Full Armor of God
Full Armor of God
I remarried when my son was five. I was on the rebound. My second husband was all “male.” He sailed boats, raced cars, and flew planes. He was an artist and musician. He could build anything, he could fix anything, and he involved my son in all of these activities. Although he came with some emotional baggage, and steady jobs “bored” him, he fit the role of a stepfather fine. I guess in my mind, there was no time to be choosy.
Thankfully, our new family attended church regularly. My son attended Sunday school. We joined a small Christian fellowship group (that still meets to this day). Although we had a “father” figure in the house again, I insisted on being the disciplinarian. I used a wooden spoon -- once (“spare the rod, spoil the child”). We started having pets, lots of pets. Over a short period of time, we had everything from mice to dogs, a pig to a raccoon.
When my son was about seven, we added even more stability to our lives. We moved to a real house in a “planned” community. We helped start a church, where I was the “Sunday School Superintendent” and my husband was an elder. We started another Christian fellowship group in our home (the group has grown and still meets to this day).
We established prayer in my son’s routine, and he participated in various church camps and activities. We lead by example, and my son responded. At seven, my son accepted the Lord, on his knees by his bed. We had just read Ephesians 6:10-18 together, and my son decided that he wanted to “put on the full armor of God” for himself.
The Full Armor of God. . .
A final word: Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy 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 every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere. (Ephesians 6:10-18)
What is your response?
