Protecting Yourself

I am sure most of us are aware by now, going to the store isn't what it used to be. For me, if I needed something for a recipe or dinner I would just grab my purse, my keys and hop into my vehicle and go to my nearest store and get what I needed without even really thinking about it. Today a trip to the store could mean contracting a serious virus that could not only infect me but also infect the lives of those I love. As I sit here and plan my list I am wondering if I should wear a mask, should I wear gloves, should I bring my own wipes, etc..... It reminded me of the passage from the bible in the book of Ephesians, chapter 6, wearing the full armor of God. I remember learning about this in Sunday School and we even had a coloring page that labeled all of the pieces of armor and what their function was in protecting us from the things of this world. This is what the Full Armor of God looks like; the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, your feet fitted with readiness, shield of Faith, helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit. In order to protect ourselves from the evils of this world, we need God's armor. In order to show the world WHOSE we are, we need God's armor. In order to survive this world, we need God's armor. If we look at each of these pieces of armor we can see how important they are. The belt of truth. Honesty is one of the cornerstones of Christianity. If we can't be honest with one another or honest with ourselves, then we won't be able to be honest with God. Even though God sees everything and already knows our heart He wants us to come to him with our misgivings and be honest with Him in our ways. The breastplate of righteousness. I like how the New Century Version of the bible describes this piece of armor; "the protection of right living on your chest." It is on our chest because that is closest to our heart. Our hearts hold the joys and hurts of our lives. Also, it is sometimes the "compass" by which we make our decisions in life. Maybe you have heard or been told "listen to your heart." God knows our hearts are the life giving centers of our bodies and souls and telling us to wear a breastplate of "right living" protect us not only from the outside in, but from the inside out. If you are not living "right" then you are not wearing your breastplate and you are allowing the things of this world to penetrate your heart and soul. The next piece of armor is fitting your feet with readiness. Are you ready to go where God is asking you to go? If you do not have the belief that Jesus is God's son and he lived, died and rose again to save all of us from our sins and this world then you are walking around "barefoot" with your achilles tendon exposed to danger? Standing in the word of God and in the full knowledge of your faith is being fitted for readiness. Are you prepared to witness to others? Are you prepared to go where God calls you, even if it isn't where you had planned on going? Next, the shield of Faith. I feel like this is one of the harder pieces of armor for some of us to wear at all times. Think about the purpose of a shield. A shield is not something that is put into place and then left there, like a helmet or a breastplate. A shield has the ability to shift and move around by the will or need of the person possessing the shield. The main purpose of the shield is to protect us. The main purpose of Faith is to protect us. Faith is the bond between us and Jesus. If we don't have Faith in Him or Faith in God, then we don't have our shields up and ready to fight off the evils of this world. Sometimes our Faith may waver and our shields are down. Sometimes our Faith in God is so great that we can use our shields to help others see the need to possess their own shield of faith in God. It is a dangerous thing to let our shield fall completely out of our grip. If we do that we become very vulnerable to the idea of placing our faith into other things, not God. The good news is that if you do drop your shield, it is never too late to pick it back up again and strengthen your faith muscles in order to hold that shield up no matter what comes your way! The helmet of salvation. The Holman Bible Dictionary definition of salvation says, "In its most basic sense, salvation is the saving of a life from death or harm. Scripture, particularly the New Testament, extends salvation to include deliverance from the penalty and power of sin." Our heads is where we process information. It holds our abilities to read, hear, speak, remember, and proclaim the gospel. Our heads are also the place where we can allow thoughts to intrude and sway our decision making. Salvation is the key to Christianity. Jesus is our salvation. Admitting you need saved through Jesus Christ and accepting Him as your savior is your first step in obtaining eternal life. The final piece of armor is the Sword of the Spirit. To me the sword is such an ominous weapon because if someone is holding a sword it is safe to assume that they know how to use it in order to protect or defend someone or something. The sword represents the spirit. Sometimes when people come to Christ the Holy Spirit comes upon them in one fail swoop, it cuts through them just like a sword and they are never the same again-their old life is dead and gone and their life is new in Christ. The Holy Spirit is of the trinity and I think that it is the power of God's protection for us. When you experience the Holy Spirit you feel empowered to do God's work. When you pray for the Holy Spirit to come upon someone or a situation it is like having an army of soldiers standing guard against the enemy. Wearing the Full Armor of God is not a fashion statement, it is a Spiritual statement. Having all of these "pieces" in place everyday is a MUST if you are going to live in this world and not of it. God is still alive. Jesus is still His son. You are still His child. Just as an earthly father would want to protect his children from the elements of the weather and have them dress accordingly; your heavenly Father wants to protect His children from the elements of this world. Right now there is a virus that we cannot see. You can wear protective coverings to help prevent becoming infected. Eventually this will pass and no one will have to worry about masks or gloves. Right now there are many things of this world that we can't see and some that we can that can "infect" our spiritual lives, so you most definitely need to put on the Full Armor of God even if you aren't leaving your house! His armor and His grace and His unending love is what we need in order to be safe from harm. Ephesians 6:18 says; "Pray in the Spirit at all times with all kinds of prayers, asking for everything you need. To do this you must always e ready and never give up. Always pray for all God's people. Amen