Gear Up!
SEPTEMBER 28, 2020
By Rosella Shishido, Communications Ministry Coordinator
Two years ago I was immensely blessed with a trip to England. I got to visit Highclere Castle, where many of the scenes of the popular British TV show Downton Abbey were shot. I also got to visit Stafford Castle, well, the ruins of it actually. The once magnificent stone fortress built 900 years ago had fallen into disrepair, was demolished, rebuilt, abandoned, and was left to deteriorate again. Today Stafford Castle is less than half of its original height. See how towering Stafford Castle must have been in the picture below, as imagined by an artist.
What made the visit to Stafford Castle even more memorable was that I got to do it with friends! Brenda Jackson, Heidi Lum, Marianna Meachen, David Chang, and I all walked through the ruins. But before we got there, we had to check in at the visitor center, where there’s a gift shop and a small museum about Stafford Castle’s history and a display of medieval costumes. Very much a hands-on type of display because we got to try on the different items that men would wear to battle.
We laughed at each other as we tried the various helmets, tunics, chain mail, shields, and swords. We even dressed up David in full gear!
Looking back at those days at Stafford Castle reminds me of the armor of God described in Ephesians 6:10-17
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
We had fun dressing up David, and it was obvious to us that he didn’t look complete unless he had the full gear on. Not his fault, but he was missing the shin guards and the right shoes for battle simply because they weren’t available at that time.
God, the Mighty Warrior, has already equipped us with what we need to keep standing firm in spite of the tough times that hit us. But we need to put the armor on. We need to gear up, and not take it off.
This means:
Knowing God’s truth from the Bible to keep us secure in our faith (belt of truth).
Being confident that we are covered by Christ’s righteousness (breastplate of righteousness).
Having faith in God no matter what (shield of faith).
Having the assurance that we are saved (helmet of salvation).
Living according to God’s Word and sharing the Gospel with others (shoes)
Using God’s Word to defend ourselves when tempted and also to help us make wise decisions (sword of the spirit)
Prayer: Father in Heaven, thank You for the “equipment” You’ve given us so we can stand strong and fight back when we are tempted to lose faith in You. Please help us to gear up every day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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