Ephesians 6:13-18

13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16 With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.

Questions to consider:

• Why do we need the armor of God?
• Read through the passage once. Can you name the pieces of armor and what they signify (i.e. the belt of ______)?
• Which piece of "armor" do you need the most in your life right now?
• Which piece of "armor" do you think you are most often lacking?
  

Possibilities for prayer:

One thing that strikes me about this passage is the way in which we are told to put on the armor of God. That seems to indicate that we don't necessarily wake up each morning fully suited up and ready to go out and do battle. In fact, it suggests rather the opposite: we need to make a conscious choice to protect ourselves with truth, and righteousness, and faith. We can choose to prepare ourselves for battle, and we can choose not to.

Today, let's make the choice to be protected by this armor of God. Let's ask for righteousness, truth, faith, and the presence of God's Word in our lives; let's proclaim our salvation. Ask God to grant you all these things, and try to make this your prayer as you start each day the rest of this week--see if you notice a difference!