Armor Up

My husband spent many years in the military. The night before he would leave for a field problem or a deployment, I knew that our living room floor would be covered in all of the gear that he was required to carry. He would spend a couple of hours or so laying out everything he needed, finding ways to tuck it all into the two bags that he was permitted. I hated watching him do it because I knew what it meant. He would soon be leaving. I also knew the importance of him carrying everything he needed to protect himself and fulfill his mission.

God knows that we are going into battle everyday. He has provided us with all of the tools that we need to protect ourselves and to fulfill our mission. I know that we often consider the armor of God something for our children to study; however, I would say that as adults it is even more important that we put on the  armor every day before we walk into the world. It provides protection that we can’t even see. 

Have you ever physically put on the armor while vocalizing each piece of it? My husband and I are honored and humbled to serve with While We’re Waiting, a ministry devoted to grieving parents. As part of the retreat, on Saturday morning, we physically put on each piece of the armor. Why? Because we are facing a hard battle, and we need all of the gear that God has provided to fight against the struggles that we face daily. I know this may seem childish to you, but I would encourage you to try it. I have never felt more equipped and ready to go toe-to-toe with evil than when I am armored up.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:13-18

Consider what each piece of the armor offers:

• The belt of truth helps us to refute Satan’s lies with God’s words of truth.
• The breastplate of righteousness guides us as we strive for righteousness in all that we do.
• Feet shod with the gospel of peace gives us the courage to go to others and share the good news of the Gospel with love and kindness.
• The shield of faith protects us from arrows that are pointed at us and gives us the confidence to stand firm.
• The helmet of salvation protects our head and our mind. It allows us to guard ourselves against the things of this world so that we can stay focused on bringing honor and glory to God. 
• The sword of the Spirit is the only weapon of offense that we carry. We use God’s Word to fight by speaking scripture over those we love and covering them in prayer. 

Now that you are armored up, what do you notice? What is the only part of your body that is not protected by a piece of the armor? Your back. Do you know why your back is not protected? We were not meant to run! We were meant to stand firm and fight. If you are looking for a passage to memorize check out this one: 

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7

Read that again! All we have to do is submit to God and stand firm. Satan will flee from us. He won’t just run away. He will flee. Running implies moving quickly. When someone flees, it is because they feel threatened by the danger that is nearby. When you are armored up and stand firm on God’s truth, Satan knows that he is in danger. You are a threat to him, and he will flee from you. 

Armor up and stand firm.