You and I have an enemy.  We did not choose him. When we chose Jesus  as our Lord and Savior, His enemy became our enemy. Your enemy wants to defeat you, destroy your testimony, steal your inheritance and take others down with you.

The first piece of armor is the belt of truth. Ephesians 6:

¹⁴ Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

The belt holds all the other garments together enabling you to stand and to move. For the Roman soldiers all attire and equipment was tied together with the belt so they could stand in the heat of battle and move quickly and freely.

Jesus is the truth

John 14:

⁶Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;

¹⁷ Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

²⁶ But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

In Jesus, you are a new creation with a new identity. He is making you new and you belong to Him.

2 Corinthians 5:

¹⁷ Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Who You are in Jesus Christ

1) Alive – Colossians 2:

¹³ And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

John 5:

²⁴ Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

2) Beloved with an everlasting love – Jeremiah 31:

³The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

3) Chosen before the foundation of the world-Ephesians 1:

⁴According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

4) Created for Him – Colossians 1:

 ¹⁶ For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

5) Delivered from the power of darkness –Colossians 1:

¹³ Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

6) Forgiven of all trespasses– Col. 2:

¹³ And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

Col. 1:

¹² Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

¹³ Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

¹⁴ In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Ephesians.1:7

⁷ In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace

7) Healed with His stripes – Isaiah 53:

 ⁵ But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed

8) Indwelled by Christ – Colossians 1:27

²⁷ To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

9) Indwelled by the Holy Spirit – John 15:

²⁶ But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

John 16:

 ¹³ Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

10) Justified – Titus 3:

⁷That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal

11) New – Ephesians 2:

 ¹⁵ Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Ephesians 4:

²⁴ And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Colossians 3:10

¹⁰ And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

12) Reconciled to God – Colossians 1:

²¹ And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

13) Redeemed from the penalty of death and slavery to sin –Galatians 3:

¹³ Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

¹⁴ That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Questions for reflection

1) What about your new identity in Jesus matters most to you right now?

2) What are some practical ways to use the truth of Who Jesus is and Who you are in to overcome your enemy?

Hebrews 12:

¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Let us run with patience the race He set before us, looking unto Jesus,

Coach Patti