Suit Up!

Ephesians 6:10-11 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”

         We are at war! For me, this is one of the hardest truths to keep in the forefront of my mind. Our lives are pretty easy compared to many others in the world and even in America. It could also be that my life feels tame and sometimes unimportant. But I am thankful for our women’s study, The Armor of God by Priscilla Shirer: it has reminded me that I need to be prepared for battle every day. I am not saying that I am doing it perfectly, by any means, but I need that constant reminder to be putting on the full armor of God and engaging in the battle.

         Engaging in the battle. Engaging is the key word for me. I have a passive personality, and even though I hate to admit it, I like comfort. So, it is easy for me to just glide through life and not stay as prepared as I should for battle. Whether we like it or not, there is a war going on around us all the time, and people’s eternities are at stake, God’s glory is at stake, and personally, God’s best for our lives is also at stake.

         As we have done this study on the armor of God, I am constantly reminded of Romans 6. In seminary, we studied this in depth, and it struck me to my core that I make a choice every day, consciously or not, to present myself for use by God or unrighteousness. That is a horrific thought – that I would serve Satan, my enemy! And yet, if you read Romans 6, particularly verses 12-13, we have two options – to offer ourselves to serve righteousness or unrighteousness. I personally have realized that if I am not actively seeking God, then I can often be passively letting my own selfish desires control my actions, which is a passive way of serving unrighteousness. If you think about it, those two options break down into three daily choices: I choose to serve God consciously, I serve unrighteousness unconsciously because I am not actively seeking God, or I serve unrighteousness by choice in full on rebellion of God.

         Most of us ‘good Christians’ would never serve unrighteousness consciously, but how many of us go through part or all of our day, making decisions without acknowledging or consulting God? It is easy to do. I go to the store, I know what groceries I need, I am friendly to people, but did I prepare my heart before the Lord and put on His armor and ask if there is someone He wants me to have a divine interaction with? Or, I am at home doing dishes and laundry and all the normal mundane things, but what if the Lord wants me to go talk to my neighbor or do something else? Have I offered Him my day, and do I consistently ask Him what He wants from me? This extends to attitude and not just action. Am I grumbling as I do laundry for the millionth time and wishing my little boy was a neater eater, or do I consciously choose to praise God for all that He has done for me? Thank You, God, that we live in a day and age with washers and dryers, thank You that I have use of all my limbs to make this easy, thank You for my precious little boy who is learning to eat and do things independently so that I don’t always have to feed him, etc!

         I know I am guilty of living life on auto-pilot, of being a good neutral Christian. What about you? Are you engaging in the spiritual battle that is going on all around us? Are you offering yourself, consciously and actively, to the Lord every day? Even as I say this, I can feel the guilt rising in all of us. We also need to remember that we do not do this alone or in our own strength. Sometimes, the first step can be to ask God to give you the extra measure of grace to choose Him and His ways, for the Holy Spirit to help you remember to put on the armor of God every day. Priscilla Shirer pointed out in Ephesians 6:10-11 that it is really a passive verb and could be better translated – ‘be strengthened in the Lord.’ We do not muster up the strength to fight this battle, but as we seek God, He strengthens us with His infinite might. If you feel weary and weak, take heart. God is strong enough and can give you the strength, the determination, and the perseverance you need for the battle. But let us pray for each other to seek Him and live purposefully by putting on the armor of God and engaging in the battle for His glory, for the sake of others’ eternity, and for living the abundant life God gives to the fullest.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him!" Rom 15:13

Judith Graham