Prepare for War

Ephesians 6:13-18

We are commanded to wear armor.  2 Corinthians 10:3-6 states that we do not wage war as the world does, but we fight a spiritual battle against the strongholds of evil.  In this spiritual world apart from the flesh, there is a battle raging in our hearts and minds.  Yet we are not defenseless in this war, nor are we weaponless, but God in His mercy has provided for us tools to fight this battle of the spirit.  In Ephesians 6, Paul refers to the armor of God, with which we are protected and able to fight.  As Paul puts it, this gives us the ability to stand against the enemy, and even when all else is lost, to stand strong.

Proper footwear is important in any war.  Without proper shoes and boots, the soldier is left without protection against the land itself, the rough landscape and surrounding.  Soldiers without proper footwear are quickly worn down by the journey itself and the difficulties that accompany us.  We too, as the warriors of God, need to be prepared in this area.  Life is full of difficulties and challenges, and we will be quickly worn down and overwhelmed if we are not prepared.  The Gospel of Peace is essential to our lives, because it contains peace and patience that keep the journey of life and its challenges from wearing us down and overwhelming us.  Without it, we are faced with a very difficult journey ahead—we were never meant to walk without the Gospel of Peace.

Without any one part of the armor of God, we open ourselves up to attack from the enemy in that area.  God never intended for this to be, but has equipped us fully to wage war against the enemy.  Our purity of heart and mind give us the ability to bear the weight of the armor.  For when we are not living in the will of the Father, we are weak in that area.  A warrior was never meant to travel and fight without any part of the armor lacking, for the journey is full of danger and risk.

—Mark

 

Maxim of the Moment

Faults are thick where love is thin.