When you wake up in the morning, do you think about what armor you need to put on to get you through the day? Or, do you get up and dress up without a thought about any additional "support" you will need for the day? When a soldier goes out into battle, they are always prepared with the armor that they need--otherwise, why go to battle? You may be thinking, is life a war-zone or battlefield that I need to put on any armor? In some some way, it is because sometimes we find ourselves in situations wherein we wonder, what have I done wrong or where did things go pear-shaped? If you are prepared, the like the soldier, with your full armor, when such moments (or attacks) come, you are able to stand, fight and be victorious. Depending on what you need, you put on the armor that best fits so that you face the day, head on!
This morning I woke up thinking about the "armor of God" from Ephesians 6:10-18. In one of my many dreams last night, I was talking about putting on the armor... verse 11 says, "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." This tells me I need to be prepared daily with the armor that will give me victory! The armor described includes: 1) the belt of truth; 2) breastplate of righteousness; 3) as shoes for your feet, the preparation the gospel of peace; 4) shield of faith; 5) helmet of salvation; and 6) the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With this, you are armored from head to toe with "defensive armor for protection" and "offensive armor for conquest" for any eventuality! Your goal is to RESPOND and not REACT unarmed to the situations you get into.
When you are prepared, even with one verse that encourages you, you are off to a good start. For example, I like to remind myself that: "And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them." (Deuteronomy 28:13) OR "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." (Romans 8:37) I know that I am more than a conqueror! And so are YOU! I armor my mind with these verses and take them to heart so that when discouragement or challenges come my way, I utter them repeatedly and keep moving forward.
It's important to be mindful of what you will need to get you through the day so that you don't fall short when the time comes... unexpectedly. Don't be overwhelmed if you feel or think you can't remember all the armor that you need each day. Think about the basics... what you need in your heart, mind and hands! Besides, it takes training to get it all down... a lifetime of training if you ask me, I'm still in training. Even soldiers have to go through training and get checked if they have all the armor they need when they're starting out.
For you, that check may be an accountability partner that could ask you "Are you armored today?" OR, just shares with you what they are armored with that day. It's often said, "two heads are better than one," so if you can find someone to partner with and hold you accountable in your journey, that would be helpful. The benefit is that you help each grow. Remember, whenever the war-zone or battlefield is active, you ought to be ready with your armor!
