Fully Armored

 Read Ephesians 6:10-18

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness 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 all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

 

I will put this in Kiplinger format for those who get lost in the narrative.

·       Be strong in the Lord. It’s his power that gets you up the hill.

·       Put on all of your armor, not just a piece here and there.

·       It’s a different kind of armor. It protects against the devil’s schemes.

·       Your battles are mostly in the spiritual realm.

·       If you say it twice, it must be important, so make sure you put on all your armor.

·       You will be properly equipped to stand your ground against evil.

·       Here is your armor

o   The belt of truth

o   The breastplate of righteousness

o   The gospel of peace for your combat boots

o   Don’t forget your shield of faith

o   Put on the helmet of salvation

o   Be armed with the sword of the Spirit—the word of God.

 

Here it is without the metaphor.

·       Truth

·       Righteousness

·       Good news

·       Faith

·       Salvation

·       The word of God

In addition to all of this, pray. Pray in the Spirit. It’s not a ritual; it’s a connection with God.

Not everything we do involves suffering, but we should be prepared to do what the Lord requires.

Not everything is a trial, but we should be faithful in our trials.

Not everything is a spiritual battle, but we should be equipped and ready to fight in the spiritual realm.

So, be strong in the Lord.

Put on all of your armor.

Be ready to fight in the spiritual realm daily.

Amen.