Dress for the occasion

A good soldier prepares for battle.  We as God's children are in a battle everyday.  A battle against our own flesh and this world's influence as Satan tries to take us captive.  A good soldier needs to understand his mission thoroughly or else he will make mistakes and fall to the enemy.

God's Word calls for us to prepare ourselves for this battle and to dress accordingly.  How do we prepare for such battle and put on the full armor of God.  Ephesians 6:10-18 explains to us the armor of God.  Although the armor itself is symbolic, i.e., helmet, breastplate, we are to take this literally and wear these daily to fight against temptation and the evil which surrounds us so that our testimony will stay intact.

Each morning we wake up we should try to see ourselves putting on our armor.  Buckle the belt of truth which is God's Word around your waist.  Place the breastplace of righteousness over your chest.  Grab your shield of faith to put our those fiery arrows which will attack you.  Place the helmet of salvation on your head and pick up the sword of the spirit to fight off those attacks.

So how do we make sure even after mentalizing this armor on us that we actually are carrying it with us.  Stay focused on the Lord.  Putting on this armor requires us to stay close to the Lord.  To spend time in His Word each day (the sword of the spirit, the truth) so that we may keep ourselves from believing false testimony and may guard against attacks by making sure what we are hearing or doing complies with the Word of God.  Spend time in prayer each day glorifying God and making our requests known. Be in prayer throughout the day with all types of prayers.

Do this and you shall be wearing your armor against those worldly and fleshy threats.  You will be righteous with the Lord and prepared for the Day of His Return.

Zephaniah 1:14-18 (New International Version)

The Great Day of the Lord

 ¹⁴ "The great day of the LORD is near—
       near and coming quickly.
       Listen! The cry on the day of the LORD will be bitter,
       the shouting of the warrior there.  ¹⁵ That day will be a day of wrath,
       a day of distress and anguish,
       a day of trouble and ruin,
       a day of darkness and gloom,
       a day of clouds and blackness,
 ¹⁶ a day of trumpet and battle cry
       against the fortified cities
       and against the corner towers.
 ¹⁷ I will bring distress on the people
       and they will walk like blind men,
       because they have sinned against the LORD.
       Their blood will be poured out like dust
       and their entrails like filth.
 ¹⁸ Neither their silver nor their gold
       will be able to save them
       on the day of the LORD's wrath.
       In the fire of his jealousy
       the whole world will be consumed,
       for he will make a sudden end
       of all who live in the earth."