TeaTime Devotional August 2nd, 2025

Written By: Eric Highsmith

DRESSED TO KILL

Scripture: Ephesians 6:12 NLT

For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Testify:

Let me start by telling you some of my story.  I started out as a kid going to church, but I didn’t understand WHO God was in church.  God found me knee deep in the streets hustling. Yes, you've read that correctly, and no I am not proud of it, but we all have a past. Surviving the concrete jungle wasn’t just about physical capability and being able to protect yourself, it was where I actually learned that I had this gift called discernment. I was able to pick up on people’s vibes and intentions, recognizing if they were friend or foe just by studying their behavior. One night I chose to be hardheaded and not listen to my intuition and ended up catching a life-threatening bullet that was 2 centimeters away from my heart, and no it wasn't wrong place wrong time.  The crazy thing about my situation was that GOD warned me in a dream that it was coming 2 weeks before it happened.  Though I failed to use my discernment that day.   I had a praying mother and grandmother, that prayed it on me even when I rebelled. In my dream I felt the heat from the bullet in the exact spot that I was shot. Felt like GOD was using me as a poster child, and he was going to get my attention one way or the other.

Edify:

When I read this scripture, I feel GOD is telling us to have our eyes, heart and mind completely open in order to see, feel, and understand spiritual warfare. Everything that comes against us when we say yes to God is never seen by the naked eye until it actually happens.   Staying attuned with ourselves spiritually is necessary because if we can't see ourselves then how do we expect to win when it comes to the unseen warfare that walks amongst us daily.  Because the streets came with a lot of fleshly spirits, Envy, Greed, Maliciousness, Drunkenness, Hatred, Rage and Selfish Ambition just to name a few.  We must do like my mother and grandmother did for me, pray that God protects and provides us with the spirit of discernment.  The same way that Knights dress naturally, let’s put ours on spiritually.    

Apply:

Have you ever left your home and forgot something then had to turn around and go back?  Many people do this every day by heading out into the world without praying for spiritual covering, it's like going to work naked. We pull up to spiritual warfare every day. We leave our homes and dwell amongst the world, so why not stay ready with the entire armor of GOD so you don't have to get ready.