“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:10-11). This has always been a fascinating analogy for me. I suppose it reminds me of when I was a young child and played those fanciful “Knight in shining armor” games with my friends. We would find trash can lids to use as shields and then tie whatever else we could find around us to simulate the armor before courageously going into battle.
It would be decades later before I had the opportunity to see what an actual suit of armor was like. We were in England for a short stay when I was afforded the opportunity to see and even try on a suit of armor. What I remember most is that it was way, way more uncomfortable than the made-up suit of my youth. It was so heavy and cumbersome that I recall thinking to myself I would have died pretty quickly if I were made to wear that in a battle. But that also got me thinking of Eph. 6:10-18 in a different way. Of course, Paul is referring to our spiritual battle, specifically defense, with the evil one, but I apply it with a twist.
Here is my thought. When we have put on Christ in baptism and are a new creation, that suit of armor is ours to wear all the time. If we choose to use it only when the attacks begin, we may not be able to put it one before we are dealt a severe blow which may result in our spiritual death. However, it is not comfortable to wear. It is not meant to be. It is the best defense we have, and comfort is not a top priority. Not only that, but when we use it, we stand out from the world. But some people don’t like to wear it exactly for that reason. They prefer their comfortable pants and shirts or their designer stretch jeans and name-brand t-shirts all for the sake of comfort and not standing out amongst the crowd.
If we wear it the world may laugh at us. They may say we look silly in our shiny metal “get-up.” Even our Christian friends may scoff at our willingness to wear it all the time as they too pretend to laugh at us, all the while secretly wishing they had the courage to do the same. But, when the attack of the evil one comes, and it will, they find themselves unprepared. As they frantically search for their armor and desperately try to put it on, they are no match for the flaming darts of the evil one. Soon they are vanquished and dragged into the darkness of sin. But the same fate will not befall those of us who diligently don that armor every morning because we are vigilant and ready.
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). There are two things we should always be aware of when it comes to the devil. He is always prowling, and he is really, really fast. Thinking that you will have time to run back inside, grab your dusty suit of armor, and quickly put it on will leave you woefully unprepared and vulnerable to his attacks. No one promised that Christianity would be comfortable. In fact, we are promised just the opposite in John 15:20, “Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you…’”
Who cares if the world or even other plutonic Christians think you look silly? Who cares that they laugh or sneer at you? People probably laughed at Noah too – until the rain came. Wear it because it is the best and only defense that assures victory against those sudden attacks. Take it off, even for a second and the devil will snap up the opportunity to overcome your weakened defenses. Beaten, you will be dragged into the darkness of sin where he will attempt to keep you chained up. Be laughed at or be ready – your choice.
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