Barefoot On The Battlefield

Here is something I have been wanting to post about for awhile, and since Dad read this passage today in church, now is as good as ever!
Okay. Picture this: You wake up another morning on the battlefield. All is quiet for now. The hush of dawn slowly gives place to the faint sounds of a bird singing. All seems peaceful enough. Yet you know that the enemy is camped just on the other side of that hill, and you surely will pitch battle against him today. You get out of your cot and go out into the morning. You are mentally prepared, knowing that you will be in a battle today. But you don't want to take the time to put on your breastplate and helmet and take a sword with you. In fact, you don't even have your boots on! You are ill-equipped in every way. Most people, including your family, and your friends and anyone with a spark of common sense would tell you that you were being foolish, crazy, and they might even cart you off to an insane asylum. That is pure ridiculous folly to go into battle unarmed. But, that is really what we do if we don't start our day with spending time with God. So many times I have seen this pattern in my life: I wake up and spend time with God, my day is easier. I wake up and do my own thing, I am stuck in a rut of doing the things I wouldn't, and not doing the things I would. God's word tells us that there is spiritual warfare all the time! We are essentially being fools if we don't prepare against that.
Eph. 6:12 "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."
So we even have a warning. And we have been supplied with a complete combat uniform that is eternally, and always undefeatable!
"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;...." (Eph. 6:13-17)
Isn't this a beautifully victorious passage?! With this spiritual armor, which only takes a few quiet, prayerful, and reflective moments to put on, we are able to quench ALL THE FIERY DARTS OF THE WICKED ONE!!! Doesn 't that make you excited? It is so inspiring to me, because so many times I come into battle unprepared, and feel beat up the whole rest of the day. And another thing, we have constant contact with our Captain. No matter where I am He is there, and is always watching and protecting me. That is an amazing thought.
So I just thought that I'd do a post to encourage all of us, (myself included) to take the time to properly equip ourselves for such an important job. That of being beacons of God's light, of carrying His "colors" through territories that the Enemy has deceived, and "having done all, to stand." That is an invigorating picture!
-Rachel