“Put on the full armor of God…” Eph. 6:10-18
In our previous post we acknowledged that, while our challenges as men these days are numerous, and some of our skirmishes differ from those of others, for all of us the primary battle in our arena, is not against flesh and blood.
Our true enemy in the arena, to quote Eph. 6:12, “is the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Your enemy, my enemy, is the real enemy, Satan.
2 Cor. 10:3-5 clarifies further that this is a spiritual war of ideologies, therefore we require specialized equipment:
“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
The full armor of God consists of:
The Belt of Truth
May all of the convictions and efforts we bring to bear in this battle be filled with God’s Truth, not just our own personal opinion.
The Breastplate of Righteousness
May all of our actions on the behalf of others be clearly righteous, and not simply self-serving
Feet Fitted with Readiness
May the Enemy find us well-prepared and ready for his assaults against us at any time.
The Shield of Faith
May we act with courage founded on a firm faith in God’s promises to be with us.
The Helmet of Salvation
May our intellects and our minds be protected by the assurance of our salvation, because God keeps it secure.
The Sword of the Spirit
May we carry God’s Word with us, and hide it in our hearts at all times, so that it guides us in a moments’ notice.
Being a Prayer Warrior
May we pray at all times and with all kinds of prayers, not simply leaving prayer to others who we think more “gifted” in it.
Keeping Alert with Perseverance
May we be vigilant; alert to the repeated attempts of the Enemy to devour us.
As you review the full armor of God, where do you feel well-protected? Where do you feel most vulnerable? Ask the Lord to strengthen you in your weakness, and He will.
My greatest joy in life is my family. I know, that sounds like the comment you’re supposed to make as a man and father. All I can say is I literally shake my head in wonder at the family I have: my wife Beryl; my daughter Barclay and son-in-law Vince, their four daughters, Bella, Brynn, Brooke and Blake; my son Alec, my son Conor and daughter-in-law Bonnie, their daughter Gemma and son Calvin. Every one of them is a genuine gift. Beyond that, I have a calling that I live out through Peregrine Ministries. It is to help men: Understand their identity in Christ, Embrace their role as men, and Live out their God-given calling in life. Bottom line is I’m convinced men matter and I want to help them live life on purpose.