Q: The "armor of God" refers to a set of metaphorical spiritual armor that Christians should wear at all times to protect themselves against Satan. The whole armor of God is described in Ephesians, 6:10-18. The passage instructs you to "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11). In essence, arming yourself with the protection and weapons offered to you by your faith in Christ, will allow you to stand strong and hold out against evil attacks of a spiritual nature. Ephesians 6:14 states, "Stand, therefore, having girded your waist with truth." The opposite of the truth is a lie, and Satan is often referred to as the "father of lies." Arming yourself with the "belt of truth" means protecting yourself from the evils of deception by clinging to the truth. In the Bible, Jesus refuted Satan's temptations in the wilderness with truths from Scripture. You can also do this; quote Scripture to refute the lies of Satan. To cling to the truth, you must seek the truth in all things and speak the truth to all people, including yourself. Don't let yourself be deceived about anything. The second part of Ephesians 6:14 refers to the "breastplate of righteousness." "Righteousness" refers to the absolute righteousness of Christ, not the halfhearted and fallible righteousness of mankind. Through your faith, you must rely on the righteousness of Christ to protect your heart against spiritual attacks just as a physical breastplate would protect your heart in a physical battle. If Satan tries to tell you that you aren't righteous, quote Romans 3:22, "This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." Ephesians 6:15 instructs believers to "shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace." The "gospel of peace" refers to the gospel or good news of salvation. Preparing your feet with the gospel of peace suggests that you will need to take this gospel as you travel into enemy territory. By stepping forward with this gospel, your soul is protected with each step. As Scripture says, "Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you." This includes spiritual protection from Satan. You are also instructed in Ephesians 6:16 that, above all, you should take "the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one." Faith is an absolute essential to have when engaging in spiritual warfare. Like a shield, faith can protect you against otherwise piercing attacks launched by the enemy. When Satan tries to tell you lies about God, remember to keep your faith that God is good, and that He has good plans for you etc. As Ephesians 6:17 states, "take the helmet of salvation." The salvation spoken of in this passage refers to the spiritual salvation Christ offers through His death and resurrection. A helmet of salvation can be interpreted as the knowledge of spiritual salvation. Just as a physical helmet protects the brain, the helmet of salvation protects the mind from spiritual attacks and false claims that would turn your mind away from God. The second half of Ephesians 6:18 instructs you to take "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." The sword of the Spirit is directly described in the passage as the Word of God, or the Bible. To yield the sword of the Spirit, you need to have an understanding of the Bible. Your knowledge of scriptures can then be used as a rebuttal to spiritual attacks. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." The verses regarding the whole armor of God finish with Ephesians 6:18, which states that you should be "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." In choosing these words to wrap up the passage on the armor of God, the Apostle Paul highlights the importance of relying on God for spiritual strength through the practice of steady and ongoing prayer. The Bible tells us to "pray without ceasing." Continually pray over every situation in your life for God's protection and help. The armor of God is a set of tools and protection that God grants believers, but it is the power of God that the believer must ultimately rely on.
A: Know what the "armor of God" is. Wear the belt of truth. Put on the breastplate of righteousness. Slip on the sandals of the gospel of peace. Grab the shield of faith. Don yourself with the helmet of salvation. Wield the sword of the Spirit. Pray in the Spirit.

Q: The Textra icon looks like two white, horizontal lines in a blue speech bubble on your Apps list. Textra will open up to your inbox. If Textra opens up to a conversation, tap the back button to go back to your inbox. This will open the conversation in full-screen. You can search a chat by tapping the magnifying glass icon in the upper-right corner of your inbox. This button is located in the upper-right corner of the conversation. It will open the conversation settings, and reveal toolbar icons at the top. This button is located next to the pin and trash icons at the top of your screen. Tapping will mute the group chat, and take you back to the text conversation. You will see a green notification box confirming the chat is "Muted" at the bottom of your screen. You can unmute the chat any time by tapping the bell icon again.
A: Open the Textra app on your Android. Tap the group message you want to mute. Tap the icon. Tap the bell icon.

Q: A shoe stretcher is a device that's made to wedge down into a shoe. Typically, they have a knob or a lever that you turn to gradually widen and lengthen the shoe stretcher. Over time, this will help relax and widen the shoe, making them up to a half-size larger. You can buy a shoe stretcher at most high-end shoe stores. Try this in conjunction with a shoe-stretching spray for the best results. Dampen the shoes with the spray, then insert the shoe stretcher. Repeat this as needed until your shoes reach the size you need. Take a sock and roll it up tightly from the toes all the way to the top, then stick it down into the toe box of the shoe. Continue doing this until you've filled both shoes completely with as many socks as you can fit. Then, store the shoes overnight or until you're ready to wear them again. While this method might not work as quickly as using heat, alcohol, or ice, it will gently stretch your shoes over time, making it an ideal option for leather, vintage, or otherwise delicate shoes. This may not work as well for shoes with a stiff upper, like dress shoes. Also, shoes that are made from a flexible material, like mesh, might require direct heat or a method that saturates the shoe in order to stretch out the fibers. Dampen a few sheets of newspaper, then ball them up and stuff them into the toe box of the shoe. Continue adding balls of wet newspaper until the shoe is full. As the paper dries, it will expand and harden, stretching out the shoe. Because this technique will form the shoe as it stretches, be sure to arrange the paper so it preserves the shape of your shoe. Do not saturate the paper, or it could damage the inside of your shoe. Also, avoid using this technique on leather shoes. Fill a plastic bag with oatmeal, rice, or any other grain that will swell up when it gets wet. Add just enough water to cover the grains, then seal the bag and place it into the shoe, working it down into the toe box. Leave the bag in place overnight, then remove it and try your shoes on! As the oats expand, the pressure will help stretch the material of the shoe.
A:
Use a shoe stretcher to gradually widen leather shoes. Roll up socks and stuff them into the toes of the shoes for a gentle stretch. Place wet newspaper into the shoes for more stretching power. Stretch the shoe with wet oats, grains, or rice for an old-fashioned approach.