Well Armed and Standing Firm!

Eph. 6:13-18    

  13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.  14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.  15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.  16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.  17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

   18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

We have already discussed a bit about how thoroughly God can arm us-- equip us against the evil of the Enemy. It is a function that God wants to do-- equip us. All we need to do is ask for our equipping and He will empower us for all that is in His plan to do through us. Once given however, we need to remember to put it all on each day. 

When I was a soldier in a foreign war zone, several decades ago, I can remember being very casual about my armor and equipment. I had been given a helmet-- a steel pot that was designed to stop bullets and shrapnel. I had been given a flack vest that was design to block projectiles from injuring my vital organs. My boots were steel reinforced to prevent sharp objects from piercing the soles.  On my first day in a combat zone, one hot muggy afternoon during some slack time, I ventured out for a stroll wearing my short pants, my 'tennies', a t-shirt and my favorite team's ball cap. As I was walking about the compound, our artillery began to fire, as incoming rounds from hidden mortars began marching their way up to our base center, sending whistling sounds passed my ears. A very caring staff sergeant, very kindly got my attention with the words "hit the ground idiot!"  I dove down, hugging the ground trying to crawl into a little hole that I was much too big for.  After it was over, the sergeant's next words to me were also kind-- in his sergeant way. Two inches from my face and speaking so that I could have heard him hundreds of yards away, he questioned me as to where were the certain pieces of equipment that I had been given to wear that would save my life. I learned that day to put on all my armor whenever venturing outside in a war zone.

Today, the daily walk of the Christian believer is equally perilous. We must walk through mine fields of ideas and temptations. We must face people daily who would entrap us with words and try to shake us loose from our trust and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. When we stand firm in the Lord the enemies will throw everything they can at us to knock us flat. But we have great armor to wear!  Absolute Truth encircles our body holding it all together on us. Our bullet-proof vest is made of God's unshakable righteousness-- nothing can penetrate that! Our feet are covered with peace that comes from carrying God's Good News everywhere they walk. Faith shields us from all the spiritual and emotional projectiles that the enemy sends whistling in our direction. Our heads are protected with the Salvation earned for us by the Lord Himself on Calvary. And God's written word, the Bible becomes our weapon-- cutting in all directions as it goes, and disabling all offenses it encounters. Prayer becomes our strategy-- praying unceasingly throughout each and every day, and listening to God's Spirit within us guiding our decisions, actions, and thoughts. How well-armed are you today?
Your Servant in Christ's Love
Dan Elliott
drdanelliott@gmail.com