Suit Up -- It's Not a Costume

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Stand firm, therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all flaming missiles of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. – Ephesians 6:14-17 (NASB)

Spiritual warfare is real.

Heart racing. Knees shaking. Palms sweating. Heavy breathing. Nauseating despair. The over-whelming, gut-wrenching fear of inevitable defeat. The mind, a scrambled mess filled with images of failed attempts at victory.

That’s the goal.

That is what we want the Enemy to feel every time he encounters one of God’s children suited up in their Savior’s armor.

Our marching orders?

To face Satan with the sure and certain battle cry:

“I’m not scared—you’re scared!”

“Do you see WHO is with me? He is not going anywhere. And we have already won!”

No matter, no matter, NO MATTER the conflict, God WILL reign victorious against Satan.

You can take that to eternity.

When God leads us into battle, for the cause of Christ, He will equip us with everything we need to be more than conquerors. Will it be easy? No. Will there be a cost? Yes. We live in a fallen world, and we are at war, for heaven's sake. And indeed, it is for heaven’s sake we fight.

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven.” (Matthew 6:10, KJV)

In the last chapter of Ephesians, our Sovereign Commander explains what we will be wearing for this everyday battle:

Truth: the undeniable fact of who God is, that guarantees the effectiveness of our armor.

Righteousness: a heart set apart, aligned with God’s will.

Peace: Jesus’ Gospel message to proclaim to a wounded world.

Faith: the heavy artillery that powers through and extinguishes the Enemy’s hottest fires.

Salvation: the empowering, life-changing knowledge of who we are in Christ.

The Word of God: the inerrant, offensive, and defensive weapon—sharper than any double-edged sword.

The armor of God is scary stuff. It is meant to be. Not only for our protection, but as the ultimate horror that strikes dread in the evil heart of our adversary. The armor God provides us is a devastating manifestation of the power of the Almighty—the crushing blow before the battle even begins. The Enemy has nothing to match it.

Knowing this, all we have left to do is suit up. It’s not a costume. It’s war. The war between good and evil. And praise God, in Christ, the ultimate victory is ours.

Questions for Reflection:

1. When was the last time you took inventory of your armor? With the accuracy of a paratrooper preparing to jump out of a plane, make sure that every piece is secure.

2. Are you fully dressed for battle or is there a part of your armor you have neglected to put on, if only for a lack of understanding how to use it? Search the scriptures and ask God to instruct you on its specific purpose and power in battle.

3. As soldiers of Christ, we must be ready to count the cost of joining Him in the war against evil. Have you asked God to grow you in the understanding of what that really means?