Peaced Together...The Armor (Intro)

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."

Dear friends...there is a battle going on...right now as I type...right now as you read. This great battle has been going on for centuries and continues to this very moment. It is imperative as believers that we understand this...we are at war. Though our hearts are spoken for and salvation has been secured in Jesus Christ...the battle is not over. The enemy, Satan, and all of his emissaries are working together to steal, kill, and destroy your heart, your desires, and your future.

Why is it that so many Christians live as if there is no war? Why do I tend to forget and just go through the motions of life without realizing that something greater is at stake? Why is the armor left hanging in the closets of so many Christians every day...like a nice, starched shirt hanging in a dry-cleaning bag...waiting for some event/opportunity to arise?

So, the next few blogs will be reflections on being peaced together...reflecting on each piece of the armor. I would invite you to pray on the armor with me daily. I have to admit that the image of battle has radically changed the way that I do life, the way that I pray, the way that I live. I must pray on the armor each day because of what is at stake.

Some initial reflections on Ephesians 6:10-12...
^v.11..."full armor" "devil's schemes"
Paul says this several times. So, we must choose to embrace and put on the whole armor. Every piece is needed to stand against the devil's schemes. This means that our enemy, the devil, is not just standing by idle waiting on us to fall or fumble. Satan is planning our defeat. He knows our weaknesses and tendencies. He sees our track record of sin and he wishes to capitalize on it. Please hear me...there is actually someone who DOES NOT want you to succeed. There is someone who wants to scheme and maneuver to TAKE YOU OUT. Cause a little anger in you? I hope so...we should have a righteous/holy anger toward the devil. The anger should lead us to daily put on our battle armor.

^v.12..."struggle is not against flesh and blood"
We tend to battle against what is visible...our spouse, our job, our finances, our illness, etc. What is visible tends to take our energy and overwhelm us. So, we say things like, "If I could just get my spouse to change", "If I just had more money", "If I had a different job, then I'd...", "I just can't seem to get beyond this". Your spouse is not the enemy. Your boss is not the enemy. Your life circumstances are not your enemy. Though all of these "feel" like it. The real battle is taking place in the "heavenly realms" against the "spiritual forces of evil". Some of this is hard to understand...but I think Paul is saying, "get some perspective on the big picture/the larger story". Don't get so caught up in the visible circumstances/relationships that you lose sight of the greater battle that is happening. By grounding ourselves in the spiritual realm, we are able to be more "present" in the visible circumstances/relationships of life.

Let's do battle...