Ephesians 6:10-15 NIV
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.
Devotion:
Having just came in out of the rain, I am reminded of the times during my youth when my mom and I would get caught in the rain. For whatever reason, I was never prepared. Maybe my unpreparedness was due to my lack of knowledge about the weather or my confidence that my mom would always protect me from the elements of the weather. The only thing I was confident of was the fact that I know if I stayed close to her, I would be protected. However, as a child there were times that I wanted to enjoy the rain. I wanted to feel the water on my face and the mud between my toes. Not realizing the playing in the rain although fun came with its own consequences; my hair became tangle and nappy, my clothes got dirty, and I often ended up sick. Eventually, I developed an understanding that the few minutes of fun was not worth it. But even more importantly, I gain a understanding that every time I stepped from underneath the protection of my mom and her umbrella, I got drenched but if I stayed close, I was protected, and the rain could not touch me.
As Christians with are faced with the same scenario. God has equipped us with His armor of protection. If we keep it on, we are protected from the devices of the devil. That does not mean that satan will not continue to throw bows and arrows our way. Satan desires to pierce our heart and pull us from the protection of God. As humans, we sometimes fall for the tricks of the enemy. Meaning we step out of the armor of protection into our fleshy bodies which often cause physical and/or mental harm. But when we put on the armor of God our heart and soul are protected against every deceptive and hurtful device of the devil. Satan knows that he can’t touch what God has protected.
Reflection:
God’s protection means that we are inaccessible to the enemy, no matter what circumstance comes our way. However, we have a choice to make. We can step completely out from underneath His protection and be completely exposed to the devil’s devices. We can put on some of His armor, rendering ourselves partially exposed. Or we can put on the whole armor of God and remain UNTOUCHABLE. I choose to put on the whole armor of God. What do you choose?
Prayer:
Lord God.
I pray for Your protection as I begin each day. You are my hiding place, and under your wings I can always find refuge. You know that I am surrounded by so many great dangers. That by reason of the frailty of my nature I cannot always stand upright. Lord grant me the strength to walk through satan attacks without fear. This and all prayers I ask in the wonder and glorious name of Jesus, the Christ, Amen.
Sister Tamela West
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