Purified - 2a

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16 With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.

So when we put on the whole armor of God we are challenged to represent God’s word to the world. We are guarded by God’s righteousness, soaked in his grace, supported by God’s word, and protected by shield and helmet. God’s takes the brunt of the blows sent against us when we speak about God and the eternal kingdom. If this is true, why do we shrink from that task and feel unqualified? Moses certainly didn’t feel qualified, yet God equipped him to lead the people from Israel into the land God had promised. I frankly can’t think of a person in the Bible who felt qualified when God called except Jesus, who is God with us.

It is a real challenge in our society to speak the truth. In fact, there are some who would tell us they don’t want to hear the truth. Truth is, though, that God is real and working for our best interest, even when we are not. The breastplate of righteousness is not our own righteousness, but that of God. When we put on the armor of God, not only is God protecting us but God is encasing us in his grace, further separating us from the world so we can be part of his kingdom. Isn’t that what we want? The disciples understood this as we can tell from their response – where else would they and who else could they follow because they knew that Jesus was the Son of God?

So how do you use the belt of truth? Do you use God’s word in your conversations or thoughts throughout the week? Can you withstand the stuff the world throws at you behind your shield of faith? How do you represent God throughout the week?