In Ephesians 6:10-20 Paul shares about the clash between our epic hero, God, and our epic villain, Satan, over the souls of people and shares how to win the battle. Our enemy is not our neighbor or our husband or the “other” stranger but it is the forces of evil that would defeat us. Some evil we recognize like murder, abuse, or stealing but other forms are subtler like jealousy, envy, and covetousness. All these steal our happiness, erode our souls and impact the lives of othe
Our epic hero, though, has provided “a protection plan” to help us. First let me share a truth I learned in Africa, “How to kill a lion.” Rule #1, don’t run away. The lion will catch you from behind and he may not be hungry. Rule #2, don’t throw away your spear. If you miss, you have no protection. Rule #3, plant your spear in the ground, kneel and allow the lion to jump on the spear while aiming for its heart. You may get hurt a little but your friends will come and kill the lion impaled on the spear. I find great truth in this wisdom shared with me by my workman.
The armor of God is:
- Belt of truth
- Breastplate of righteousness covering your heart – with Christ’s righteousness
- Feet fitted with peace of the Gospel
- Shield of faith that extinguishes the flaming darts of the evil one
- Helmet of salvation that protects your mind and thoughts
- Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
You notice there is nothing on the back even as the workman shared. Our workman also traveled with friends as a group of warriors when lion hunting and the support of community is important. 1 Peter 5:8 shares, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
So as you look at the list above and the pieces of armor, you might realize that some of your armor is rusty or in the closet. Others will try to sell you protection plans of wealth, health, education but those plans fail in the face of death. Consider how each piece of God’s protection plan helps you to cope with evil and maintain your balance in our topsy-turvy world. You have armor; use it! Blessings.
On the Way to Wonder 