Armor Up!

Put on the full armor of God so that when the day of evil comes, You may be able to stand your ground…Stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteous 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 the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. This militaristic language describes Paul’s call to arms for the Christians in Ephesus. Using the jargon of his time- breastplate, shield, helmet- he compares the armor of a soldier to the protection provided the believers. His message? This is a battle. You must be ready. And though we may not identify with the metaphors he uses, the meaning is clear. Be prepared. But the tactics of the enemy are not always as blatant as Paul’s warning would describe. We are often targeted by deceptive methods that undermine our faith, play to our weaknesses and destroy our confidence. Fear, uncertainty, change, doubt – all can create cracks in the foundation of our faith and leave us vulnerable. The answer, however, is the same- armor up! Don’t wait for the battle lines to be drawn. Live in a state of readiness. Paul begins with the breastplate of righteous – the protector of the heart. Our strength must originate in our very soul, in the place where our identity is formed. It is here that we decide who we are and whose we are. It is where our character is formed. Righteousness implies integrity and goodness. It is the essence of God. We begin our fight against evil by being covered in His righteousness. As the belt encircles the body, so we must be girded in truth. We live in a time when truth is subjective and access to lies and lying is easily obtained. But God’s truth never changes, never waivers. It is not affected by time, place or circumstance. It is the support which gives us strength. Sometimes it seems we are being attacked on every side. Confusion reigns. It is then that we understand the importance of shielding ourselves from those who would try to influence us both overtly and subtly. We rely on our faith, trusting that God walks with us. Perhaps the most difficult challenge lies within our very selves -doubts and fears that dwell deep inside our souls, that speak to us in the night hours or in the despair of loneliness. It is then that the helmet of salvation – the assurance that God is not only on our side but by our side, revives us and gives us insight into the problems that cloud our minds. Armed with the Word of God which is our sword of defense – our concrete reminder of the will of God – and encouraged by prayer which gives us direct communication with Him, we can withstand all that might try to bring us down. As Paul wrote to the Cornthians “We are hard-pressed on all sides, but we are never frustrated; we are puzzled but never in despair. We are persecuted but never deserted; we may be knocked down but we are never knocked out! Armor up!