November 25, 2016 – 29 Days Until My Head Explodes, Or Devotions to Prepare Us For Christ’s Coming

“Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 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. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.”

Ephesians 6:11-14

The title for this ornament, I kid you not, is: “Joyful Flying Tutu Wearing Ballerina Pig Ornament”. See, I don’t have to make this stuff up – it just lands in my lap – just so the pig doesn’t land in my lap. If so, I would have to refer you back to the devotion for November 21st. Yes, I do need therapy.

“Put on the full armor of God”

Life reminds us over and over again that living life in the 21st century is a struggle – sometimes a battle of good and evil, right and wrong – other times just a battle to get by. But we were never promised a rose garden in this life, and yet that should not destroy our hopes for some rosy outcomes. The explanation of this struggle lies deeper than we ordinarily think. The common view of our struggle in life has been that we are engaged in conflict against other people, against other flawed men and women. But Paul says the battle lies deeper than that. The basic problem is that this is a battle between the kingdom of G-d and the kingdom of Satan – and we are the battlefield. This is why we need to put on the whole armor of G-d, so that we can not only withstand the attacks from our visible enemies but also fight against the inner tensions and fears of our individual lives including work, home, family and church struggles.

How do we do this? Scripture gives us the answer: “Stand… and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.” The belt of truth is the word of G-d, and if you do not study and read the word of G-d on a regular basis, how can you know the truth? And, the breastplate of righteousness is the person of Jesus Christ. There is a saying that goes something like: “I will believe it when pigs fly”. Well, here you have the ornament to give you hope – the pig is flying, wearing a tutu and filled with joy. Underneath that tutu and fancy hat is a pig wearing the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness that gives her the joy of Christ. We need to live into this joy each and every day.

Pastor Dave