Its Armor Time!…
Ephesians 6:10-11 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
Everyday is Armor Time… but especially those days when you are up against the world forces. Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
God has a plan… The Enemy has a plan… We have a plan… “choose for yourselves today whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15)
Three Commanders, three plans for victory, three choices of war strategy.
Actually only two choices… in our fantasy, we pretend that WE are equal in might (and brilliant action) but mostly we are the walking wounded in the battle for our lives. Like ants versus humans, we move about in a world we perceive is OUR KINGDOM only to find out… perception IS NOT reality! Nowhere in our perception do we SEE “rulers”, “powers”, “world forces of this darkness”, “spiritual forces of wickedness”, nor do we BELIEVE that they are greater than us. Our PERCEPTION is our own personal fairy tale of the story of ME.
Two Commanders… Good and Evil… Creator and Destroyer… God, who loves us and Satan (prince of all whom are wicked) who hates God.
“choose for yourselves today whom you will serve”
And when you choose… put on the armor of your Commander!
You have to choose.
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.”
Here is where I think that we devise the perception that WE are in control. We choose! This One… or… that one… or… both… or neither. In our myth, it is our CHOICE that creates and controls the master, NOT the Master of the Universe who controls the creation.
Reality Rules! There is a line in “Don Quixote” that says it well, “Whether the stone hits the pitcher, or the pitcher hits the stone, it will not be good for the pitcher!” The stone is reality… we are the pitcher… reality rules (or bites as the case may be).
We do get to choose whom we SERVE. We do not get to MAKE the rules.
It is definitely wise to know all that can be known before choosing sides. When we choose our Master, we join the ranks of that army, we wear their uniform, fight the battles we are given to fight, and share in the victory and/or defeat of each battle and eventually the entire war.
According to Scripture… this is the ultimate war… the battle for life or death. The first shot was fired in the garden with the enemy assured of victory when Adam an Eve raised the white flag of surrender and declared God the looser of His perfect creation. The creation, no longer perfect, had no power to defeat the enemy, without intervention it was certain destruction and death. God’s enemy declared victory.
But God… John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
Our enemy judges (we are mere pawns in his plan) and brings destruction and death… God saves (we become His children – heirs of His kingdom) and gives us eternal life. Someday, our enemy will suffer his final defeat, until then he has been given permission to “prowl around, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). When we choose to serve a master other than God, we are serving the enemy. If we stick with him, we will be devoured.
I choose God… the Father, Son and Holy Spirit…
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is… patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
I choose the armor of God…
Ephesians 6:13-16 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking the shield faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
This is war!
But we know who wins!
It’s Armor Time!
When my day sucks… It’s Armor Time!
When it seems as if I am “snake bit”… It’s Armor Time!
When my fairy tale turns into a horror story… It’s Armor Time!
I may be bloody and wounded – even at death’s door… It’s Armor Time!
I’m wearing the BELT of Truth… I’ve shod my feet with the GOSPEL of Peace… I’ve lifted the SHIELD of Faith… I proudly wear the HELMET of Salvation… and I use the weapon of choice, the SWORD of the Spirit, which is the WORD OF GOD.
Whatever this day brings (for this is the day the Lord has made!)… It’s Armor Time. It’s TRUTH, PEACE, FAITH, SALVATION, SPIRIT, WORD OF GOD time!
**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible