"For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, And was clad with zeal as a cloak. So shall they fear The name of the Lord from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in, like a flood The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him." Isaiah 59:17,19 ; "The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light." Romans 13:12

War has erupted in Ukraine that threatens to draw all of Europe into the conflict. Along with that, the United States is working toward a nuclear deal with the Iranian government that threatens Israel's existence. Rumors abound that a nuclear deal with Iran will unleash billions of dollars that will fund terrorist organizations on Israel's borders. How will Israel react? The war drums are beating ... and the question is -- how should we as believers respond? First, we have to win the spiritual battle that we're currently fighting! Whether you realize it or not, we as believers have been at war since we came to faith! "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Thus Paul instructed us in Ephesians. We fight against the kingdom of Satan. We fight with spiritual weapons; prayer, the Word of God, faith in His truth, and His power– these are not carnal weapons but spiritual. We are seated in the heavenlies with Him [Ephesians 1:20], and in His authority, we make our stand. The enemy's weapons are temptations, fiery darts of doubt and disbelief, discouragement, weariness, earthly pleasures. Thus the enemy distracts us from and disarms us in the battle position. But what soldier goes to war without taking the equipment necessary for war? A soldier on the battlefield without his weapons is useless and helpless and in great danger. So it is in the spiritual realm. We need to actively take up our spiritual armor and weapons to fight the enemy. And we have this promise -- when the enemy comes in -- like a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall raise up a standard against Him! Are you ready to make your stand in this day? Brothers & Sisters, now, today, war is a very real threat in the physical realm – but it's already been here for millennia in the spiritual realm. So by all means necessary take up the armor of God today – stand with Him in faith and win your battle, one day at a time -- win the battle over your thoughts and your actions. God, "The LORD of Hosts" is with you, to strengthen, equip, and overcome; and His victory is assured! PREPARE FOR WAR!