July 2004 Ensign - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

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8 It has been my experience that there is not one great and grand thing we can do to arm ourselves spiritually. True spiritual power lies in numerous smaller acts woven together in a fabric of spiritual fortification that protects and shields from all evil. How do we put on the whole armor of God so that we may, as Paul promises, “be able to withstand in the evil day”? BY ELDER M. RUSSELL BALLARD Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Long before the world was formed, Satan and those who followed after him raged against the forces of good and tried to overthrow the work of God. That struggle has not ended, only shifted battlegrounds. It is ruthless and relentless, and the objective of the battle is your eternal soul and mine. The Apostle Paul spoke of how to arm ourselves for this conflict in these very graphic terms: “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day” (Ephesians 6:10–13). How do we put on the whole armor of God so that we may, as Paul promises, “be able to withstand in the evil day”? I like to think of this spiritual armor not as a solid piece of metal molded to fit the body but more like chain mail. Chain mail consists of dozens of tiny pieces of steel fastened together to allow the user greater flexibility without losing protection. I say that because it has been my experience that there is not one great and grand thing we can do to arm ourselves spiritually. True spiritual power lies in numerous smaller acts woven together in a fabric of spiritual fortification that protects and shields from all evil. It is a common expression to talk about the “chinks” in a person’s armor. The definition of the word chink is “a small cleft, slit, or fissure.” 1 Should an arrow strike exactly one of the chinks in one’s armor, a fatal wound can result. I would like to suggest to you six ways we may protect ourselves by eliminating any chinks or gaps in our personal spiritual armor.
1. Rely on the Protective INDICATED Power of Prayer The Doctrine and Covenants OTHERWISE teaches, “Pray always, that you may UNLESS come off conqueror; yea, that you may CASEY conquer Satan, and that you may escape ROBERT BY the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work” (D&C 10:5). What a wonderful promise! In this spiritual PHOTOGRAPHY ENSIGN JULY 2004 9
Page 1 and 2: THE ENSIGN OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS C
Page 3: 16 43 56 68 Protecting Your Child f
Page 6 and 7: 4 which was taken with a palsy: and
Page 8 and 9: 6 like growing up in a household wi
Page 12 and 13: 10 warfare that rages over individu
Page 14 and 15: 12 yourselves and turn to Them, the
Page 16 and 17: 14 It is not watching television, b
Page 18 and 19: 16 PROTECTING YOUR CHILD FROM GANG
Page 20 and 21: 18 involved. If you are not sure ho
Page 22 and 23: 20 explained, “The very thought o
Page 24 and 25: CHART 2: ALMA THROUGH MORMON AND MO
Page 26 and 27: BOOK AUTHOR JUDGES DATE NEPHITES AN
Page 28 and 29: BOOK AUTHOR JUDGES DATE NEPHITES MA
Page 30 and 31: 28 No. Reference Principle 1 Alma 1
Page 32 and 33: dinner. And now I understand why th
Page 34 and 35: Scheduling As the ward activities c
Page 37 and 38: PHOTOGRAPHY BY DON L. SEARLE, EXCEP
Page 39 and 40: Opposite page, left to right: Amali
Page 41 and 42: RIGHT: HISTORICAL PHOTOGRAPHS COURT
Page 43 and 44: it is their temple. They have made
Page 45 and 46: ILLUSTRATED BY CARY HENRIE I never
Page 47 and 48: women who work together to be frien
Page 49 and 50: their rights or he would take the b
Page 51 and 52: PAINTING BY ROBERT T. BARRETT of Jo
Page 53 and 54: PAINTING BY GREG K. OLSEN group arr
Page 55 and 56: Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent can w
Page 57 and 58: Submitting through Service Latter-d
Page 59 and 60: Sending out an SOS Leaders in the e
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OUR FATHER’S WORK “There are te
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DETAIL FROM CHRIST AND THE RICH YOU
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“Was it in Asahikawa that you hel
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Reaching Spencer By Emma Jo Anderso
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LEFT: ILLUSTRATED BY JOE FLORES; RI
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songs left, then one. Then the prog
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75 YEARS OF MUSIC AND THE SPOKEN WO
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cold in his bed. The couple and Sis
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Brazil Campinas N. Eugene Shawcroft
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numbers and depth of information co
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PHOTOGRAPH BY JULIE RICH GREER Full
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COURTESY OF WALT AND KATIE GASSER,
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July 2004 Ensign - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

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