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Published: Aug. 30, 2021, 9 a.m.

Episode 107\xa0- We are in a battle. It is raging, it is fierce, and it is up close and personal. It is not a battle against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual darkness. How do we fight it?

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(If you have joined us recently, a big hearty WELCOME! We are SO HONORED you are with us! We warmly invite you to start our Identity in the Battle Series at the beginning with episode 101 titled "What does it mean to be IN Christ?").

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This is a very practical episode. What does it mean to put on the armor of God? What purpose does it serve? What does it symbolize?\xa0
\nIn episode 104, we saw that\xa0"the only way to stand up to the devil is to kneel before God." Then, in episode 105, we looked at the first three of seven pieces of spiritual armor. So today, we study the final four pieces of our spiritual armor.

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Our text is Ephesians 6:16-20 (NIV): "In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith,\xa0with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation\xa0and the sword of the Spirit,\xa0which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit\xa0on all occasions\xa0with all kinds of prayers and requests.\xa0With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying\xa0for all the Lord\u2019s people.\xa0Pray also for me,\xa0that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly\xa0make known the mystery\xa0of the gospel,\xa0for which I am an ambassador\xa0in chains.\xa0Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."

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A shield? A Roman army-issued shield was the size of a small door. It was no round ceremonial token! It was the primary defense against long-distance attacks. It also allowed an exceptional display of team effort to save mutual lives. It provides a timely illustration about the relationships within the body of Christ today on the battlefield.\xa0

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Flaming arrows? Yes, Satan plays dirty.\xa0Fire is not necessary to kill. A well-shot arrow is enough. So why fire? Take a listen to uncover Satan's strategy in his use of fire, and how YOU can counterattack with the true Fire from the Spirit.

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A helmet? The helmet of salvation is essential. What is salvation? We look at a few key verses:

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- Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, Phil 2:12

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-\xa0Rom 8:28, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who\xa0have been called according to his purpose.

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And then,\xa0your head represents your mind.\xa0Here are some of our key texts from today. They're the kind of verses that satan doesn\u2019t want you to know. He knows his time is short, but he\u2019d rather YOU didn\u2019t know that. If you did, you\u2019d become wise and a threat to him!

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2 Cor 10:4-5 - The weapons we fight with\xa0are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power(B)\xa0to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God,\xa0and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

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Stephanie challenges you to deeper living: "Move from a philosophy of scarcity to one of abundance today."

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A sword? Stephanie takes us on a trip to France as she unveils how two French words will deepen your understanding of the sword that is the Scriptures.

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(Heb 4:12 - the word of God\xa0is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword,\xa0it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.)

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A secret weapon? Yes! Prayer is our spiritual weapon and it is powerful!\xa0Pray at all times, in all circumstances:\xa0to kneel before God is the only way to stand up to the devil.

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Do not leave today's episode without chewing on this comforting truth: you\u2019re not alone in the fight.

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Note: This episode is the 5th\xa0in our Gospel Spice Identity in the battle Summer 2021 series. If you missed it, make sure to listen to Episodes 101 through 105 before you launch this one! Also, it is the final of three episodes focusing on our spiritual armor.

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----- IDENTITY IN THE BATTLE BIBLE STUDY ------

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You have the option to go beyond listening to this series, and to participate actively. It is completely free, a resource by Gospel Spice Ministries. Go to gospelspice.com/identity to register for a self-paced Bible study. You will receive a downloadable, printable workbook containing listening guide for each of the 6 episodes in this series, space for note taking, and discussion questions if you want to do this study with a friend! What better way to enjoy a cup of coffee with a friend this season, than to discuss your identity in the battle together? So, grab a friend or family member, or someone to mentor or be mentored by, and register together.\xa0

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Special bonus! When you register, you will be added to an exclusive live Zoom call with Stephanie and the Gospel Spice Ministries team to discuss the episodes and ask YOUR questions! There will be 2 live calls over the course of this series (August 2021 only, upon initial release of the episodes).

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Every week, Stephanie shares truth from Scripture and invites you to dig deeper in your faith to delight in the glory of God.

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