Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Ephesians 6:11
The necessity of putting on appropriate protective gear before going into a dangerous environment has become abundantly clear in these days when our planet is reeling under this invisible viral pandemic. No frontline worker in his or her right mind ventures into such a space without relevant PPE. So it is in the spiritual, beloveds.
It is quite surprising that so many believers think they can make it without their Spiritual Gear in this dangerous environment, that is infested with a variety of evil forces. Why do some saints neglect their spiritual protective gear? I suggest there is at least one reason.
It is IGNORANCE. This problem concerns not knowing the truth about something. It’s about lacking relevant, accurate information. Some folks are genuinely unaware of the reality and scale of the spiritual forces arrayed against us. As it is in the natural, so it is in the spiritual. The Bible says even God’s people perish due to lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). That means being a Christian does not ipso facto endow you with all knowledge.
Many saints are deceived by the fact that the enemy we are dealing with is not visible to the naked eye. So they assume that what they cannot see cannot hurt them. Nothing is further from the truth! Of course, informed believers are not in the business of magnifying the power of the enemy. But neither are we in the business of denying the truth.
Beloveds, we cannot afford to be ignorant and complacent concerning the environment we live in, spiritually speaking. We also cannot assume that our spiritual protective gear will attach itself to us all by itself! As it is in the natural, so it is in the spiritual. The clothes we wear do not just attach themselves to us. We have to intentionally put them on. In fact, that is one of the first skills every child is trained to do as it grows up. So it is in the spiritual.
Let us everyday put on our spiritual gear. Let us not assume all is well. Faith is not presumption. Faith is not living in denial. Faith is trust in God. Today, let us not venture outside without our complete divine armour. Let us not be partially dressed up for combat. It’s unwise and unreasonable. Please put on your armour, soldier!
Pastor Josh