Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Devotion: One of my son’s favorite coloring pages is the armor of God. I think it’s because it includes a sword, shield, and helmet, which make him feel like a hero. In fact, He likes the idea of the armor of God so much that we actually got Him pajamas with the pieces of armor patterned on them. While he likes it because it is exciting and heroic, it creates a great opportunity for us to teach him about the armor of God.
When reflecting on all that God has equipped us with, it should still be as exciting to us as it is to my almost four-year-old! God has given us everything we need to stand up to temptation and to the enemy. We can armor ourselves with truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation. When we press into each of these areas, as they are gifts from God that we are given freely when put our trust in Him, our endurance grows and so does our strength in our Lord.
We need not fear the times in life that we will be tempted. Instead, we can step into each day and put on the armor of God. We can trust that He has equipped us with what we need in order to fight off the enemy’s schemes. And then, even when we have done what we can and still fall short, we can rest in the mercy and grace of the Father.
Reflect:
- Is there a part of the armor of God that resonates with you most? Which piece (truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation) do you most need to remind yourself of right now?
