Armor for Everyone, Everything, and Everywhere
In the first century, Roman armor would have been made of metal and treated leather. Today, we might imagine a soldier or police officer's bulky tactical gear with bulletproof vests and helmets. Not many of us wear this kind of head-to-toe protective gear before heading out in the morning.
But the Bible urges us to consider spiritual armor essential. Why?
Because unseen spiritual adversaries exist, and we're vulnerable to their attacks. Here are two vital things to notice about our "armor."
First, God is the one who gives us armor. It's the armor of God. We can't possibly protect ourselves from spiritual attacks. But God supplies all we need.
Second, we don't put on our armor or fight alone. The mental image of the lone soldier standing in an arena against an enemy is not what Paul has in mind. The instructions to put on spiritual armor aren't given to you, the individual—they're given to all of us, together, who make up the church.
We all suit up together in God's armor, and we stand, pray, praise, and defend… together.
God graciously gives us armor so that when we experience a spiritual attack, we will stand and fight by His strength. Today, imagine standing strong in God's protective armor. How might this imagery influence how you endure and remain resilient in the face of spiritual battles and uncertainties?
Your Battle is Won
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by your circumstances or wondered why you keep fighting the same struggle?
Jesus taught us that life as a Christ-follower will be difficult. Our world is filled with broken people—ourselves included—who do broken things. There will be trials and challenges.
When Adam and Eve decided to pursue something “good” apart from God, their decision allowed evil to enter the world. This means there is a spiritual battle that we cannot see, and it impacts our everyday lives.
When we give our lives to Jesus, we join His team—but this also means we become a target of the devil, our enemy. Every bad thing that happens to us is not necessarily a direct attack from Satan—sometimes it’s just a result of living in a fallen, broken world. But there is a spiritual element to every situation because the devil is always trying to draw the world away from God, and he is looking for people to destroy.
When struggles happen, the devil will try to get you to ...