Buckle Up

Scripture: Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:14-17

Observation: The "armor of God" is one of those Sunday School images learned as a kid. However, what is the actual armor Paul advises we have to protect us from the evil ways of the world? They are:
-- Truth - Knowledge of the facts about God and Jesus
-- Righteousness - Observing the moral law of the teachings of Jesus
-- The Gospel - Speaking of the good news of Jesus
-- Faith - Hope and trust in God
-- Salvation - Specific hope in forgiveness and eternal life
-- The Word of God - Knowledge of the Bible

Application: This is an interesting list in that none of these are "yes or no" types of qualities. None of these represent things believers either have, or they don't. They are instead all qualities that exist in degrees ranging from "none" to "absolute" with a lot of shades of gray in between.

So where is my armor weak right now? Probably in righteousness, where I continue to struggle with things like swearing, anger, and failing to love others. Interestingly, that is the "breastplate" ... the part of the armor that defensively protects most of the body, including the heart. This isn't like a belt that holds things in place (truth) or a sword for being on the offensive (the word). Righteousness is what protects our core being from possible attack.

Prayer: Lord, I know that it's dangerous to be vulnerable to attacks from evil, especially for me. Please protect me. Please, Lord, keep your Holy Spirit in me and yourself near me. I wish to increase righteousness so that I can serve you in all other ways without concern of attack. Thank you for your love, your word, and your son Jesus, my Lord and savior. Amen.