Are You Wearing the Whole Armor of God?

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
                             Ephesians 6:11 (KJV)
 





Hi Friends,
 
     How are you?  I hope you are well.  In a busy and confusing world, it can be difficult to know and to do the correct thing all the time.  Not only that, but we are all tempted from time to time.  So, for us who want to do the right thing, what can we do to help us stay on the right track, especially when difficult times come?

     We can, as we are called, put on the armor of God.  I have read this and heard this many times.  Most of the time, I wasn’t sure what it meant really.  Yet, as I get older and closer to God, I am starting to get the true meaning of this statement.       
     You may be wondering, “So, what is the armor of God anyway?  And, why out of all the words, the word ‘armor’ was chosen to describe these things?”  In Ephesians 6, we see a great description of the whole armor of God.  Ephesians 6:13-18 list things such as breastplate of righteousness, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and sword of the Spirit to help us in any tangles with the devil. 

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     Not all of us have been to war, so we may not really understand how crucial things like breastplates, shields, helmets, and swords are for protection.  And, actually, even if we have been to war, most of these items aren’t really used today. 

     This idea of being is kind of new to me as well.  It is something that I didn’t think much about before.  Yet, again, as I grow older and as I get closer to God, I can understand and see just what this concept of “war” means.  There is a “war” and there are two sides.  We are either for God or for the devil.  That is the tug of the society that we feel, the difference of opinions, the not knowing what is right, the temptations, the stress, the lost feeling, the violence, the depression, the hate.  All of that is provoked by the devil.  God’s ways are the way of truth, love, hope, and faith.  I don’t know about you, but I am for God.  Every moment of every day, we have a choice: do we do something for God or do we do something for the devil?  Sadly, sometimes we sin and do something that brings us farther from God and closer to the devil.  Thankfully, we all can ask for forgiveness, repent, and get closer to God again.   

     I guess we could think of life as one big game of tug-o-war, but it isn’t a game at all.  There are high stakes at risk here.  On one side there is our Heavenly Father, Jesus, and His Holy Spirit and on the other side there is the devil.  As we read the Bible, pray, grow in faith, keep the commandments, treat others as we want to be treated, we tug the rope and move ourselves closer to God.  As we give into temptation, treat others badly, break the commandments, and sin, we tug the rope and move ourselves closer to the devil.  We have multiple choices every day in what we think, do, say, feel, and believe.  These thoughts, actions, words, feelings, and beliefs all tug the rope in one direction or the other.  It is a war.

     In order to resist the tugs of the devil, we need armor to protect us.  We get that protection through God.  We need to know Him, to believe in Him, to trust Him, and to love Him.  We stay close to Him by reading the Bible, praying for ourselves and others, as well as others praying for us, having faith, and through the blood of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. 

     Friends, I hope your day is going well.  I hope your tugs have been towards God and not away.  I pray that these thoughts have blessed someone.  And, I pray that you are all cloaked with the full armor of God.  God bless you.
 
Heavenly Father,
     Thank you for this day.  Thank you for creating us, for being with us, and for giving us the tools we need to navigate through life and to ward off the devil so that we may be on your side of this war.  Thank you for sending us your only begotten Son, Jesus, as a role model and savior for us, and your Holy Spirit as our guide and comforter.  Thank you for allowing us and encouraging us to come to you in prayer.  Help us to grow in faith with each step towards you we take.  We thank you and praise you through your Son, Jesus.  Amen.
 
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Reflective Questions for Ephesians 6:11 (KJV):
*What does Ephesians 6:11 mean to me?
*How do I feel about the concept of life being one big tug-o-war?
*On which side of the tug-o-war am I?  On which side do I want to be?  Do
 my actions reflect this?
*Am I wearing the full armor of God?
*What can I do better in order to be fully protected with God’s armor?

Now, it is your turn.  What are your thoughts? 
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