Refresh Yourself with God’s Armor
Pamela Blattner
“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes…Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
Ephesians 6:11, 14-18
As a grandparent, I love snuggling up to my grandkids to read Bible stories to them before nap time, smelling their sweet scent on their foreheads. I recently told my warrior grandson that the armor of God is not like a magic shield he can casually slip on in order to be safe anywhere he wants to go. It is my prayer that when my grandkids know the truth about God, they won't trust popular counterfeits that are out in the world. I want them to know the source of their righteousness, so they won't believe becoming more like Christ takes place without the cross. And I also want them to know God's way to peace and salvation, so when they grow older, they won't choose occult paths.Pamela Blattner
“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes…Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
Ephesians 6:11, 14-18
Everywhere we look, the world offers enticing imitations of what God promises His people. As Christ’s followers we know that the only safe place for our kids is in the loving arms of Jesus. We try our hardest to train our children "in the way they should go" (Proverbs 22:6) and help them to wear the "full armor of God" each day. We need to be aware of the enemy’s schemes to deceive us. We need to protect our eyes, ears and hearts as we engage with our culture…in the books we read or videos we rent, and other types of entertainment we participate in.
Refresh yourself today in God’s Word and don’t forget your armor!
GOING DEEPER:
1. Pray through the passages above for yourself and your family. What pieces of armor do you forget to put on each day?
2. How can you better teach these truths to your children?
FURTHER READING:
Deuteronomy 18:9-13
Pam and her husband Richard have two adult children and two grandchildren. She serves Oakwood through its Family Care and is Co-Coordinator of Touched Twice Ministries.
