Lessons from A to Z ~ Putting on the Full Armor

Chad has recently introduced Xaiver and Zander to his favorite childhood superhero cartoons. Specifically, “Spiderman and His Amazing Friends”, after he discovered the original episodes were on Netflix. Ah the memories! The boys love it (and Chad still does too)!

What I love most though, is that the boys can’t watch a full episode without running in to their room and “suiting up” into full superhero gear. They put on a Spiderman or Superman costume, or put together their own “armor” with capes, masks and bright red rain boots. Only then are they ready to watch Spidey “save the day” as they call it. 

One episode and a costume is usually plenty of fuel for their imaginations. Then the TV goes off and they boys boldly fly around the house, armed with foam swords or light sabers, fighting enemies and saving an unsuspecting sister, cat or stuffed animal from the invisible perils that we were previously unaware of.

The boys are a wonderful reminder to me of the armor God has asked me to put on. I sometimes forget about the invisible perils all around me. But we have a real spiritual enemy that comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).  And he often attacks when we are being most effective in taking “enemy ground”.

With all the victories going on in our family and our ministry at Resonate Church, Chad and I have felt a spiritual battle raging. (Thankfully we are on the winning side!) We want to stand strong against the devil's schemes, put on the full armor of God and be victorious in Christ. We invite you to read and pray through the following verse with us:
  

Ephesians 6:10-19 ~

^"10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish 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 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 Lord’s people. ¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel..."