Wrap-Up of the Ten Essentials
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. [Ephesians 6:10-12]
Wow, here we are at the end of our adventure! We have been on a journey exploring the ten essentials since the beginning of this year. We have been talking about how we need each of the ten spiritual essentials to have a victorious life and compared them with the ten essentials for safety and protection in the backcountry.
YOU CAN FIND ALL OF THE TEN ESSENTIALS HERE
The backcountry can be unpredictable, presenting a myriad of potential hazards and unforeseen circumstances. That’s where the ten essentials of outdoor preparedness come into play, serving as a lifeline in times of need.
The ten Spiritual Essentials are our lifeline to protect, prevent, and fight the demonic spiritual forces that we waging against in our minds.
Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. (1) Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth (2) and the body armor of God’s righteousness. (3) For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. (4) In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. (5) Put on salvation as your helmet, (6) and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (7) Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. (8) Stay alert (9) and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. (10) [Ephesians 6:13-18]
We broke down this entire passage and each piece of God’s armor into the individual ten essentials. We took a deep dive into each of the ten essentials and the vital importance and significance that each piece holds for us in our lives. From a simple day hike to backpacking to standing firm on God’s Word. We learned how to stay safe while enjoying the beautiful wilderness that God has given us. With emphasis on how to utilize every piece of protection we have and how to use our mighty weapon the sword – the Word of God.
Essential One-EVERY PIECE OF GOD’S ARMOR
NAVIGATION (MAP AND COMPASS)
Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm [Ephesians 6:13]
These scriptures tell us that we need to be ready and prepared for things that might make us stumble. Like anything from the stupid enemy. Each piece of armor is essential to fight the spiritual battle and to protect us. Just like in the wilderness, the Ten Essentials may not seem important until we face a situation and are left without them. Girlfriend, you don’t want to go into battle naked. So, therefore we are going to put on the full armor of God!
Essential Two-BELT OF TRUTH
SUN PROTECTION (SUNGLASSES AND SUNSCREEN)
Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth [Ephesians 6:14a]
Make no mistake about it my dear sister, we are in a battle. Like never before we are up against evil rulers and true enemies. There are evil authorities in the spiritual world that we cannot see, and they are fighting with all they have because they know that we are in the last days.
Seriously take a look at what is going on with our economy, the border, our fluffy churches, transgender agenda, and all the lies from wicked and evil people within our government. Don’t be deceived or duped into any more of their schemes and trust me, there are more coming.
Essential Three-GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS (BREASTPLATE)
INSULATION (EXTRA CLOTHING)
The body armor of God’s righteousness [Ephesians 6:14a]
When we become a child of God, our heart changes and our focus turns to the Lord and his righteousness. By choosing to live a righteous life we are protecting our heart. and this is how we put on essential number three. We need to remember it is God’s righteousness within us and self-righteousness has no value to God.
Essential Four-SHOES OF PEACE
ILLUMINATION FLASHLIGHT/HEADLAMP
For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. [Ephesians 6:15]
As a child of God, there is peace knowing that no matter what happens in this world, to the economy, no matter what the government does, what other people to do hurt us, or whatever circumstances in life come our way; God will prevail. God will provide.
Essential Five–SHIELD OF FAITH
FIRST AID SUPPLIES
In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. [Ephesians 6:16]
Faith is, believing what God says about YOU and dismissing and not entertaining any other thoughts. Faith is continuing to do things that are right regardless of what others think or say.
What I love about this essential is we can completely put a stop to any negative thoughts or anything in our minds that is contrary to the Word of God.
Essential Six-PUT ON SALVATION
NUTRITION (EXTRA FOOD) –
Put on salvation as your helmet [Ephesians 6:17a]
Notice that the scripture says, Put on salvation as your helmet. This means we have to do something for the helmet to be effective. This is not something that happens automatically or is a one-time deal. This is a daily, minute-by-minute, lifetime process; remember we are in a battle. To simplify this – kick out the devil and keep him out…
Essential Seven-THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
REPAIR KIT AND TOOLS
Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. [Ephesians 6:17b]
Taking the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God does not mean you physically throw the Bible at someone as your offensive weapon. But it’s speaking of a book as a RHEMA (spoken word). We must take the Word of God and speak it to our situations as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit within us! The Word by itself doesn’t make us free. It is the Word we know and speak that will deliver us and make us victorious!!
Essential Eight-PRAY IN THE SPIRIT
FIRE (WATERPROOF MATCHES/LIGHTER/CANDLES)
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. [Ephesians 6:18a]
Praying in the spirit is a gift that has been given to us, that is in an unknown language to us. Each one of us will have our very own prayer language. It may sound gibberish or a little strange at first but know and understand this is the purest way to communicate with our heavenly Father. Therefore, we should desire to pray in the spirit at all times.
Essential Nine–STAY ALERT
HYDRATION (EXTRA WATER)
Stay alert [Ephesians 6:18b]
STAY ALERT! These two words are powerful, and they pack a punch with significant meaning. It sums up the entire reason we need these ten essentials! Just as water is essential for our physical survival, being alert is critical to our spiritual survival and even possibly our physical survival.
Essential Ten-PERSISTENT PRAYERS
EMERGENCY SHELTER (BIVY, TENT, TARP)
Be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. [Ephesians 6:18c]
Speaking of the outdoors, we are on essential number ten which for the backcountry is our emergency shelter. This is a great physical item to compare with our tenth spiritual essential which is being persistent in our prayers for our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Praying over others gives them shelter and protection.