Protection

I was walking along the pebble beach near our home in the South of England, and, although it was not raining, the wind was blowing strongly, and it felt quite cold. As I looked out to sea, I saw a person on a windsurfing board taking advantage of the breeze and moving quickly over the waves. I walked past the place where they were surfing, and, as I did so, the surfer came out of the water and carried the surf board and sail up the steep beach to where their vehicle was. I was thinking to myself that such folk are very brave and probably a bit mad. To subject oneself to such low temperatures and wet conditions at the end of March in the UK is not my idea of fun. But you may disagree with me.

However, as the person neared me, I noticed that he was wearing a full wet suit, including shoes and a hood, so he was well protected from the elements. Perhaps I was making an unjust judgement. I then started to reflect on the number of believers who walk through life in adverse conditions, yet they’re unprotected.

Paul writes, in Ephesians 6:11, that we should always wear the armour of God – not against the onslaught of the elements, but against the principalities and powers. Peter reminds us they are constantly on the prowl seeking to attack and devour us (1 Peter 5:8). There are too many ‘naked Christians’ around today, and the devil delights in taking advantage of our ‘un-protectedness’.

I’m getting to the age where I often forget important things, but let’s make sure we don’t forget this important piece of protection. Let’s always wear God’s armour. After all, He has freely provided it for our safety, and it’s a perfect fit.

Prayer: Thank You, Father, for being constantly concerned for our welfare. You have given each one of us a suit of spiritual armour to keep us protected by Your grace. Please help us to remember to wear it all times, so we’re no longer vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy. Amen.