Be Fully Equipped

The wind was howling, blowing into all the crevices it could find. The 12-foot trees were bending backwards with the force of the wind. The windows were rattling in their tracks. It seemed worse in the night-time when there were no other noises to distract my ears. As I looked out the big windows at the back of our house, I could see my pot plants had no hope. Scattered across the pavement. New plants that I had just procured and planted in our new garden were getting a beating. But there was no way I could protect them. They were open to the elements of the weather.

Thank goodness we were protected inside the house. Many in recent times have not. Hurricanes, tornadoes, bushfires, crazy heat waves, torrential rain causing mudslides, floods. Throughout the entire world it is happening. It’s reported on the news on a daily basis. No place is unscathed.

The “climate change” that people describe seems to be happening. Are we to be worried? No. Remember Jesus said so often to not worry. But we are to do our part for our environment. We need to be educated in what we can do.

Paul in Ephesians tells us that it is not the elements that we have as the most dangerous to struggle with. He is not discounting that these things can harm our flesh and blood, but he is trying to point out to us what truly is the danger. The evil, spiritual forces which fight us and our Eternal survival.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:10-17 NRSV

Paul encourages us at the beginning that we are strong in the Lord and in the strength of His power. To put on the Full armour of God for protection. To stand against the wiles of the devil. The armour of God is Spiritual.

The Belt of Truth. The breastplate of righteousness. Put on your shoes the Gospel of Peace.

The Shield of Faith. The Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit.

THEN you will be fully equipped to stand firm!

Are we doing this? Are we preparing ourselves, our armor to be ready when our fight comes?

Just like we prepare the land, our properties when the elements of the weather come. Are we preparing Us, our eternity to withstand the raging of the enemy when it comes? Because it surely will.

May these jottings from my journal inspire you to believe in and fall in love with Christ- the hope of the world, as stated in Jeremiah 17:7, ‘Blessed is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord and whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord!’

Love

Rosemary

Every week groups of ladies meet together to chat about the things I raise in my weekly blog post and to chat about life in general. We call these ‘Heart Connect’ groups. If you would like more information please click HERE.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Are you putting on the armor of God to prepare you for the spiritual battles that you will face?

If not, what is stopping you?

Is there a piece of armor that you struggle to wear? Maybe it’s the belt of truth or the sword of the spirit. How could you focus on being more fully equipped?

6 Comments

Beth

September 6, 2023 at 9:22 am

Thank you for this meaningful verse, which I will save to refer to in the future!

Valerie Lack

September 6, 2023 at 11:13 am

Am I putting on the armour of God?
Yes! Every morning and every night.

Do I struggle with parts of the armour?
No not putting it on.
My problem is with, my reaction to the treatment of women and some men, at the hands of the Taliban in Kabul. Also the terrible destruction and loss of life because of the war in the Ukraine. I get so angry, worked up and upset, which is I know not the way our Lord Jesus would react. So disappointed in myself
Even though I tell myself, that God has everything in hand and that he has a grand plan, a master plan and all shall be well, still , time after time when faced with the injustice of it all, my reaction is the same. I know that within this being which is me that I have not always been fair and just and that I also am capable of cruelty, it makes no difference. Oh! When , when shall I overcome this weakness this never ending battle over self.
Val

Kathy O'Connor

September 6, 2023 at 9:54 am

Thank you Rosemary for bringing these scriptures to my attention. I need to say these verses daily. In this day and time it is necessary to speak this over ourselves, our families.

Vicky

September 6, 2023 at 10:56 am

Thank you, Rosemary. The words of the verse have never been so needed as they are now.

Jacquie

September 7, 2023 at 12:12 am

Rosemary, thank you for your message of preparation and purpose to engage in God’s words of renewal and nourishment with an armour of faith.

Valerie Simms

September 7, 2023 at 9:26 pm

Thank you Rosemary for sharing with us how important it is to put ON THE FULL ARMOUR OF GOD in our spiritual lives, that will help us in our earthly lives as well!!! I do pray to our Loving God every day, for what is happening around the world because of all the troubles many are facing. I continually place them all in God’s Care, as I compared to our Powerful, Mighty God can only do so little!!! And NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR OUR GOD!!! You are right Rosemary about God not wanting us to worry BUT TO GIVE ALL OUR CARES TO HIM!!! You are also right Rosemary there is a tremendous amount of evil about, that many are NOT AWARE OF!!! WE/I DO NEED TO BE VIGILANT… PRAYER is a VERY POWERFUL SPIRITUAL WEAPON the evil one does not like!!! Reading SACRED SCRIPTURE is VERY POWERFUL TOO and something I need to do MORE is to REMEMBER THE SCRIPTURE VERSES, so as when the devil tries to tempt us, as He did with our Lord Jesus, we can stand firm against these temptations from the devil!!!
I remember once a minister many years ago said that there is such a thing as righteous anger… I think of our Lord Jesus when He was at the Temple, He angrily upturned the stalls saying how certain people were making His Father’s House into a Den of thieves!!! And what about St Paul? Now there was a feisty Saint, who was not afraid to speak up for God’s righteousness!!! Our Lord Jesus did no wrong in doing this, nor did St Paul after his conversion! I could imagine that our Lord Jesus did get the necessary attention that was needed, for certain others to see and hear what was done and said was not from God, not RIGHTEOUS! And so it was with St Paul…This jottings has got me well and truly thinking!!! Thank you Rosemary and I thank the ladies too who have responded to you!!! May the Lord bless you Rosemary and all the ladies who participated in this Blog!!!

Beth

September 6, 2023 at 9:22 am

Thank you for this meaningful verse, which I will save to refer to in the future!
- Valerie Lack
  
  September 6, 2023 at 11:13 am
  
  Am I putting on the armour of God?
  Yes! Every morning and every night.
  
  Do I struggle with parts of the armour?
  No not putting it on.
  My problem is with, my reaction to the treatment of women and some men, at the hands of the Taliban in Kabul. Also the terrible destruction and loss of life because of the war in the Ukraine. I get so angry, worked up and upset, which is I know not the way our Lord Jesus would react. So disappointed in myself
  Even though I tell myself, that God has everything in hand and that he has a grand plan, a master plan and all shall be well, still , time after time when faced with the injustice of it all, my reaction is the same. I know that within this being which is me that I have not always been fair and just and that I also am capable of cruelty, it makes no difference. Oh! When , when shall I overcome this weakness this never ending battle over self.
  Val
Kathy O'Connor

September 6, 2023 at 9:54 am

Thank you Rosemary for bringing these scriptures to my attention. I need to say these verses daily. In this day and time it is necessary to speak this over ourselves, our families.
Vicky

September 6, 2023 at 10:56 am

Thank you, Rosemary. The words of the verse have never been so needed as they are now.
Jacquie

September 7, 2023 at 12:12 am

Rosemary, thank you for your message of preparation and purpose to engage in God’s words of renewal and nourishment with an armour of faith.
Valerie Simms

September 7, 2023 at 9:26 pm

Thank you Rosemary for sharing with us how important it is to put ON THE FULL ARMOUR OF GOD in our spiritual lives, that will help us in our earthly lives as well!!! I do pray to our Loving God every day, for what is happening around the world because of all the troubles many are facing. I continually place them all in God’s Care, as I compared to our Powerful, Mighty God can only do so little!!! And NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR OUR GOD!!! You are right Rosemary about God not wanting us to worry BUT TO GIVE ALL OUR CARES TO HIM!!! You are also right Rosemary there is a tremendous amount of evil about, that many are NOT AWARE OF!!! WE/I DO NEED TO BE VIGILANT… PRAYER is a VERY POWERFUL SPIRITUAL WEAPON the evil one does not like!!! Reading SACRED SCRIPTURE is VERY POWERFUL TOO and something I need to do MORE is to REMEMBER THE SCRIPTURE VERSES, so as when the devil tries to tempt us, as He did with our Lord Jesus, we can stand firm against these temptations from the devil!!!
I remember once a minister many years ago said that there is such a thing as righteous anger… I think of our Lord Jesus when He was at the Temple, He angrily upturned the stalls saying how certain people were making His Father’s House into a Den of thieves!!! And what about St Paul? Now there was a feisty Saint, who was not afraid to speak up for God’s righteousness!!! Our Lord Jesus did no wrong in doing this, nor did St Paul after his conversion! I could imagine that our Lord Jesus did get the necessary attention that was needed, for certain others to see and hear what was done and said was not from God, not RIGHTEOUS! And so it was with St Paul…This jottings has got me well and truly thinking!!! Thank you Rosemary and I thank the ladies too who have responded to you!!! May the Lord bless you Rosemary and all the ladies who participated in this Blog!!!