Well, what is a No Limit Solider? A person willing to do anything for the sake of his/her unit; one who will risk his/her life for the protection and defense of their country and fellow men. A No Limit Soldier is a person who has an all or nothing attitude, willing to take great risks, even that of their own life, if leads to a) protection of others and ultimately b) victory.
Man, wouldn't it be nice if we were willing to be this way for God! Think about it! What if God was the colonel of the tank (focus people, stop bouncing in your cubicle and don't you dare leave this screen to go pull up Ghetto Dope on Spotify! LOL!)? What if the Son of God were the young, hot one that we all loved so much? What if we admired and helped to build God's empire? What if we got excited to Make'em say Ameeenn. Ha! It sounds funny...but what if???
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground.... Ephesians 6:13
 |
| Courtesy: http://ko792daci.blogspot.com/2011/06/armor-of-god-for-children.html |
Let's take a minute to break down how God's No Limit Soldiers must dress:
Belt of Truth: We have to be knowledgeable in the truth of God. We have to be ready to fight against deception and lies from the enemy by knowing what is true from God's Word. We also have to tell the truth because if you are anything like me , little white lie can be a common part of life. We have to be careful about lies and omission and bear the fruit of honesty. Some of us might need to poke some extra holes in the belt because if I'm being honest, my belt falls off sometimes #ijs
Breastplate of Righteousness: The breastplate was a protective covering for a soldier's vital organs like the heart. To bear this shell, we must carry God in our hearts. This is less a matter of our own works and actions, and more a matter of having God, His love, and presence dwell within us. In order to do this, we have to guard our hearts against evil. This happens by being guarded in what we allow into our spirit. Some of us listen to music that lets things in. Some of us watch things on television that let things in. Some of us hang around people of negative influence who let things in. We are all guilty of letting this breastplate hang off in times of battle. As long as we are here on earth, there will be times it is fastened tightly and other times we have to run back to the bunker and grab it because we out here straight trippin'!
Shoes of the Gospel of Peace: The enemy has landmines and other hurdles and obstacles in our way when it comes to helping others get to know God. We have to be unafraid to step out into his territory anyway. It doesn't need to be overt and aggressive, but confidently we can step over enemy lines knowing that we are equipped to win the battle if we simply follow orders. We don't always follow orders, which is why there are times we have been P.O.W. The enemy has trapped us and we find ourselves doing what they say, even against our own will. I'm grateful that the Commander and Chief always sees it fit to come and get us, revive us, restore us, and send us right back into battle.
Shield of Faith: This one is a doozy. Our faith is what protects us from the perils of the world. It is by faith that we are able to stand in the midst of persecution and push forward with unwavering perseverance. Shielding ourselves with the belief that no matter what type of attack we fall under, God is present and in control. This shield can get heavy sometimes. It can become hard to hold. Sometimes, I have mine forcefully in front, ready for action. Other times, my arm gets tired and my shield is dragging along side me. I have even dropped it a time or two and another soldier had to help me pick it back up.
Helmet of Salvation: This is to protect our head because we know traumatic brain injury can take us out of the war. This cranial safeguard is basically a shift in our thinking. We have to renew our minds and be brainwashed for our cause. Yes. Some people will think we are crazy. Yes. Some people will refuse to join the ranks. This is all a guarantee that can affect the way we think about the whole thing. We begin to second guess ourselves and our cause. We question God's Word, His promises, and even His existence. This is why the helmet is so important. All of us have had times where our thoughts were less than godly. That's an indication that our helmet flew off in battle and we turn back to go it!
Sword of the Spirit: This is where we slice and dice my friends! The sword is the Word of God. People will come for us. That's their job. It's our job to defend our cause, protect our ranks, and serve our Leader. We don't have to justify our reasons for choosing to fight this war, but we need to be prepared to defend ourselves against the attacks of the enemy. This part can be hard. The Word is a tough thing. It's all over the place. Things in the New Testament seem to contradict things in the Old. Some of it makes no sense and seems antiquated. Not to mention, we'd have to make time to sharpen our sword daily to stay ready for battle and that doesn't always happen. Many times we are out here with dull swords trying to cut somebody. Bringing broken swords against an enemy with machine guns...we ain't trying to win! This part takes some extra work and some extra time and some extra skills and training. We have to want to use the sword, which at some points in this battle is a stronger desire than at others. Sometimes we get scared to pull the sword. Other times we pull it but the opposition has far greater skill at using their weapon than we at ours. And yet other times the sword is at home so we are running and hiding because we don't want to die! I get it. Constantly finding myself in between any of these different places all the time...
In short, God wants us to be His No Limit Soldiers. He wants us to go into battle and be fiercely fearless because we are equipped with the FULL ARMOR. But He also knows that this armor is heavy. It's a lot to carry from battlefield to battlefield, day after day. He knows that sometimes, soldiers mess up. They start tripping. Some of us have PTSD while others of us are trying to go AWOL and praying for a discharge, honorable or otherwise. But God wants us to have no limits in the lengths we are willing to go to for His Kingdom. I want to hear from you today. Which of the pieces of armor do you hardly leave home without? On the other hand, which piece of the armor do you struggle to keep up with? I can't wait to read where our army is strongest and where we struggle so that we can pray for one another with specificity, the way that soldiers cover one another in battle. Be Blessed. XOXO
No comments:
Post a Comment