Ephesians 5:13-18 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 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. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Armor is meant for war. If we were not in a battle for our lives and the lives of others, we would need no armor. However, spiritual warfare is the inheritance of believers, for we are in a strange land of violence, oppression, and bondage. We are the despised aliens in a foreign country. Satan and his minions remain poised, constantly on the alert to attack, maim, and ultimately defeat us or at the very least to distract, discourage, and dissuade us until we are no longer willing to fight the good fight. When we are most vulnerable: hurting, sick, depressed, financially strapped, angry, bitter, ill-tempered, just plain tired, lacking gumption, or overwhelmed by the cares of life and the ravages of sin; the devil opens an all-out frontal attack on us, hoping to destroy us totally. What then? How do we prepare to fight him; how do we arise from our deathbeds and function as the "more than conquerors" we are in Christ? First we acknowledge our need; secondly we confess our faith that greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world; finally we put on the full armor of God.

Today's passage implies the day of evil WILL COME. If you have lived very long, you fully understand that implication and all it entails. As my dear wife says: "Life is often hard, and then it gets harder, but all things are possible to those who believe." In the day of trouble and affliction we must be dressed in our robes of righteous, hid with Christ in God, and we must stand firm with the armament of a warrior in God's army. If not, we are doomed to leave the battlefield broken and wounded, bitter in our spirits, unable to muster up the faith to fight another day. Any good soldier in a real army remains prepared: never lax, lazy, distracted, mentally weak, or engaged in defeating activities. We are complete in Christ through the Holy Spirit with the weapons we require. With the belt of truth securely buckled around us, the breastplate of righteousness firmly in place, and our feet shod with the gospel of peace; we are ready and able to take up the shield of faith, don the helmet of salvation, wield the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God), and pray in the Spirit on all occasions. In complete body armor, we can stand our ground and wave the banner of victory in Christ our Lord because the King of Glory goes before, and He has already won the war!

All of this preparation hinges on an intimate relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Soldiers remain constantly in contact with their leader, they come quickly when called, they emulate the vision and strength of their commander, and they refuse to be routed. As soldiers of the Most High (the commander in chief), we know we can trust him and rely on him because we are in his camp every day, listening to him, obeying him, studying his plans, and following his lead. When the battle rages, He is our covering, our source, our supply, our strong right arm when wounded, our firm knees when ours are shaky, a tower of safety when we suffer battle fatigue and need rest and sustenance.

I have two on-year-old granddaughters. If I haven't seen them for a while, they might hesitate a moment before coming to me. Then they walk towards me with a longing look that asks: Will he pick me up this time? Will he hug me now? Will he do good to me in this moment? Of course, this touches my heart. Of course, I hurry to pick them up. Of course, I swing them around and love on them, whispering endearments in their ears, stroking their hair, singing songs for them alone. OF COURSE, for I am fully committed and totally on their side, no matter what, without exception! Sometimes, especially when we have been distant or disconnected, we approach the FATHER with this same trepidation and fear: Will He rescue me, hold me close, hug me, sing over me as a beloved son or daughter, and give me the comfort I humbly seek? OF COURSE HE WILL FOR HE HAS LOVED US WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE, HE HAS PAID THE PRICE FOR SUCH A RELATIONSHIP, HE LOVES US MORE THAN AN EARTHY FATHER OR GRANDFATHER, AND HE PATIENTLY WAITS FOR US TO RUN TO HIS LOVING ARMS. Today, if you will turn your face toward home, if you will come to the Father through the Son and by the power of the Holy Spirit with that childlike look in your eyes, He will lift you up into heavenly places and heal what concerns you. Today the enemy is defeated; the battle is over, for Christ has won! Amen and amen!