November 17, 2019
Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. (Proverbs 2:11 NIV)
A couple weeks ago I ventured out on a cold Saturday morning to help my husband with our Man Cave Demolition Project. Chic, huh? The job involved pulling out fiberglass insulation, so my husband lent me his mask. I think it’s called a respirator mask. I felt like a character in a space war movie…but not as glamorous.
I looked a bit ridiculous, but I proceeded with confidence because I had used discretion and dressed appropriately to protect from the cold and the fiberglass.
Or so I thought.
When I chose hand protection, I selected my comfortable work gloves with reinforced palms and fingers. I’d considered putting on my thick leather gloves, but decided they were too stiff and bulky. Thirty minutes later Mike came to my rescue, helping me tenderly remove my glove. Stuck in my finger was a lovely quarter-inch sliver of shiny glass from the insulation.
While that wardrobe malfunction resulted in an irritated finger, choosing the wrong attire for spiritual battle can contribute to significantly greater damage.
This time of year, Christmas shopping, family feast preparations, and travel often contribute to holiday stress. Added to the mixture may be other stresses such as parties full of volatile dynamics where folks like to push emotional trigger buttons, and one careless comment can begin the escalation. No matter what the cause, we’re always encouraged to “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6:11 NIV)
The full armor of God puts my man cave demolition gear to shame. Paul encourages us to gear up with the following items.
Belt of truth (v. 14). When at holiday gatherings, remember to speak truth – do not allow gossip or innuendo into our speech.
Breastplate of righteousness (v. 14). Do the right thing. Do the thing we would do if Jesus was interviewing us for a leadership position with Him.
Feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace (v. 15). Because we have been reconciled with God through Jesus, we can stand firm when things begin to disintegrate. Many Roman soldiers in Paul’s time wore sandals with hobnails hammered into the soles to prevent the soldier’s feet from slipping. We can speak and act from the solid footing of knowing who we are in Christ rather than respond to the denigrating comments and looks of a critical relative.
Shield of faith (v. 16). When we’ve done all that and the barbs continue to fly, take up the shield of faith. With it we can extinguish the evil one’s flaming arrows. God is our protector. We are not fighting against that obnoxious aunt but against Satan trying to make us fall. Know God is the one protecting our eternal salvation and in the rare cases where it is appropriate to take an offensive stance, let’s do only that which is in complete agreement with the Word of God. Do nothing for selfish gain or for the primary purpose of protecting our own pride.
Helmet of salvation (v. 17). Helmets and hats protect the head, and this makes me think of protecting my mind. Intentionally reading Scripture fills our mind with God’s promises and truths. This is one way that we protect ourselves from being deceived into believing lies. False messages could include everything from feeling a need to fight for ourselves in a self-centered way, the temptation to give up instead of stand up, or even the desire to go on the offensive because of pride.
Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (v. 17). Yet in those cases where the battle involves a choice between God’s way or the world’s way, we can trust God’s Word to be strong enough for any situation. It will not break when faced with truth. It will not weaken when put to the test. When we are directly opposed by forces of evil, it is God’s Word which will push them back or take them out.
Ephesians 6:12 reminds Christians that we are not fighting against people, but against powers. I’m incredibly blessed to be surrounded by loving and supportive family and friends, so I can honestly say I totally look forward to socials over the holidays. Yet my own selfishness and insecurities have a tendency to become accentuated when I’m under stress, so this armor has protected me many times from destroying relationships with family, friends, and co-workers.
Even if surrounded by people who speak or act obnoxiously, remember that we fight for truth, not against these people. They may be fighting a battle for significance because they do not yet know who they can be in Christ. The greatest win would be for them to accept God’s Christmas gift. We don’t win any godly battles by cutting them down or shaming them. Let’s suit up so that even those tiny slivers of jealously or self-pity cannot penetrate our armor. Let’s represent our Commander well this holiday season.
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