Jesus, as I accept my responsibility for putting the full armor on, let it bring me back to the principle that I can’t do these things without You. And, help me accept that You won’t do them without me. John 15:5 (NIV) I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, HE will bear much fruit; apart from ME you can do nothing. Let this be a collaborative effort (a relationship with You).

Jesus, I am thankful that Your Bible is my instruction manual; it contains the armor of God installation procedures. Even though the Bible just says: “Put on the full armor of God,” and even though this is the kind of thing I find all over the Bible, You have steps for me being able to do it. Let me response with, how? Then let me realize that the Bible always assumes that I am reading and studying all of it. Help me look to You and the Bible for how I can obey everything You want me to do. Then empower me to do it all Your way.

Jesus, some times I just read the Bible without allowing it to build on itself. I forget that it is totally interdependent on all of the rest that has been written up to that point. Even though it was all written over a long period of time by numerous people under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, help me see that it functions like Your creation. If we kill off the honey bee, all kinds of things are going to stop working correctly because it breaks the natural flow of interdependency. Fruit trees and vegetable plants don’t get pollinated; and, I don’t get the food I need. Teach me that just like Your creation is interdependent; help me read the Bible with the understanding that it is interdependent. Help me always read it with the understanding that it and creation both came into existence by the same Author/Creator.

2 Tim 2:15 (AKJV) Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. James 4:2b (NIV) You do not have, because you do not ask God. Jesus, teach me how I am going to put the full armor of God on. Teach me that it is put on by submitting to You. Then teach me how I am going to submit to You. Show me that one part of it is going to be through allowing You to expose me to Your Word. Help me learn through 2 Timothy 2:15 that You are talking to me about being skillful in Your Word. Help me study as a part of how I “do what it takes” for You to develop Biblical skills in me; but, help me realize that, that isn’t all of it. Take me through the procedures required for me cooperating with you by “doing what it takes” to become skillful in Your Word.

Teach me the importance of desiring, studying, praying, believing, loving, and obeying. I now ask You to:

• Give me Your knowledge (what You, through the Bible, are saying),
• Give me Your understanding (what You and the Bible mean),
• Give me Your wisdom (knowing what You and the Bible are trying to do to me),
• Help me be willing (submitting myself to what You and the Bible are trying to do to me) and,
• Give me Your life (yielding my life to the empowerment and transformation by the Bible through Your Spirit).

Jesus, because “doing what it takes” is the major process of Preventative Spiritual Warfare, help me devote my life to taking advantage of these six vital principles. Help me take the various elements of the full armor of God and then go to Scriptures in other places in the Bible that explain what they are, how they work, how to get them on, and how to go about using them skillfully. Solve the problem with me understanding the words: “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Teach me that this statement is only possible as I learn Biblical truths.

Jesus, I have a tendency to read the Bible and then look to myself to figure out how to obey it. I look for some kind of instructions that tell ME how I AM to “put on the full armor of God.” I figure that when You say, “put on the full armor of God,” You are telling ME to put it on. You said put it on; so, that is what I try to do. I know You do want me to put it on; but, You don’t want me using human effort. Help me use Your Six Biblical Principles to put Your armor on.

• Jesus, teach me how and then empower me to DESIRE to put it on.
• Teach me how and then empower me to STUDY how to put it on.
• Teach me how and then empower me to PRAY and ask You to help me put it on.
• Help me always look to You for faith so I can BELIEVE I have it on.
• Teach me how and then empower me to always allow God’s LOVE to be WHY I am putting it on.
• And, teach me how and then empower me to obey you by taking FAITH-ACTION by living on the basis of the fact that I have it on.

Jesus, keep me aware that all Your instructions, commands, and requirements in the Bible take a relationship with You to fulfill them. Help me understand that I can’t just read the Bible and then use my human effort, understanding, and skills to do spiritual things. Teach me that THE BIBLE DOESN’T WORK THAT WAY! Show me that obedience or faith-action requires that I take Your knowledge, understanding, wisdom, and power before I am able obey the Bible. Lead me into “doing what it takes” to “put on the full armor of God so that I can take my stand against the devil’s schemes.”