The Armor Of God

Like most folks, I have a long list of things I am annoyed by, some I am downright angry about, but the “this is absurd” list has eclipsed the other two by a long shot. The whole situation, fortified by a steady diet of news and pseudo-news from a litany of sources, has overwhelmed the day. It’s affecting my happiness and the overall well-being of my family. So yesterday, I decided I needed to abandon my post and stop reading posts. I got on my Harley and went for a ride. I went to see a buddy at his tattoo shop then met this super-hot Brazilian girl for lunch, my wife, and we made that parking space in the Whole Foods Parking lot feel like, well, a place to shovel down some less than inspiring take out food.

I kissed her goodbye and went to Bass Pro Shops. I get clarity there. It takes me back to my roots. I got day-dreaming of lonely trails on an ATV, fishing trips, shooting guns, and hiking in the wilderness. I bought a shirt that had freedom and a flag printed on the back and fondly remembered a time when we could take that freedom for granted.

And then I bought a cold drink, sat on a picnic table outside of the store and I began to gather my thoughts.

There is so much anger, hatred, and division out there. Everyone is screaming to be noticed and validated, and no one is listening, let alone coming up with sensible solutions. As the word-bricks and real bricks fly incessantly, as cities get destroyed, and the people we hired to protect us get abused, vilified, and assassinated en-masse based on the actions of a few; our “leaders” zero their sites on each other. They want to win elections, and they use whatever tactics imaginable to gather a herd behind them. All of this stirred up and supported by biased for-profit media. Why? So they can continue serving themselves under the guise of serving us.

If you are offended by God’s existence, you may want to read something else at this point. I am going to talk about God and the Bible for a minute.

If you are not offended by God, then consider this.

I believe this is a classic battle between good and evil, and the lines that separate the two get less clear each day because the issues are convoluted. The good guys aren’t always good, and the bad guys aren’t always bad, so it’s confusing. Or is it?

God has a plan. So does Satan. As Christians, we have free will and the challenge of faith, and just as was the case in the garden of Eden, we choose who will win this battle with every thought we think, every word we speak and every action we take. We are the warriors.

Our job is not to judge, to hate, or to spread division and feed fear. The way I see it, our job is to do this:

“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. With this in mind, be alert and always pray for all the Lord’s people.”
Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV
https://www.bible.com/111/eph.6.10-18.niv

Give each other grace, be the light you want to see in the world, and understand that evil is there and it can infect all of us if we dwell on it.

All-day, every day.
And may God Bless you.

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