“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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. 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish 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. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” Ephesians 6:10-18
This picture today is one of my happy places! This is a picture of my spot in the dressing room, the day of a performance. I cannot explain it, but there is something so fun and lovely about packing, preparing and organizing for a ballet performance. I know, it sounds silly! You should see my lists I make of things to pack for the theater. Making the list is part of the fun! But my favorite part about preparing is walking into the dressing room, picking out a cozy spot, and methodically unpacking all my gear, and making it home for the next twenty four hours or three days or however long we are going to be there. It is like moving in….I love laying out all my stage makeup, hair supplies, and a few other essentials… foundation, powder, eyeshadow, eyeliner, fake eyelashes and glue, mascara, lipstick, hairspray and hair pins, my pointe shoes, my water bottle, and even my grande, nonfat, vanilla latte from Starbucks. The prettier it is, the more excited I get! Then I get to sit there in the quietness and strategically put on that stage makeup. That time somehow prepares me mentally and emotionally for the performance. It is a pleasure! I leave that place feeling ready and equipped.
I think of the armor and tools that God provides us for living. If I would remember to lay it all out everyday, remember to put it on in order to be prepared for the day, ready and equipped…..the belt of TRUTH, the breastplate or RIGHTEOUSNESS, feet fitted with READINESS that comes from the gospel of PEACE, the shield of FAITH, the helmet of SALVATION, and the sword of the SPIRIT. We are in a battle against evil…..we forget sometimes. Let God’s armor ready you for the battle.
I know you get tired. I know you get worn out. I know you get discouraged. Call to mind all that you have and can “put on ” daily to help you:
TRUTH – Search the Bible for God’s beautiful promises
RIGHTEOUSNESS – Because of Christ, you do not have to be “good enough”…. God sees you as righteous because of Christ
READINESS from the gospel of PEACE – you can live without fear and anxiety because Christ is your peace
FAITH – faith in Christ gives you hope for every day
SALVATION – celebrate that because of Christ, you will one day spend eternity with Him
SPIRIT – the Holy Spirit lives in you and helps you in everything
Press on sister, You have all you need in Christ.
“Prayer: “Dear Jesus, thank You for equipping me with all I need for this day. Show me what it looks like to put on your armor for the day.”
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