Ill-Equipped

As I watched a mother secure her precious child in a car seat recently, I thought of the oft neglected ways I leave myself wide-open and exposed to spiritual attacks of the enemy. As he was regularly up-close-and-personal with Roman soldiers, the apostle Paul was very familiar with the pieces of their uniform. In Ephesians 6, Paul uses those pieces of armor to describe what every Believer needs to stand firm against Satan: "having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 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" (Ephesians 6:14-18, ESV). Think of all the things we refuse to leave the house without - makeup, proper clothes, cell phone, GPS ... yet we intentionally go-out spiritually naked! All these weapons for spiritual battle God has given us for to protect us, to keep us safe and secure, and to be victorious - living in peace and joy! Let me challenge [us all] to be more attentive to how we equip ourselves - or fail to equip ourselves - for the safety of our hearts, our spiritual well-being. Otherwise, quite simply, we are ... ill-equipped!