Armor of God

I am not going to lie, last week was one of the most challenging, energy depleting weeks that I’ve had in a long time. There are circumstances in my life right now that are the driving force behind it, so I know why, but at the end of the day I still felt defeated.

In my prayers I was reciting the scripture in my own words that tells us to put on the armor of God and hold up the shield of faith to deflect the enemy, but in my state of fatigue, I let my guard down and allowed the enemy to sneak in through a side door, the door of exhaustion.

He began to put doubt in my mind, make me question my calling and the path God has placed me on; the very things that provide the fulfillment in my life were put under attack and magnified to the extent of feeling overwhelmed and underequipped to handle what God has called me to do.

Of course, I can’t do it on my own. He is the one who equips me to do the things he asks of me. It is in that dependence on him that I am who I am. My very being and breath comes from him. But when we are mentally drained Satan has an in and if we aren’t careful, he will use it against us in an attempt to shut us down.

The armor of God are not just words to recite. They are something we need to take to heart and know the meaning and how to apply them in our lives. As Paul warns in Ephesians 6:10-18, “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.”

As I was running the other morning, I received this message: “You wouldn’t wear galoshes to run, so why not put on all the right gear to get through the day?”

Here is list of each piece of armor and what it symbolizes:

Belt of truth

Breastplate of righteousness which is faith and love

Shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil

Helmet of salvation

Sword of the Spirit which is the word of God

Shoes are the peace that comes from the Good News, so we are fully prepared

Now that I know all of this was an attack, I am better equipped to handle it, not because I am stronger but because in my weakness, He is strong. It is not me that will handle it, but God. He fights my battles for me. It is by faith, that I follow even if I don’t know where I am going and the way before me seems steep. I also started a Bible plan based on the book, Don’t Give Up, Kyle Idlema references Abraham’s story. He put it like this, you are not too old or too broken for God to use you and Abraham could see that God was the one leading him and that was enough. Today I rejoice in where God is leading me and want to share that joy with you. If you are having a rough week, don’t give up. Press into what God is asking of you, not what the enemy is putting on you.