Put On Your Armor

In Ephesians 6, Paul uses a familiar military metaphor to teach about the need to protect ourselves spiritually - putting on the whole armor of God. Satan is tricky and getting more aggressive in his efforts. He will use lots of methods to attack us as we make our way through life. I think about our girls a lot and compare the temptations I faced when I was younger to what they are confronted with each day. It's a whole new world out there and satan is everywhere and actively seeking them out. I was talking with a friend about this the other day and how during the last days, there will be false Christs and false prophets with their signs and wonders deceiving the very elect (Matthew 24:24). I believe today's youth and young adults are the very elect and it is heartbreaking to see so many of them being deceived and falling away. As I look at our children, I worry that I haven't taught them enough or helped them learn how to put on the armor of God AND why is it vital for their physical and spiritual protection. 

Paul described armor that is both defensive and offensive in nature. Not only should we be prepared to defend ourselves from attacks, but we will also need to make offensive attacks of our own against Satan and his distortions of truth. As I was studying this week, I had a couple of thoughts that I wanted to share.

First, we can't put on God's armor if we are wearing the clothing of the world. His armor doesn't work that way. King Benjamin talks about putting off the natural man and becoming a saint. We do this by seeking to always have the Spirit with us, by approaching our lives with humility instead of pride, and by caring more about the things of God than the things of the world. That last one is the hardest for me personally. But God's armor doesn't fit on top of the armor of the world. And we definitely can't put on the armor of God and then try to cover it up with worldly armor of pride, distractions, and temporary pleasures. 

Second, we have to put on the WHOLE armor of God. We can't wear just a portion of the armor. Heavenly Father wants us to be completely protected. Each part of the armor is protecting a different aspect of our spiritual selves.

  • Loins girt with truth always makes me think of the great image the Art of Manliness shared to explain that girding up your loins means that you are ready for battle and hard work. Check it out, it's awesome.
  • The breastplate protects our hearts - our hearts are where our desires and intentions come from and righteous thoughts and deeds keep us spiritually healthy. 
  • Feet shod in the preparation of the gospel of peace. Our feet take us places and to me, this represents our goals or our objective in life. It's worth reflecting on where your current path is taking you and if it is somewhere you truly want to go. 
  • The shield of faith is essential. There are some fiery darts out there and they're headed right for us. Our faith, or our testimony, will protect us from temptation and Satan's attacks. 
  • The helmet of salvation protects our head and I think is all about our thought and our desires. Thoughts become actions and focusing our minds on Jesus Christ and His gospel will keep our actions pure. 
  • The sword of the Spirit is our offensive tool. The word of God is powerful. Bearing testimony and having the Spirit as our companion allows us to cut through the errors and half-truths of the world. 

President M. Russell Ballard describes the Armor of God as being more like chain mail than a molded piece of metal. That description really resonated with me because it is the many small acts of daily spiritual devotion that fortify our spirits and allow us to withstand Satan's attacks.

It's dangerous out there you guys, put on your armor. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is Faith?

Image
What would you say if someone asked you what faith is? In Hebrews 11, Paul defined faith as "the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." The assurance of things hoped for - faith is knowing that because of Jesus Christ, we can hope for a brighter future. I feel as if hope and faith are one and the same. Life can be heartbreakingly difficult sometimes and even though I know that challenges are there to help us learn and grow, I sure wish I didn't have to go through those hard times. When I have felt surrounded by struggles and I couldn't see any way that things would ever get better, the only thing that has kept me moving forward is hope. Not the kind of hope that is sort of wishful like hoping your team wins a World Cup game, but hope that is sure because it is based on Christ. Having faith in Jesus Christ is having hope and knowing that His promises are sure.  The evidence of things not seen - faith in God grows when we see Him working in our...
Read more

Anxiety, Friendship, and Insecurity

This post has been kicking around in my head for a while now. My emotions have been closer to the surface lately - which can be both good and bad.  For a couple of weeks last month it was a bad thing and I found myself crying at pretty much everything and feeling alone and friendless even when I was surrounded by people. You'd think I'd be better at making friends after almost forty years of moving and having to form new connections at each new place. Instead, the older I get, the more difficult the process becomes. Even after I make friends deep down I question if we're really friends. I think these feelings of insecurity are part of what makes me willing to do almost anything for my friends. If I do nice things for you maybe you'll continue to tolerate my presence? I think I do a pretty good job hiding my insanity. I can fake confidence really well - smiling and laughing and making small talk. And then I go home and overanalyze and question every little thing I said...
Read more

Four Decades

Image
Birthdays are markers in our lives. Moving from one decade to another is a milestone that is not marked by an accomplishment or an important decision, but simply your age. That's something you can't control as time keeps moving forward whether we're ready for it or not. I can honestly say that I'm not bothered by turning forty and that I still look forward to my birthdays. But there's no denying that those milestone birthdays (you know the ones, they end in zero) are a big deal. A time that, for me, leads to some looking back to see if I've accomplished anything worthwhile in the previous decade of my life or in any of the decades of my life.  So I found photos of myself at all those other ages that end in zero. Maybe if I take it a decade at a time it will be easier to see what I've learned? Seriously, whose dog is this? Italy, 1981 Okay, this first one is already breaking the rules as it's not from a milestone birthday. I have two pictures...
Read more