Day One
The Struggle is Real...So is the Armor of God
How did Paul, or for that matter many of the Apostles and multitudes of Christians, handle the constant physical and mental attacks coming their way? In Ephesians, Paul gives us some good information on how he viewed the world. He says "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil," Eph 6:10-11. There are some key points here. First, "schemes of the devil" are often things we allow ourselves to think about and tempt us, such as sexual sin. The devil is crafty and wants to break us down, not always hitting us directly with sin, but to have us focusing on strife. Our physical and mental reality is influenced heavily by an unseen spiritual battle.
Have you ever had pain that you did nothing for and still went out and played with your kids? For that time, you "forget" about or are distracted from the pain. The devil wants us to focus completely on challenges in our life because when that happens we feel too weighted down to even grab this "Armor" that Paul refers to. If the devil can get you to completely focus on pain, whether physically or mentally, then he is able to disarm your ability to rely on God, and ultimately share Him with others. Set aside sin for a moment, his evil plan isn’t to get you to sin per se, but to prevent you from sharing the Redemption message with others. The devil has lost you, but if he can stop you from sharing with others, he succeeds.
Now, back to the beginning, Paul says "be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might." Wow. His "strength", not your own, but His. He created everything, and if He can do that, surely He can give us strength each day? Paul managed to stay positive until the end, finding Joy, sharing words of love and encouragement, even when his own circumstances were terrible and his outcome bleak.
Day 1 Challenge: Take a moment and write down how you view God. Do you see Him as abstract? Do you see Him as the author of life and everything we see around us? Write down how you actually view God, not through the prism of how you are expected to.
Q1: What "armor" do you think is the most necessary for your battles?
Q2: What "armor" do you think is the least important?
Scripture:
Ephesians 6:10-17
Day 2- Gird and Breastplates?
Paul tell us that we must "Stand firm there, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH..." When this was written, men would often wear a tunic that would flow freely around their legs (think kilt) and likely you would end up tripping over it, or not be able to run and pivot as needed. To "gird" meant to gather the tunic from the front, pull it back between the legs, and then split it, tying it in the front. Your legs would be exposed, making it easier for battle. Why is this important? Because we are told we must gird our loins with Truth. Truth is not something we simply are exposed to once and all is good; we must constantly lean on Truth our entire lives because the battle is long!
Whether it be a sexual battle, jealousy, anger, and so on, these are not things that simply go away with a quick sword fight. They are likely to be in our lives throughout, and when we have the Truth of Christ with us, we have an important tool to fight off the deception the enemy uses to cause us to stumble. Paul says to prepare for the long battle by girding our loins and living in the Truth every day!
We must also have the "BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS...." We protect our hearts with the righteousness that comes from the Holy Spirit. Our actions, thoughts, and purpose should be focused on hearing the Spirit and honoring the Lord. It is easy to feel "heartbroken" when we lose a job, do not get the raise, or have trouble in our marriage. "Righteousness" does not mean being "right" though, as we may think (not that guys think they are always right!). It means having the right mindset going into a situation and to guard against an emotional response that can dishonor God.
Paul tells us to "shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE." Our feet move us and get us going in the right direction. When we prepare our walk with the Gospel, we find Truth and Righteousness. We can easily wander around aimlessly without the Gospel, and truth and righteousness can easily turn into what the world believes they are, so the Gospel is what sets us apart!
By being ready everyday with Truth, guarding our hearts with Righteousness, and the Gospel as core, we can tackle our daily changes!
Q1: Do you believe truth is absolute? Why?
Q2: How do you prepare each day?
Challenge: For the remainder of the week, envision yourself preparing for battle. See how that changes your day!
Scripture:
Job 40:7
Psalms 18:32
Day 3- Our Mighty Shield
"....taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one," Ep 6:16. It is pretty incredible that our faith can stop "all" arrows from the evil one. The evil one is not typically going to go hand to hand with us in combat, but he sends over these arrows at us from a distance. That shows a considerable amount of cowardice, but it is also a warning for us. We must be prepared at all times for these arrows that can sneak up on us when we least expect it.
Paul is telling us to take action here - "taking up", which means you need to lift it up. Faith isn't passive, it is active. Likewise, our shield is only effective if we are willing to lift it up and use it for defense. Can we also be brutally honest here? There are times in our lives when that shield is heavy. A job loss, illness, death, or any number of other things can make faith a real challenge. This is where we should also take the advice of many in the New Testament, and that is to surround ourselves with other brothers in Christ. In several movies, you will often see this strategy where the soldiers will come together and put up their shields, protecting themselves from a barrage of arrows coming from multiple directions. Where one shield can stop a forward attack, having your brothers lift their shields, you can collectively stop arrows from a variety of directions.
Our walk as Christian men is not meant to be done alone. Jesus kept the company of His 12, and likewise, we should invest in a similar model. When we gather together as Christian men, our "shield" is strengthened because when we are too tired, weak, or distracted, our brothers can help block those arrows with their shields.
Challenge: What men can you reach out to today and let them know you are ready to lift your shield with them?
Q1: Is your shield at the ready today or is in the closet, tucked away?
Q2: Can you express anytime when you know the shield defended you?
Scripture
Ephesians 6:10-17
2 Samuel 22:36
Day 4- Protect Your Head
When you look at most military gear, you will see protection for the chest to protect vital organs, but most importantly, you will find a helmet. The helmet is obviously protecting a crucial organ, the brain. Paul tells us that we need to take the "HELMET OF SALVATION," which is the core to our faith. It is the most important part, our salvation! With salvation, we are redeemed with the Blood of Christ. Our sins are forgiven, and our eternity is guaranteed.
A helmet, however, is also not lightweight. They can be heavy, strain the neck, and cause your head to be generally uncomfortable when worn a long time. That's a lot like our salvation, isn't it? When many are saved, it is a joyous and exciting event. There is joy in finding the Lord, getting freedom from sin, and knowing where your eternity is. Then there is the harsh reality, which Jesus tells us about, that the world will be hard. We will suffer persecution, pain, suffering, and even death. That helmet you put on, that felt really good, feels heavy now.
Our salvation wasn't meant to be an easy walk, which we should know, because it was bought with blood on the cross. The helmet protects us from eternal suffering, while also giving us the ability to stay focused while we walk here. It may at times feel heavy, but it certainly weighs less than the cross that was carried. It is far less painful than nails to the wrist and feet. And while there are times when it feels uncomfortable, we must remember why we have it on in the first place. It is there to protect our thoughts, which is where challenges, emotions, love, pain, and everything about us, is all centered.
Challenge: Use your imagination and picture your helmet. Is it open faced? Does it completely enclose your head, down to your neck? With your next challenge, no matter how big or small, envision yourself putting your helmet on as you step into battle.
Q1: Does your helmet feel heavy today? Write out why.
Q2: Do you remember the moment you were saved? Use that moment to lighten the load today. Remember that moment and feel the weight lift and let the protection of the helmet become your main focus.
Scripture
Jeremiah 46:4
Day 5- Draw Your Sword
For most men, this is probably the most exciting part of this Scripture. Paul tells us that the "sword of the Spirit" is "the word of God." I know as a kid, I envisioned myself with many types of swords, from those used by ninjas, to samurai, to knights in battle. Today of course, we have traded swords for modern day weapons, guns. These weapons have two purposes, one is to defend, the other is to strike and kill the enemy.
If you ask any veteran that has been in combat, they will probably tell you that their weapon was something they valued to protect themselves, but that it also came with a great weight. To take a life, no matter the circumstances, is not an easy task. The reasoning can be completely in the right, but the consequences of that moment can last a lifetime for the soldier who had to use it. It is a powerful deterrent, but there are also times when it must be used in a way that has finality to the action.
The "Word of God" is the same for us. While we may want to slide that sword into the sheath on our hip, or our back, it comes with great responsibility. It is not meant to be used for our own purposes, nor is meant to be used recklessly. The Word is powerful and can redeem. It can cut away the dead in our life and bring new life. It can also, when used maliciously, destroy lives. History is full of those struck down by the misuse of God's word. As a police officer puts on his weapon each day, to symbolize the power and authority handed to him, the sword is the same for us. Scripture is power and authority, but we must use it wisely. If we do not, we will answer to the Lord. Wield your sword wisely brothers, for it can be used to slice off evil, but it also can cut deep if we use it for our own selfish good.
History is written about those who stood ready for battle and our God has given us this Armor so we can head directly into battle. It takes training (read Scripture), it takes perseverance (pray for strength and determination) and finally, it takes courage (we have Christ on our side!). Whether the battle is for your heart, your home, your job, or for your country, our Lord is sending us....prepared! Get your gear men - it is our time!
Challenge: Envision putting your armor on today and preparing your sword. Once you are done, charge into a battle that you have been putting off!
Q1: What battle do you most fear?
Q2: Are you ready to trust in Christ today and charge ahead?
Scripture
Ephesians 6:10-17
Job 19:29
Song of Solomon 3:8