation for me to stand firm when attacked. And that’s not just true of me; it’s true for you too.

If you are a Christian who has dedicated his or her life to sharing the good news of Jesus’s death and resurrection with others, and you slip under an attack, it not only hurts you and your family personally but also hurts your witness for Christ.

But if you are a Christian who hasn’t dedicated his or her life to sharing the gospel with others, maybe because you are afraid or just don’t know how, let me encourage you: you can do it!

Sharing God’s message of salvation isn’t difficult.

In fact, a simple presentation of the gospel contains four essential truths.

First, all of us have sinned. Every person has sinned and is guilty of breaking God’s laws. Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Although some people may break fewer laws than others, the reality is that we all fall short of God’s standard of perfection.

Second, we deserve to be punished for our sins. Because we have disobeyed God’s laws, we deserve to be punished for our disobedience. Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death.” The word death refers not only to physical death but also to eternal separation from God in hell.

Third, Christ died for our sins.

Jesus Christ willingly took the punishment that we deserve for our sins. Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” The God whose holiness demands a payment for sin also made a way to pay the penalty for our sin through Jesus’s death on the cross.

Fourth, we must receive God’s gift of forgiveness.

A gift is not a gift unless it is received. John 1:12 says, “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” Salvation is a gift from God that must be received.

After sharing these four points, you can ask if the person understands what you have shared.

If he or she indicates a desire to receive God’s gift of forgiveness, then you can invite the person to repeat a prayer that goes something like this:

“God, I know that I have sinned against You, and I am truly sorry for my sins. I believe that You sent Jesus to die on the cross to pay the penalty for me. Right now, I am trusting in Jesus to save me from my sins. Thank You for forgiving me. Help me to live for You. In Jesus’s name I pray, amen.”

Our preparation of the gospel will enable us to hold our ground against Satan’s schemes.

When disappointments, failures, and temptations threaten to push us around,

our surefootedness on the truth of salvation will help us to be able to stand firm

with peace in our hearts and minds.

Take Up the Shield of Faith

The next piece of armor in Paul’s description was the shield.

Roman shields were shaped like doors and offered full-body protection, measuring two-and-a-half feet wide and four feet long. Shield makers covered the thick wooden planks with canvas and then with calfskin. Metal strips were nailed to the tops and bottoms, and in the center was a metal protrusion designed to deflect arrows. Paul likened a Christian’s shield to “faith” (Eph. 6:16).

What do we mean by faith? Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” In other words, faith is being assured that God will do what He has promised to do and acting accordingly. It is important for us to apply that trust at the moment of spiritual attack.

To lay your shield aside—to go through life without faith—leaves you vulnerable to Satan’s schemes, resulting in certain defeat. But resolute faith protects you from demonic attacks, rendering Satan’s schemes useless. How does the shield of faith do that? Paul said, “With [it] you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Eph. 6:16). Satan loves to send red-hot missiles into our lives.

Sometimes the arrow is labeled lust. Sometimes the arrow is labeled greed.

But I think one of his favorite arrows is worry—a paralyzing fear that seems to come out of nowhere into your life. And the reason I think this is one of Satan’s favorite weapons is that worry has a way of stopping us in our tracks so we can’t move forward in our relationship with God.

Satan wants to get our mind centered on something that likely isn’t going to happen and then paralyze us from making any progress in what God has planned for us.

Many years ago, while I was working in my church office, I was hit by an anxiety arrow that caused me to be overwhelmed by the thought I was going to die soon of some dreaded disease. There was some basis for the fear—both my parents died from cancer at a relatively young age. But I had no objective reason to believe I was ill. Nevertheless, I was so overcome with worry that I could not continue my work. Instead, I began calling doctor friends, describing my fears, my aches and pains, and my family history.

Everyone was reassuring—except my insurance agent, who recommended I consider additional life insurance coverage. I wasted several hours of valuable time that afternoon because I did not raise my shield of faith.

Satan’s attacks are meant to destroy reputations, families, and churches. But just as Roman soldiers soaked their shields in water to extinguish literal flaming arrows, so we should immerse ourselves in the things that will saturate our souls in faith: the Word of God and the people of God.

All too often, we think we have to put on our spiritual armor and face the Enemy alone. Not so. Just as Roman soldiers held their shields together to create a wall in front while others placed their shields together above their heads to deflect arching arrows, so it is with us.

Whenever we are besieged, we should call on our fellow soldiers to create a barrier around us.

Put On the Helmet of Salvation

The Roman helmet, like the helmets our military men and women wear today, was a vital piece of defensive equipment. Roman helmets were made of bronze and fitted over an iron skullcap lined with leather. Some helmets included a flared piece at the back to protect the neck—like a firefighter’s helmet—as well as a flared piece above the brow to protect the nose and eyes. Cheek pieces were attached to the sides to protect the jaw. A chinstrap secured the helmet onto the soldier’s head.

In Ephesians 6:17, Paul referred to this part of our spiritual armor as “the helmet of salvation.” But since he is writing to those who have already been saved, why does Paul link the helmet to salvation?

What is the relationship between the “helmet of salvation” and the protection of our thoughts? The moment we place our faith in Christ, we are saved from the guilt of sin—eternal condemnation.

But I think Paul has more in mind than the salvation from the penalty of sin we immediately receive when we trust in Jesus Christ for our forgiveness. I think he is referring to the fact that we are also saved from the power of sin. You see, every choice we make begins with a thought.

The mind is command central.

It’s no surprise, then, that our thoughts are a primary target of Satan’s attacks. Because our sin nature longs to yield to the temptations of Satan, we must continually engage our minds with God’s Word as we struggle against Satan’s enticements and strive to avoid surrendering to sinful habits or addictions.

People all around us excuse sinful behaviors by saying,

“You don’t have a choice; you must give in.”

When it comes to venting our anger, refusing to forgive, or indulging in other sins and addictions, the prevailing attitude today is,

“It’s okay. You’re only human.” However, the Word of God assures us that salvation is not only for the hereafter but also for the here and now.

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead—and will one day resurrect our bodies from the grave—is alive and working in our lives right now, offering us freedom from the power of sin. How can we put on the helmet of salvation in our everyday lives? We do it by confronting the Enemy’s lies with God’s truth.

We call on God and ask Him for the wisdom to control our thoughts—to “[take] every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).

Take Up the Sword of the Spirit

Everything in the inventory of our armory in Ephesians 6 thus far has been defensive.

Now Paul introduces us to an offensive weapon—a short, two-edged sword called a machaira. In close-quarters combat, the machaira was an effective thrusting and slashing weapon.

The Christian’s only offensive weapon is “the sword of the Spirit,” which Paul said is “the word of God” (Eph. 6:17).

The Greek term for “word” in this verse is rhema, not logos. Logos refers to either the written Word of God (Scripture) or the living Word of God (Jesus). Rhema, on the other hand, refers to the appropriate Scripture passage that is spoken or applied against a specific temptation.

The Holy Spirit impresses specific verses on the hearts and minds of God’s people, so that they might apply them at appropriate times to deflect Satan’s attacks.

Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:16–17, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” The Holy Spirit empowers the use of Scripture in our hearts and lives, making our mouths “like a sharp sword” (Isa. 49:2).

Relying on the Armor of God . . . and the People of God Perhaps no other person in Scripture embodies the strategies for defeating Satan’s attacks outlined by Paul than Paul himself. Paul wrote from personal experience about what it was like to thrive in a world in which we struggle against the Enemy’s temptations, a secular agenda, and our own sinful impulses.

And perhaps more than any other apostle, Paul suffered for his commitment to Christ.

Writing to the church at Corinth,

Paul described some of the hardships he faced:

Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.

Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned,

three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.

I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;

I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. (2 Cor. 11:24–28)

Paul experienced extreme persecution and suffered for his faith.

But through it all, Paul took an inventory of what God had given him.

He understood that his spiritual tools included not only the armor of God but also the people of God—his friends.

Paul’s letters are filled with the names of people who encouraged and ministered to him, such as Timothy and Titus, Priscilla and Aquila, Philemon and Barnabas, and Mark and Luke.

These are just a few of the people who strengthened and reassured Paul during some of his darkest days.6

In Romans 12:5, Paul referred to the church as “one body in Christ.” Using this metaphor, he explained that Christ is the head, and we are the various members of His body. Because believers in Jesus Christ are all one body—though different members, with different functions—“the members [ought to] have the same care for one another” (1 Cor. 12:25).

The church is a community of believers who are unified in our love and our commitment to Jesus Christ.

This is why Paul admonished us to “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15). Or, as he wrote elsewhere, “Bear one another’s burdens . . . while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Gal. 6:2, 10).

The fact is, we need other Christians.

I’m reminded of the story of a father who gave his young son a bundle of sticks and instructed the boy to break them. The boy lifted the bundle up high and smashed it against his knee, only to bruise his knee. He then took the bundle and set it up against the wall and kicked it, but he had no success breaking the bundle that way either. He tried several other approaches, all unsuccessful in breaking the sticks.

When the father returned, he took the bundle of sticks from his son, untied them, and then began to break them very easily, one at a time.

What a great picture of the body of Christ! When we are joined together with other Christians, we are strong. But when we are unbundled, untied, and separated from other Christians, we can be easily broken.

For example, two Christians have a disagreement, and those differences cause them to separate.

What happens to one or both parties in that relationship?

They feel isolated and are more prone to depression, because they are no longer enjoying the friendship that had been so beneficial.

Or a believing husband and wife are at odds, and neither will yield their rights to the other.

The result is friction and division in the marriage. Each mate feels isolated and emotionally alone, becoming more prone to the temptations of adultery.

Or church members don’t agree with the direction of the church, so they separate from the rest of the body of Christ.

They no longer receive the nourishment needed from that body or the support from other Christians, and they drift into disobedience and sin.

Satan has a three-pronged strategy: divide, isolate, and attack.

One thing the Bible makes clear about the church is this: we need one another. Christians need to remain united with one another to resist Satan’s temptations and attacks. That’s why the writer of the book of Hebrews instructed us to “consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together . . . but encouraging one another” (10:24–25).

We have been adopted into God’s family, so those who sit next to us in church are not merely friends or acquaintances. If they have made a commitment to Jesus, they are our brothers and sisters. And family members love and care for one another.

Paul concluded his inventory of our spiritual armor by instructing us to “be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints” (Eph. 6:18).

Like a lion that separates the weak and sick from the herd because they are easy to devour,

Satan seeks to separate believers from the people of God.

But we must never try to stand alone; that is why God gave us the body of Christ.

A Spiritual Inventory Whether we like it or not, the moment we committed our lives to Christ, Satan put our names on his hit list.

And he will hit us with every weapon in his arsenal.

He will corrupt the culture. He will try to convince our children that freedom is found in rebellion against God.

He will attempt to destroy marriages through pornography or adultery.

He will try to persuade those in business that the way to get ahead is to cheat, lie, and steal.

And he will do everything within his power to divide churches—to separate the people of God.

When you take inventory of the spiritual tools God has given you, could you honestly say that you are fully equipped to stand firm against Satan’s schemes?

Are you regularly reading, memorizing, and meditating on God’s Word (the belt of truth) so that you can confront destructive thoughts with God’s truth?

How obedient are you to God’s commands (the breastplate of righteousness)?

Are there “chinks” in your life—areas of disobedience—that Satan could use to destroy your faith, your family, and your future?

How committed are you to God’s mission to reach people with the good news of Jesus Christ (the boots of the gospel)?

What specific plan do you have to share your faith with those in your circle of influence?

Do you possess a strong faith, the kind that can deflect satanic attacks (the shield of faith)?

What specific promises of God are you relying on right now in spite of the attacks Satan has launched against you?

Are you acting consistently with the truth that you have been saved not only from the penalty of sin but from the power of sin (the helmet of salvation)?

Is there any habit or addiction in your life that you have surrendered to?

Can you immediately recall specific passages of Scripture to use when you are tempted with lust, greed, anger, doubt, fear, or other temptations (the sword of the Spirit)?

Are you actively involved in a local church in which you can experience the spiritual strength, accountability, and prayers of other members of the body of Christ (perseverance and petition for all the saints)?

The equipment God has provided for us is more than enough to defeat the Enemy’s attacks. Whenever we face challenging situations, we can take inventory of the tools God has supplied us and choose ways to apply them to our lives.

And we must courageously put on God’s armor and rely on it daily, because spiritual victory only comes to believers who are equipped for the battle.