The Armour of God Holds in Lagos Traffic

You are sitting in traffic on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. A colleague calls with news: your promotion has gone to someone else—someone less qualified, someone you suspect used connections. The betrayal stings. Anger rises. Your mind immediately plots how to retaliate, how to make your case to management, how to undermine the decision. In that moment, you are wrestling against flesh and blood—against a person, against circumstances. But Paul tells us our real battle is not there.

The Apostle Paul understood something that every believer must grasp: the visible world is never the true battleground. When he writes “We wrestle not against flesh and blood,” he is telling us that your real enemies are not your colleagues, your competitors, or even your circumstances. They are spiritual forces—principalities, powers, the rulers of darkness. The person who took your promotion is not your enemy; they are trapped in the same dark systems you are being invited to resist.

This is why Paul begins with a command: “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” Not in your own strength. Not in your wit, your credentials, or your connections. When you try to fight spiritual battles with carnal weapons, you have already lost. As it is written in 2 Corinthians 10:4, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” Your real power lies not in schemes or self-promotion, but in prayer, in faith, and in the truth of God’s Word.

Put on the whole armour of God. Notice Paul does not say, “Wear some of the armour when you feel threatened.” He says the *whole* armour. The belt of truth. The breastplate of righteousness. Feet shod with the gospel of peace. The shield of faith. The helmet of salvation. The sword of the Spirit. Each piece protects you not against people, but against the lies that would make you bitter, the shame that would make you doubt God’s plan for you, the fear that would make you compromise.

When that promotion did not come, the enemy whispered: “God has forgotten you. You must grab what is yours. Justice demands revenge.” But if you are armoured in God’s truth, you know He sees you. You know His ways are higher. You know that staying faithful in a small thing positions you for greater things (Matthew 25:21). You know that vengeance belongs to Him alone (Romans 12:19).

Stand firm today, not by fighting people, but by trusting God. The battle belongs to Him.

Lord, strengthen me to fight my true enemy—unbelief—and trust You completely in every unfair situation.