As gamers we spend a lot of time perfecting our characters in game. For a large group of us, that involves upgrading our gear. Some of us purchase skins to make our avatar stand out. Some grind content with the hopes that a piece of gear will drop and complete their set. Some of us spend hours and hours honing our skills to take down raid bosses for the chance at higher tier loot. It never occurred to me how much of our real life we spend upgrading our in game gear. What about our gear out of game? Our in game armor allows us to take on powerful forces of evil in our digital worlds, but can that gear work against the powerful forces of evil in our real world?
I have spent so many years of my life chasing that carrot on a stick in game that I never contemplated upgrading my armor out of game. I lived most of my youth and adult life never knowing about the armor set I should be upgrading. Do you know what the good news is? It isn't too late. We can start gearing up today! Right now!
The Following Verses are from the
New International Version Ephesians 6:10-18
The Armor of God
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.
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
We will need to have the entire set on at all times as we can not escape battling with satan while we are here on earth. In the Gospel of John, chapter 16 verse 33 New International Version (NIV)
Jesus tells his disciples:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Jesus knew that even though he overcame the world by dying and paying for our sins on the cross, that we would not be free from satans grasp while we're here on earth. He knew this because even he was tested in the wilderness by satan when he walked the Earth. If satan was arrogant enough to think he could trick Jesus Christ into worshiping him, you and I are a cake walk.
Would you head into a dungeon or a raid without armor or weapons and expect to down a boss? Defeat a foe? Be the last one standing in a battle royale? I think not. We are geared in game for a reason and we need to be geared out of game for the same reason, because our enemy is real. We are warned in the bible in 1st Peter Chapter 5 verse 8.
1 Peter 5:8 ESV
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
For the same reason we cannot afford to live life without our Armor of God on. We need to wear the ENTIRE armor set. We cannot afford to neglect one part of the
armor or we weaken the entire armor. We can not afford to roll out rocking a belt of truth without the breastplate of righteousness or helmet of salvation. You don't leave your house with just your socks on do you? (For the record, I am not recommending you try that!) I am serious in the sense that we can not afford to go through life without the entire Armor of God on. The best thing about the Armor of God is that it is not heavy and burdensome like the Armor sets of the past and tactical gear of the present . When you are fully clothed in your armor of God you are prepared to take on the enemy instead of being devoured by the enemy. What a blessing!