The Armor of God, for the Overwhelmed

In Ephesians 6, Paul describes the Armor of God in a famous passage: belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, sword of the Spirit.

Eugene Peterson’s The Message gives a fresh look at the familiar.

And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no weekend war that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.
Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

In any given week, as I talk to different friends and clients, I’m reminded again and again how much sadness and pain people carry. Broken marriages, broken work environments, broken relationships, broken health, broken systems, broken lives, broken dreams.

You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own.

Do you sometimes find it hard to keep your head above water? No shame there.

You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own.

And yet, despite the direness of Paul’s statement … the end result is triumph. God gives us help. We have a chance to stand on our feet.

Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

The Workplace Prayer team prays hard and long.

Thank you, Jesus, that you don’t ask us to handle things on our own. You give us yourself and you give us the body of Christ, so that we won’t be alone. And you give us weapons so that we have a fighting chance to still be on our feet. Thank you, Lord.

God is strong, and he wants you strong,

Amy Joy

Does God actually care about our work?

Yes! Far more than most of us were ever taught! Get a short, free reflection on why work—the place we spend the most waking hours most weeks—matters to him.

(And if you're already longing to be prayed for, by name, you can begin a week of prayer coverage, our treat, at prayercoverage.co.)