Uncommen: Armor of GodSample

The Struggle is Real ... So is the Armor of God

How did Paul, or many of the Apostles and multitudes of Christians, handle the constant physical and mental attacks coming their way? In Ephesians, Paul gives us some good information on how he viewed the world. He says,

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

There are some key points here. First, “schemes of the devil” are often things we allow ourselves to think about and tempt us, such as sexual sin. The devil is crafty and wants to break us down, not always hitting us directly with sin but having us focus on strife. An unseen spiritual battle heavily influences our physical and mental reality.

Have you ever had pain that you did nothing for and still went out and played with your kids? You “forget” about or are distracted from the pain at that time. The devil wants us to focus completely on challenges in our life because when that happens, we feel too weighted down to even grab this “armor” that Paul refers to in scripture. If the devil can get you to completely focus on the pain, whether physically or mentally, then he can disarm your ability to rely on God and ultimately share Him with others. Set aside sin for a moment. His evil plan isn’t to get you to sin per se but to prevent you from sharing the Redemption message with others. The devil has lost you, but he succeeds if he can stop you from sharing with others.

Now, back to the beginning, Paul says, “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” Wow! His “strength,” not your own, but His. He created everything, and if He can do that, surely He can give us strength each day. Paul stayed positive until the end, finding joy, and sharing words of love and encouragement, even when his circumstances were terrible and his outcome bleak.

Question 1: What “armor” do you think is the most necessary for your battles?

Question 2: What “armor” do you think is the least important?

Challenge: Take a moment and write about how you view God. Do you see Him as abstract? Do you see Him as the author of life and everything we see around us? Write how you view God, not through the prism of how you are expected to view them.