Visualizing the Armor

Ephesians 6:10-12: "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".

What's your routine when you get up in the morning? Do you stumble out of bed, rub those sleep-filled eyes, shower, eat your breakfast and then get to work in just enough time to make that morning staff meeting you'd rather avoid? In your morning routine, I'm sure, you have a certain pattern -- maybe you start with brushing your teeth before moving onto shaving, showering or getting dressed... or maybe you get dressed, then shave and then brush your teeth... but when you suit up for a day at the office, are you preparing yourself with the spiritual armor that you need to get through your day? Or are you content to just go through your day with the very clothes on your back and leave it to God to make sure He has your back if anything challenging comes your way?

Up until a couple months ago, I was definitely the latter. I'd wake up, get ready for my day, eat my breakfast with a 10 second prayer thrown in for good measure, and then head out for another day at the office. Now, however, I make it my routine to add another more important layer to my daily uniform.

The Armor of God.

Over the course of the next six entries, I am going to outline for you how each element of the Armor of God should be utilized to the benefit of your spiritual battle. From the Belt of Truth to the Helmet of Salvation, we'll go through them together, suit up and get ready to rock and roll the enemy and his minions.

But before we get to examine the uniform, let's break down what the Bible says in the introduction to the pieces of the Armor of God:

v.10: "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power".

Be "strong in the Lord and His mighty power". What a great line -- but, if you're like me, you need help in visualizing what that looks like. Strength is easy in the human form -- it normally, physically at least, takes the form of muscles, agility and speed. But in its heavenly form, what exactly does the "strength of God" look like?

Visualizing the strength of God is a hard thing to do -- afterall, when you can not see God or touch God in the same tangible way that you can other things, learning to visualize, depend and grasp onto His strength is bound to be a difficult thing to do.

But I think that is precisely why God describes His strength as being an "armor":

v.11: "Put on the full armor of God...".

Picture it with me, won't you?

It's there just outside God's throne room, against the wall of heaven's largest mansion -- the Mansion of God, Yahweh, the Great I Am. It looks at once like the lightest and strongest armor imaginable. It radiates a light that could eclipse a thousand suns and yet sparkles with the intensity of an infinite number of stars. Worn in millions of battles with the enemy by scores of Christians, martyrs and others since Creation, yet not a single dent or tear in it. Engraved with every word of Scripture and the promise of eternal life, it is all at once the most perfectly flawless uniform made to be worn by God's most special, if flawed, creations: man and woman. Built by God himself it stands ready to be given to any of His earthly warriors -- His children -- who ask for it.

When you take a moment to visualize that armor, aren't you eager to put it on? Can't you see its strength and don't you desire to feel it?

Then why not wear it -- and why not dress yourself in it, daily, just as readily as you do the very clothes on your back. You may not be able to see it with your eyes, but I promise you, it's on you as soon as you ask for it.

It is God's own armor, provided from His heavenly barracks for His earthly children, to be used not just when we face trials, but daily so that we are prepared for any sort of warfare that the enemy may launch our way. God wants us suited up for anything satan (and I use lower-case purposely) catapults our way. Afterall, isn't that what He makes abundantly clear in the rest of verse 11?:

v. 11: "... so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes"?

What schemes, you may be asking yourself? I'm just a simple office drone or construction worker or retail clerk... friends, you're exactly what satan wants to trip up... maybe it's the incessant demands of an impatient boss... you swear to yourself if they say one more thing, you're going to lose it -- and maybe your job in the process... maybe it's endless fighting with your husband and a very friendly co-worker at work who says he understands and why don't you get together over drinks and talk about it?... or maybe it's using that paycheque not to pay bills but to try your luck at the casino... maybe it's that extra drink before you get behind the wheel of a car... whatever it is, you had better realize that you fit perfectly into the devil's desire to seek and destroy:

1 Peter 5:8: "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour".

For the devil, you're an easy mark, an irritance that he'd love nothing more than to destroy... and how easy it is to do if you are not prepared for battle. No matter how nice you are or how innocent you look, you are in satan's line of fire and he'd love nothing more than to pummel you with bullets.

As verse 12 reminds us:

"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".

And the battle is a tough one -- consider this reminder from Daniel about the strength and tenacity of the enemy:

Daniel 10:12-13: "Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia".

That was spoken to Daniel by an angel -- an angel basically saying, I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner to help you out but I was in one heck of a battle with beelzebub that lasted for 3 weeks and which I needed re-inforcements to help me out with.

So if an angel - one of the toughest guys this side of heaven - has this much trouble with the enemy, why would we think we are immune enough from satan's arrows to walk on our own?

Your battle may begin and end quickly. It may last a long time. Whatever it is, if you're wearing the armor, you've got God and the armies of heaven working with you. And that beats that suit and tie you were planning on wearing today!

Just because you can't see the battle with your eyes doesn't mean it isn't going on around you. Indeed, that is very clear in verse 12 -- the battle is SPIRITUAL! It may manifest itself in other ways but it begins and ends in the spiritual realm. Arm yourself.

Friends, that armor is in the hallway -- and the battlefield is strewn with men and women who chose the blue tie or the pink dress over the inpenetrable armor of the King of Kings.

Do yourself a favor -- ask God to suit you up tomorrow morning. Pray Ephesians 6:10-20 over yourself. And then do it at least once more throughout the day -- like every armor, it may shift a bit during battle, so make sure you're always wearing it the way you should be. You'll be glad you did. And unlike most armors, it isn't heavy to wear - but light! (Matthew 11:30).

Next we'll take a look at the belt of truth.... in the meantime, here's some music to dress to:



Battle on!