“Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have
done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13 (NIV)
Those of us who have experienced cold Canadian winters know how important it is to dress warm. I recently bought a parka and was eager to try it out on one of the coldest days. It was minus 43 degrees C, with a 50 km/h north wind. I called a friend of mine who
also enjoys going for walks on cold days. After bundling up, I met him at his house, and we went on an eight-kilometer walk. The wind was howling, the snow was blowing, my moustache and eyebrows iced up, and we talked along the way.
The walk reminded me of the verses in Ephesians 6, where we are told to put on the full armor of God. Each piece of armor is meant to
protect us from the harshest spiritual battles you and I will face. Just like my parka was able to withstand the fierce wind, and the soft down insulated me and protected me from the extreme cold, so our spiritual armor does its work.
We encounter difficult days in our walk with the Lord. Circumstances sometimes reach crisis levels. Our thoughts trouble us, sometimes
to the point of confusion, and even wanting to give up on our walk with the Lord. Being reminded of the full armor of God, and the promise of being able to “withstand” during the battle, brings us comfort. The second part of verse 13 says, “Having done all, to stand.” When we have done what we can, we are given the assurance we will continue to stand.
Finally, use the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Remember—from His Word—that He loves you, gives you strength, and enables
you to be victorious over whatever you may be facing.
– Raymond Neckoway
Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.
The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website.
Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org