When it comes to spiritual warfare, I would say there's seven keys to victory and they're all found in the armor of God. And when it comes to the armor of God, I feel like we associate it with cute pictures in children's ministry, and I'd bet that one big reason why many people fall against sin is simply because they don't know how to fight. And in order to fight properly, you need to know what the six pieces of the armor of God are, and then you need to put them on. So learn these seven keys to victory and fight the way Christians are supposed to fight. Key number one, understand the belt of truth. John 17, 17. Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. In this passage, Jesus is praying to God the Father and asks God to sanctify or to separate his people by his truth. And then Jesus says that God's word is truth, and the definition of truth is reality. So for example, if I held two markers in my hand and I told you that I had two markers in my hand, this would be a true statement because it corresponds with what is real. And if I still had two markers in my hand, but I told you I was holding three markers, it would be a false statement because real life doesn't line up with what was said. And for Christians, we identify what is true and real in the world based on God's word because it says God's word is truth. So the way that you put on the belt of truth is by reading God's word and understanding that what you read is true. So when you read about heaven and hell, know they're real places. And when you read about God's faithfulness, know that he's someone that you can rely on. And as an additional point, the reason why the belt is the first piece of the armor is because if you don't believe God's word is true, other pieces of the armor of God won't make sense because you won't believe in them. So again, the way that you put on the belt of truth is by reading God's word, knowing that it's true. Key number two, understand the breastplate of righteousness. Romans chapter 3 verse 26. It was to show his righteousness at the present time so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. In this passage in Romans, Paul explained that Jesus died so that people who believe in his death will be justified or, in other words, declared righteous. You see, according to the Bible, there's only one person who's truly good, and it's Jesus. Romans 3, 23 explains that we're all sinners and rightly deserve death. And that raises an issue because God being completely righteous must judge all sin. But Jesus took that punishment upon himself so that we wouldn't have to pay it. So when it comes to the breastplate of righteousness, know that the breastplate is supposed to protect our heart and vital organs. And our hearts are often attacked with the weight of our guilt and shame when we fall against sin. So the way that we put on the breastplate of righteousness is by owning the fact that we're not righteous. We will fail and we'll mess up. And that's okay because it's not our righteousness that gets us to heaven. It's God's righteousness, and that's what protects our hearts. Key number three, understand the shoes of peace from the gospel. Romans 5, verse 1, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." In this passage, Paul tells us that people who were justified by faith have peace with God. And the reason why this is so huge is because according to Romans 1.18, God has wrath towards all ungodliness. Now, imagine if you went for a walk with one of your best friends, and as you both were walking, your friend was hit by a car. And horrified, you see your friend, and in the car, you see a bunch of drunk people responsible for your friend's death. And later, you find out that all those people survived, and your friend was the only one who died. If this happened, you'd want justice. And you'd most likely feel incredible wrath, and that's how God feels towards sin, except to infinitely greater degrees. You see, because God is completely holy and righteous, he has wrath towards sinners. But Jesus took that wrath upon himself when he died on the cross. So the way that you put on the shoes of peace from the gospel is by knowing that through Jesus, God is not angry with you at all. Because that anger was already put on Jesus. No. Right now, God is at peace with all those who believe in Jesus. And when you know this in your heart, you're able to move through life freely, knowing that you have peace with God, and is smiling with you right now. Key number four, understand the shield of faith. Hebrews chapter 11, verse 1, faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen. It gives us assurance about things we cannot see. In this passage, the author of Hebrews explains what faith is. And simply put, faith is firm belief that leads to confident action. So note, faith isn't just believing in something, it's a strong belief that moves someone to act. And throughout chapter 11 of Hebrews, it shows how different people all took steps of faith because of them holding on to God's promises. So the way that you use the shield of faith is by reading God's word, trusting God's word, and by living your life accordingly. I should also mention that when Paul wrote this, he had the Roman shield in mind. And those shields were like big wooden doors that had ridges on them. And the ridges on that shield were meant to connect to the other shields of fellow soldiers. So as an additional point, your faith was meant to connect to the faith of others. It's your belief in God's word and your grasp of His promises that will protect you from the attacks of the enemy. And should the time come and your faith wavers, connect your faith to other believers. Key number five, understand the helmet of salvation. Philippians chapter 3, verses 20 to 21. "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body." In this passage, Paul tells us that a Christian's home and citizenship is in heaven, and that they wait for Jesus who will transform their earthly bodies into heavenly bodies. So note that the helmet protects the mind because many things can afflict it. Things like fear, anxiety, or stress. And God tells us that the hope of our salvation should serve as our mind's protection. So the way that you put on the helmet of salvation is to concentrate your attention on the fact that earth is not your home, heaven is. And that while the afflictions in times of hardship may be difficult here, they're temporary. And one day God will make everything right, and will soon be able to rest and reign with Him for all eternity. This must protect your mind. Key number 6, understand the sword of the Spirit. Ephesians chapter 6, verse 17, "And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." In this passage, Paul clearly says that the sword of the Spirit is the word of God, and the Greek word for "word" here is "rema," and it means "spoken word of God" or something that is spoken. So the way that you use the sword of the Spirit is to recall and speak out Scripture that can help you in your given situation. If you've ever trained in martial arts, you'd learn many different kinds of moves—punchies, kicks, chokes— and additionally, you'd learn the defense, or counters, if those moves were used on you. And I've been taught that in the same way offensive moves have counterattacks, for every temptation there is a counter-verse. So if lust, anxiety, anger, or pride are things that we struggle with, God tells us that the way that we counter those temptations is to use His word. And we can do so by staying in His word, by meditating on Scripture to the point where we can remember it, and by taking the time to memorize verses so that we can speak them out during a time of temptation. And please note, this is the only offensive weapon listed in the armor of God. So if you can't recall any Scripture right now, you're currently in a spiritual war without any weapon to help you. In key number seven, stay in prayer. Ephesians 6, verse 18, "Praying at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication, to that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints." If you look at this passage, it marks the end of the armor of God, and Paul concludes it with praying at all times. So the way that you put on the armor of God is by reading God's word and praying it on. So after you read your passage for the day, sit before God and remember these truths. Understand that His word is true, that you don't need to be perfect because God's righteousness is what protects you, and that God's not upset and has peace with you right now, and that you can have faith and trust in His promises and can lean on others when you need help. And remember that heaven is your home and that you have everything you need to win through God's word. Okay? The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace from the gospel, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, and prayer. These are the keys of victory that I know will bless your life should you use them. So may God bless you in whatever spiritual battle that you're in right now, and may you always remember, Jesus loves you. Hey guys, thanks so much for watching that video. We're very excited to announce that starting January 28th, we're gonna begin weekly livestream videos where we take the time to answer your questions that we found on social media, email, and all the other places. If you'd like to support us financially, we also just launched a new membership tier where you can chat with us live during those livestreams, ask your questions, et cetera. But if not, we always appreciate you watching our videos. Until next time, my name is Joe. Have a good one, guys. God bless.