Ephesians 6:11
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Who are we fighting? Satan.
Who can help us fight him? GOD.
We do not fight against flesh and blood. If that were the case it would be an easy win. No, we fight against the principalities and the Ruler of Darkness. This is a Spirit War. And, unlike WWII or Vietnam, or any other battle/war you would like to name, this war--The Spirit War--has no end. No. Not until we reach eternity.
Wounded in battle, all too often God's soldiers feel sorry for themselves. We wonder, "God, where are you?" "Does anyone care?!", etc. Yes, this is our humanity showing it's self.
In the heat of life we often feel abandoned. Sometimes we even relish in, and cozy up with, the "Cloak of Self-Pity". Wearing it, really, as a banner. We not only wear it, but we whine as we are cloaked within it's fibers, and to every passerby we make sure they know we are hurt.
But, God made us...and he understands us. It is in the times of feeling abandoned that we must take every burden to the LORD and leave it there.
Maybe you are an exception to the cloak-wearer. But, I'm big enough to confess.
My dear friends, in this War, this War of the Spirit which we
will fight all our days while on earth, we must not, we can not, continue to wear the "Cloak of Self-Pity". Nowhere in that garment is there reflection of God's grace and fortitude. Nowhere within it's threads does it show forth the light of Christ. This garment does not allow us to SHINE AS LIGHTS in a dark world. We must relinquish our pain to the Lord. Let Him take that garment and instead square our shoulders back and do what we were called to.
We must take off the garment that would like to smother out, kill us,
and instead, put on the
whole Armor of God.
We must fight. We must be brave. We have no other choice. Now is NOT the time to slink away in a corner.
NOT IF WE WANT TO WIN!!!
He loved us that much to provide everything we would need to win. Therefore we must stand. We must gird ourselves with His armor. He loves us that much, ya'll! All the parts together help protect the whole soldier.
The Apostle Paul compares the Roman Armor to the Armor of God. In Ephesians he instructs:
*STAND--standing puts you in position for the fight. We can keep better watch on the enemy if standing...and looking.
*GIRD YOURSELF WITH THE BELT of TRUTH--in Bible times people would often gather up the long garments they wore and tie them up so as not to stumble or get tripped up in the garments should they need to take quick action. Truthfulness will keep us from stumbling. Wrapping our self in truthfulness, we are better prepared to work alongside God Almighty should a battle be called.
*PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS--in Roman times the breastplate protected the vital organs of the soldiers. They could still move easily, but they were protected while under attack. Righteousness means honesty and justice, which are two elements (if you will) that God expects from us.
*STRAP YOUR SHOES ON--but not just any shoes will do, the GospelPeace Shoes is what God's soldier must wear. It's really the only brand of shoe worth wearing. In Roman times the soldiers wore leather shoes that had leg greaves. They could walk easily, advance easily enough, but it was very hard to walk backward. The shoes had hobnails, something like football cleats, on the bottom of their shoes. And the greaves were made to fit from the knee down to the ankle. The Gospel and the Peace it gives enables us to never retreat. Wearing the GospelPeace Shoes will prevent backsliding. If you're not wearing the right shoes for the job, you will limp along and not be able to keep up with what God is performing/working out in your life and the lives around you. God's army advances, never retreats. Better keep up!!
*HOLD THE SHIELD OF FAITH--this is more important than all the rest. We must NEVER lose our faith. Without faith we are unable to put out the fiery darts of the wicked.
*PUT YOUR HAT ON--the Helmet of Salvation. This isn't just any ole' kind of cap, my friend. This is the very salvation of God, which is able to keep your minds sane in the crucial, brutal times. If Satan can dismantle us of the faith in our salvation and/or in the faith of just how big God really is and what He is able to do, then he's pretty much got us whipped. Keep your helmet on!!!
*SWORD OF THE SPIRIT--keep the Word of God (the BIBLE) in your hand and always before your eyes. Read it!!! Hide God's Word in your heart so as when the devil comes a'knockin you can block his blows with the promises of God. If you want the devil to tremble, there is no quicker way than this.
*ALWAYS PRAY & WATCH--pray, pray, pray. Always. Watch with persistence. Always keep on being a Christian. No matter how hard it is. Even when Paul was a prisoner, he kept preaching and stayed faithful. In the dark moments of your imprisonment, remember Paul. If he did it, you can too!!! :)
If we as Christians can work together, bind together through the Holy Ghost and Christian Love, we will be a stronger force against the enemy, Satan, the destroyer of souls.
Finally, my brethern, be strong. Not in yourself. But, in the Lord.
It is high time we awake out of slumber, throw off the blanket of self-pity, stand, put on the whole armor of God, and FIGHT. Jesus is coming oh so soon!
