The Whole Armor of God

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. Ephesians 6:10-17

I have spent the past week or so giving helmets to the players for spring training. There are about 270 football players and I want each one of them to be in a safe helmet that fits properly. I make the process much more difficult than it has to be, but I do not want to have a young man be injured because I did not take the time to make sure his helmet fit properly and he was as protected as possible. The parents trust us to protect their sons while they are playing football and I never want to take the job of issuing helmets lightly. 

However...it does drive me crazy! I was reading the verses from Ephesians 6 and it made me think about the protection of a properly fitted football helmet and the protection God gives us from Satan. In the verses, God is teaching us how to protect ourselves from the evil powers that exist in this world. He tells us that we must put on this armor everyday so we will be able to withstand the attacks of Satan. It is interesting that He leaves no part of our bodies unprotected. A helmet of salvation for our heads, a breastplate of righteousness for our hearts, a belt of truth, shoes for our feet, a shield, and a sword. The most expensive, well designed, and properly fitted helmet cannot protect a player from all injuries. There are some injuries that just cannot be prevented in football, but God provides us with protection that can withstand the hardest hit, the fiercest blow, and the knock-out shot. We have to be on guard at all times and constantly ask for His guidance in all areas of our lives. If we neglect even one piece of the armor, or do not properly maintain the equipment, Satan will find the soft area and attack us. Be on guard at all times and pray for God’s protection. Pray especially for spiritual protection. 

As I was writing I thought, "what else gives me protection from the “evil one”? Jamie’s love for me and her devotion to me as her husband protects me from many evils in this world. She has high expectations and she loves me more than she should, but it protects me from the evils that can enter a man’s life. Being William and Sydney’s father is the best job in the world and I never want to let them down. I want William to learn about being a godly man from me and I want Sydney to learn how a young man should treat her from me. This also protects me from the evil and foolish decisions that many men make in this world. I hope I provide more than just physical protection for my family. There is no doubt in my mind that I would run into a dangerous situation to protect them but I also pray that I am protecting them emotionally and spiritually.

Pray today and ask God to outfit you with the perfectly fitted armor that only He can provide. He never tells us that it will scare Satan away. Instead, Satan will probably attack you even more because of the witness you will be to your friends, teammates and co-workers. God does promise to give us the proper equipment and now it is up to us to use it. 

Chad