Walking With Christ

Ephesians 6:10-20 (10)Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. (11)Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. (12)For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (13)Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. (14)Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, (15)and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. (16)In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; (17)and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, (18)praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, (19)and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, (20)for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.(ESV)

Most people understand the concept of the Armor of God on the surface.

Belt of Truth.
Breastplate of Righteousness.
Helmet of Salvation.
Shoes of the Gospel of Peace.
Shield of Faith.
Sword of the Spirit.
Prayer that activates each.

There is a concept here with this that ties into the message from yesterday. This is a concept that I think a lot of people miss.

I, personally, have to have my very own armor. I have to have each piece of this armor for myself. I cannot borrow the helmet of salvation from someone else. I cannot borrow any of these pieces from someone else. I also cannot loan my armor to someone else. It was made for me and only works for me. It can’t be given or traded like a commodity because the armor is not actually mine but, rather, a gift from our loving Father. As such, it is not mine to give away. My job is not to protect them with my armor, but, rather, to show them how to get their own through a personal relationship with God the Father through His son, Jesus.

My knowledge and experience is unique to me. That is mine to do with what I please. It is entirely based on the life I have lived and things I hold onto. My decisions are informed by said knowledge and experience. This is a very jaded thing. Two people can experience the exact same event yet have very different experiences. That will leave a completely different impression of those events and thus alter how each of us will operate should we see those events again in the future. This means that any advice I give or wisdom I share is almost entirely based on my unique world perspective and thus may not apply to the listener. My advice may work for someone else with slight modifications to suit their world. At that point, it is no longer my advice that they are using but their own experience that has been aided by my advice.

Convert this concept back to the armor conversation, I can’t give someone my righteousness but I can show them how I got it and how they can do the same. I can’t give them my faith but I can boost their faith with examples where my faith served me well. I can share knowledge and experience with them in the hopes that it will help them to continue their walk.

My armor grows and changes with me. It is unique to me.

Another quick concept that some people might have missed. The belt, breastplate, helmet, and shoes are articles of clothing that simply work once put on. Once they are in place, they require no extra action. The shield and sword require us to actively use them. These two must be actively directed for them to be effective. Simply having them is not enough. It takes prayer to put on and maintain each piece of armor. It takes active and focused prayer to use the sword and shield.

Father,
You have given us all of the tools we need to walk in this world as overcomers, conquerors. Our forefathers, Adam and Eve, gave up dominion over this world, but they could not give away Your authority over this all. We know that You are a respecter of free will, just one of the many amazing gifts You’ve given us, and honor the choice to forsake Your gift of dominion over the world. We know that You knew this would happen, because You made a way for us to overcome that choice and return to Your power and authority as we embrace the gift Your son gave us on the cross. Help us to understand the servants heart and humility it took for Jesus to obey Your will in love for all of us. Open our eyes, Lord, to the truth of what was bought with that blood. We have no reason to fear our enemy for Jesus won that fight on the cross. We have no reason to fear death because Jesus took away the sting. Help us to walk in the light as He is in the light. Help us to get closer to the image of Christ as He served Your will even to the point of death. Let us be bold in our faith knowing that You are with us. I pray, Father, that You give each of us chances to be bold for Your kingdom.

In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.