The following article is the personal opinion of the author
There is a spiritual war taking place and we are in the midst of it!
It started when God created the Angels, and it will not end until the Second Coming of Christ when “the wedding day of the Lamb has come” and “his bride has made herself ready” (Rev. 19:7).
Our greatest defense is God’s love, and we are made to receive the love of God. He wants to transform our hearts into His very own. He wants us to share in the life of His grace and become “the bride, the wife of the Lamb” (Rev. 21:9).
Before creating humanity, God created the heavens and the earth, things visible and invisible, so that His bride would have a place to dwell, and the help needed to journey home into the Bridegroom’s Heart.
God created invisible spiritual realities, such as the Angels, to help us in our daily battle. They inspire our minds to do good and to forewarn us against evil. We must use our free will, choose to serve God, and wage war against our spiritual enemies: the world, the flesh and the devil.
God gave us spiritual armor to repel the attacks of evil so we may be preserved in His grace. We must put on the Armor of God and draw strength from Him so that we may “stand firm against the tactics of the devil” (Eph. 6:11). He provides the Sacraments of the Church to enrich our life in Him, sealing us in our true identity as the bride of Christ.
The Armor of God the Lord gives us includes:
HELMET OF SALVATION
When we put on the Helmet of Salvation we put on the mind of Christ, allowing us to think and act like Him.
SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, THE WORD OF GOD
When we take the Sword of the Spirit by meditating on the Word of God, we are able to discern good and evil, slaying the lies and temptations that attack our growth in holiness.
SHIELD OF FAITH
With the Shield of Faith, we defend ourselves and others against the arrows of unbelief and errors that attack the truth revealed by Christ.
BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
The Breastplate of Righteousness safe-guards our purity and holiness so that God may dwell in our hearts. The breastplate is strengthened through the Sacrament of Confession.
BELT OF TRUTH
With the Belt of Truth, we are supported by the grace to stand firm in the freedom God bestows upon us. By participating in Holy Mass, we receive a greater sense of our identity in Christ.
FEET SHOD IN READINESS
When we live a Gospel centered life, we will crush Satan under our feet. As the Lord leads us to walk without fear in His Gospel of Peace, we will be His messengers to others.
There’s no time to waste. The time is now! The “day is at hand. Let us throw off the works of darkness [and] put on the armor of light” (Rom 13:12). Out of love, Christ the Bridegroom has provided these weapons of defense against the enemy of our human nature. It is up to us to equip ourselves with these gifts so that we may be victorious and enter the Wedding Feast of the Lamb as a “bride adorned for her husband” (Rev 21:2).