The 7-piece armor for your mental wellbeing.
There is growing concern that in the aftermath of COVID-19 the world could experience a mental health ‘pandemic’.
Extensive job losses, financial fallouts, loneliness and the disruption of everyday normal will likely take some time to recover from. As people struggle to regain their footing this could have a long-term effect on their mental wellbeing and potentially create an echo pandemic.
Drawing on the historical correlations between economic hardship, mental health and suicide, psychologists globally are alerting governments to strengthen resources and support for mental health.
But this is not just a natural phenomenon that must run its course. It is also a spiritual warfare against humanity that must be averted.
Attacks on our mind destabilize, retard and can ultimately destroy us. The negative impacts on the individual have ripple effects extending to families and communities.
If battles are first won and lost in the mind. And if as Proverbs 23:7 says that “as a man thinks in his heart so is he,” then we need to be on the offensive—both naturally and spiritually—to protect our mental wellbeing.
Physical exercise, connecting with and serving others and managing our intake of positive over negative information during challenging times are practical activities to boost our mental wellbeing. But we need more to be truly resilient.
Spiritually, we know that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power and a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7).
He has also equipped us with a complete spiritual armor for every spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:10-18). “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.” (Ephesians 6:12 NIV).
The armor of God is so vital to our emotional and mental resilience and to our ability to lead meaningful lives, that God instructs us to adorn ourselves in every piece of it, day and night.
11 Put on God’s complete set of armor[b] provided for us, so that you will be protected as you fight against the evil strategies of the accuser![c…Because of this, you must wear all the armor that God provides so you’re protected as you confront the slanderer,[g] for you are destined for all things[h] and will rise victorious. (Ephesians 6:11;13 TPT)
As you rise each morning, be intentional to put on these seven pieces of God’s armor. It protects our every vulnerability.
- Belt of Truth – “Put on truth as a belt to strengthen you to stand in triumph.”
- Breastplate of Righteousness – “Put on holiness as the protective armor that covers your heart.”
- Shoes of Peace – Stand on your feet alert, then you’ll always be ready to share the blessings of peace.
- Shield of Faith – In every battle, take faith as your wrap-around shield, for it is able to extinguish the blazing arrows coming at you from the Evil One![
- Helmet of Salvation – Embrace the power of salvation’s full deliverance, like a helmet to protect your thoughts from lies.
- Sword of the Spirit God’s Word – And take the mighty razor-sharp Spirit-sword[j]of the spoken Word of God.
- Prayer – Pray passionately[k]in the Spirit, as you constantly intercede with every form of prayer at all times and pray the blessings of God upon all his believers.
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CHAYIL glory is the all-powerful, great glory of God manifested in and through his believers in the earth. The CHAYIL GLORY blog is published every Monday with insights to understand and apply God’s perspective to everyday life.