In a “Calvin and Hobbes” comic strip, Calvin’s mother was sitting in her chair reading a book and drinking a cup of coffee. All of a sudden Calvin walked in wearing a space helmet and cape. His mother asked, “What’s up today?”
Calvin replied, “Nothing so far.”
“So far?” his mother asked.
“Well,” Calvin said, “you never know. Something could happen today. And if anything does happen, I’m going to be ready for it!”
Calvin left the room, and his mom said, “I wish I had a suit like that!”
Well, interestingly enough, such a suit is not just a passing childhood fancy. Paul told us about such a suit that is available for Christians. In Ephesians 6:10-18, he described the parts of this suit, and he urged us to put it on. The parts include the following:
1) The belt of truth – Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Our confession of Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life is essential. Each day we should stand for truth in every area of our lives.
2) The breastplate of righteousness – When we accept Christ as Savior, we are given a position of right standing before God. This new standing is to result in moral righteousness and transformation in our lives.
3) The boots of the gospel of peace – God’s good news of peace stabilizes us and, in the spiritual battle, keeps us from slipping.
4) The shield of faith – Faith makes us right with God through Christ and then helps us resist Satan’s “flaming arrows” such as doubts, fears, and temptations.
5) The helmet of salvation – Our assurance of salvation helps us triumph over doubts and other attacks.
6) The sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God – The use of God’s Word can help us combat Satan as effectively as Jesus did in His great encounter with Satan in His temptation experience. We can use this sword more expertly as we become life-long students of the Word.
Along with these pieces of the armor, Paul encouraged us to “pray in the Spirit.” An effective spiritual discipline is to pray about putting on the armor as you begin your day. As you pray, visualize your strapping on each piece of the armor. After you have put on this spiritual armor, in the words of Calvin, “If anything does happen, you will be ready for it!”
