Suit Up!

Stand firm, then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place...Ephesians 6:14

Our troops do not go into battle unarmed and unprotected. Why should it be any different with the followers of Christ? We fight in an unseen world, undetectable to the world around us, but our spirit recognizes its enemies. Our worldly enemies use camouflage to mask their efforts from our troops.

Sadly, the enemy uses camouflage as well. The following details a slip-up that occured when I let my "armor" down. Like everyone else, I don't like to air my mess-ups for the world to see, but this is one I felt led to share.

I woke up feeling drained spiritually. I made the decision to sleep in and allow for some extra rest. That was mistake number one. Finally, I got up, dressed, and went to work. Two of my fellow workers were in a rare mood that day. Both were not feeling well. Both have a tendency to gossip a little too much about other employees at times. I usually refrain, deeming it none of my business. Today, however, I decided to "indulge" in a little criticism of a few co-workers. BIG mistake.

I allowed myself to get wrapped up in their tales about So-and-So and What's-Her-Face. I went back to do some dishes, minding my own business, when I suddenly had a massive pain in my chest right above my heart. I evaluated the situation, and "heard" the words "breastplate of righteousness". The Lord opened my spiritual "eyes", and I repented immediately. I asked for forgiveness and tried to figure out what was causing the pain in my chest.
The Lord showed me that I had allowed the enemy an open door to attack through my criticism of others. Singing quietly, I worshipped at the dish sink, speaking with the Lord, and the pain began to lessen. As my shift ended, it was nothing but a dull ache. It was completely gone by Sunday afternoon (Praise God!).

In Charles F. Stanley's book, When the Enemy Strikes, he writes that the breastplate of righteousness is maintained by living obediently before God (page 147). Was I being obedient when I ignored the promptings to immerse myself in the Word before work, instead choosing to sleep? Not in the slightest. Was I obeying when I was slandering my coworkers? Nope.

Stanley goes on to write, "The 'heart' refers to the seat of the person's will, and also to the emotions, beliefs, and attitudes that feed into what a person wills or chooses (page 150)". I made the choice to disobey-no wonder I got attacked! We are called to be like Christ, not just in a few things, but in everything.

The Lord has asked me to live an open life before the world, so this is why I am sharing my struggles with all. I'm not perfect. One of the most important lessons I have learned is that this Christian walk is a journey. No one has "arrived" yet on this planet. One of the church's biggest flaws is presenting a spotless image to a world that is hurting and angry. We need to live a life that is real before the Lord and set His standard as ours. One of my favorite quotes is by a passionate warrior who laid down his life for God. It has since become one of my earnest prayers:

I will not be satisfied. I will not let my passion be held in a bottle. I will not let my light be hidden. I will stand up. I will let my voice be heard. I will lead. I will serve. I will fight...I will unsheathe my sword. It's time to raise a revolution. God will give me strength.
-B.J. Higgins, 1989-2005