Walking With Christ

Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.(ESV)

Every soldier knows that the equipment you take into battle can make the difference between life and death. New soldiers often make the simple mistake of trying to take too much with them. Anyone who has taken small children on a long trip or gone on a really long hike will know that just because it’s useful doesn’t mean it’s worth the effort to actually take it.

The question is why?

A soldier on the battlefield is intimately aware of every ounce of weight they carry and the purpose behind it. Anything you add to your gear has a weight cost that will either slow you down or wear you out just a bit faster. On the other hand, not having something when you need it can drastically change your survivability odds. It’s a balancing act between utility and mobility. This concept applies directly to the hiker, but the balance of life and death changes to the ability to enjoy the trip when speaking of a long trip with small children. In any case, experience teaches us those things we need to carry and those things we need to leave behind.

Applying this concept to every aspect of life can make a huge difference every day. As Christians, we are soldiers in God’s army and we are marching against the gates of hell. We are born citizens of hell and it is only through salvation that we rob the enemy of another victim. As soldiers, we must be prepared to stand and fight or to go where the next battle is.