Up to this point, it feels like we are hunkered down and trying to endure the attacks of the enemy. With Scripture and prayer, we go on the offense. Both bring the power and presence of God, "his mighty power" into the battle. We desperately need a rhythm of Scripture and prayer in our lives.

Up to this point, it feels like we are hunkered down and trying to endure the attacks of the enemy. With Scripture and prayer, we go on the offense. Both bring the power and presence of God, "his mighty power" into the battle. We desperately need a rhythm of Scripture and prayer in our lives.

Faith is believing in who Jesus is and trusting what he says. Every soldier had a custom shield, perfectly fit for them. Each of us has our own faith, not to be compared or confused by someone else's. This personal faith prevents the attacks of the enemy from doing damage to us.

The Good News of Jesus is a message of peace with God. When we consider the alternative, that God could see us as enemies, makes our peace with God even more amazing. In response, we should be ready at any moment to go and announce this message of Good News for all who will receive it.

Jesus has made us right with God through his sacrifice on the cross. We live out this righteousness by aligning our life with what Jesus desires from us. These two sides of righteousness are critical in our battle against the enemy--receiving the righteousness of Jesus and responding with our own righteousness through His power.

At the center of this battle is the discernment between truth and deception. The enemy, from the beginning, has been speaking lies in order to distance us from God. Truth--about God, ourselves, and the nature of this world--is our defense. This message will identify the lies we face in the different parts of our lives.

God is the source of love in its purest form, love at its best. And God's people, the church, are at their best when they show each other the same love God has shown them. This love is active, not passive… selfless, not selfish. In so doing, we show that we belong to God and that God lives in us.

God has established us as His spiritual family--children who have received the unconditional and undeserved love of the Father. We live up to our place in God's family by honoring His commands and His children. Sin causes us to refuse love to others in God's family.

The world offers a way to think, hope, and interact. But this way leads to division in all directions. If we are to have a unity that stands up and stands out, we must not love the ways of the world or put our hopes in it. Instead, we should believe that Jesus' way is better and choose to walk in it.

Jesus is the reason for unity among Christians. Everything that may divide us is dwarfed by the single thing that we share--Jesus. When we have the same belief (1:1-4) in Jesus and the same recognition of our need for Him (1:5-2:2), we have an immense reason for unity with others who may be very different from us.