Standing Firm in Full Armor

14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  Ephesians 6: 14-17

For so long during my battle against my faith, I used so many means to “protect” myself. Anger, shutting out of family and friends, being defensive, the “I don’t give a care” attitude along with my wall were my means of protection. And oh how that failed me. It only made my miserable existence even more miserable. As Dr. Phil would say, “How’s that working for you?”  Ya, not so much. It pretty much didn’t work at all.

One of the first things I clearly remember learning was about the Armor of God. Curiosity set in. Can’t say I fully understood it then, nor now, but what I do know is I am learning more and more about God’s armor.  It gives me comfort & strength to face daily earthly issues with courage and faith. Why? Because I know that fully dressed in the Armor of God, along with the presences of the Holy Spirit within me, I CAN face what ever comes my way. Each and every morning, I always say, “Standing Firm in Full Armor”.  To others this probably is silly, but for me, it provides a strong foundation for my day. To be able to face, stand up to, and conquer the dark forces that are surrounding me and attempting to pull me away from God.

Standing firm in full armor is definitely easier said than done. Some days I hardly even notice the weight of it but other days, it feels like a ton of bricks on a chain around my neck.  I don’t really think the feeling of the heaviness is from the weight of the armor so much as it is the struggle with Satan that makes it feel heavy. Which in my mind is where the Holy Spirit who lives within me comes into play.  The Holy Spirit is the one that takes that unbearable weight and carries it for me so that I have the strength to fight the battles in God‘s name.

What is God’s Armor? It is the means by which God has given us to stand firm in the battles of war against all that is evil. Against all that tempts us or tries to break us.  He protects us with His truth which is the Belt. He protects us with His righteousness against attacks of the heart, emotions, self-worth with the Breastplate.  God gives us the Footgear which gives us the means to spread His word of love, peace and goodness.  His Shield protects us from Satan’s temptations and lets us see beyond the here and now to what will ultimately be the grand victory.  The Helmet protects our minds from doubting thoughts Satan attempts to plant about God, Jesus and our salvation.  Our weapon of offense is the Sword which is the Word of God.

Every day I face temptations. Doubts and insecurities try to creep into my mind. My emotions tend to get the better of me and will begin to drag me to a place I should not and can not go again. So I CHOOSE to Stand Firm in Full Armor to face each day. I CHOOSE to Stand Firm with the Holy Spirit within me. I CHOOSE to Stand Firm knowing God is right beside me. I have been in many battles. The difference now is that I am on the side where I belong. The side with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The night is nearly over, the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.  Romans 13: 12

Love and Blessings,

Barbarajean