We've all heard how we are supposed to put on the full Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). We do this so we can "stand against the devil's schemes" (vs. 11). It protects us more than any worldly armor could.
But I've been thinking...
Take a second to picture armor. You probably pictured something like this.
Now. If you saw someone wearing that, it would be pretty unusual, wouldn't it? Imagine a man wearing a suit of armor clunking his way into your local Starbucks. He would look out of place. Why? Because he looks different, unusual, a bit weird maybe.
That's the first point I want to make. If we are clothed in the Armor of God we should look different. I'm not telling you to go out and buy a historically correct suit of armor and clunk your way through life, but it is a thought provoking point. Think about the way you live -in front of others and alone- and answer me this.
Do you see the Armor of God?
Do you? Do you see the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, and shield of faith? I sure don't.
Maybe on a good day I can see evidence of the armor on me, but on most days I look at myself and I see something completely different.
On the usual day I tend to garb myself with the slippers of laziness, the yoga pants of pride, the hoodie of discontentment and the tiara of anger. ouch. That's quite a different picture from God's armor, isn't it? But unfortunately, it is not so different a picture from the rest of the world. You walk into Starbucks wearing that and you may turn heads, but only because you are wearing a tiara.
As Christians we are called to look different from the world. This means that we should put on the full armor. Not just the shoes because they are the least conspicuous. Not just the sword because it looks the coolest. The entire thing. The whole kit and kaboodle.
Ask yourself this this.
Do you feel ready?
"Ready for what?" you ask.
Ready for anything through the power of Jesus Christ. The devil and his minions (not the little yellow ones) are tricksy little suckers. They will do anything to try and stop you. Readiness "comes from the gospel of peace" (vs. 15).
Is the Sword of the Spirit in your hands?
In other words, do you spend time with Jesus? Do you read the word of God?
I'm going to be blatantly honest here. It can be a real struggle for me to "find time" to read the Bible. Things "get in the way" or I just plain old forget, but it is so important. (I'm stopping here on this topic, though, because that is not the main point of this post.)
Think about the armor again.
The armor the knight is wearing is not only a visual representation of who he is -a warrior- but it can also be an announcement of where his allegiance lies. This is my second point. The armor of a knight shows, no, announces who he's fighting for. The shields of some knights bore a crest of arms, showing what family the he was from. But what's more is almost every knight fought under the banner of an army or a king. They served this king, even to the death.
You see, God doesn't call us to be couch potato Christians. He doesn't say "Therefore go and maybe help the people but only if they want help." or "Therefore go and-wait, no. Scratch that. Don't go forth. Stay here in your little Christian bubble and wallow. The Bible doesn't command us to put on the pajamas of God. This isn't a slumber party. This is war. Are you fully protected? Are you wearing the Armor of God?
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Christian song of the day: Lighthouse by Rend Collective
Secular song of the day: L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole
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