The Whole Armor of God

10 Finally, (A)be strong in the Lord and in (B)the strength of his might. 11 (C)Put on (D)the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against (E)the schemes of the devil. 12 For (F)we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against (G)the rulers, against the authorities, against (H)the cosmic powers over (I)this present darkness, against (J)the spiritual forces of evil (K)in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore (L)take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in (M)the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, (N)having fastened on the belt of truth, and (O)having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, (P)as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up (Q)the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all (R)the flaming darts of (S)the evil one; 17 and take (T)the helmet of salvation, and (U)the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying (V)at all times (W)in the Spirit, (X)with all prayer and supplication. To that end, (Y)keep alert with all perseverance, making (Z)supplication for all the saints, 19 and (AA)also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth (AB)boldly to proclaim (AC)the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I (AD)am an ambassador (AE)in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

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The Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord(A) and in his mighty power.(B) 11 Put on the full armor of God,(C) so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,(D) but against the rulers, against the authorities,(E) against the powers(F) of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.(G) 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God,(H) so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,(I) with the breastplate of righteousness in place,(J) 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.(K) 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith,(L) with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.(M) 17 Take the helmet of salvation(N) and the sword of the Spirit,(O) which is the word of God.(P)

18 And pray in the Spirit(Q) on all occasions(R) with all kinds of prayers and requests.(S) With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying(T) for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me,(U) that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly(V) make known the mystery(W) of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador(X) in chains.(Y) Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

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A Fight to the Finish

10-12 And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no weekend war that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

13-18 Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

19-20 And don’t forget to pray for me. Pray that I’ll know what to say and have the courage to say it at the right time, telling the mystery to one and all, the Message that I, jailbird preacher that I am, am responsible for getting out.

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