Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:11

Though we are not promised salvation for imitating Jesus, as we grow in our relationship with Him, we discover the power of His life as a model for ours. His love, faithfulness, generosity, and sacrifice are benchmarks for our lives, His followers.

And we discover His power in another area as well: defending ourselves from the attacks and deceptions of Satan. The apostle Paul exhorted the Ephesians to put on the “whole armor of God” in order to stand against the devil. And part of that armor is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). Using the Word, the “sword of the Spirit,” is how Jesus defeated Satan’s temptations in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). Three times Satan tempted Jesus and each time Jesus responded…