Trouble Lies Ahead

On my morning walk, there is an area of the street that has been taken over by dogs. They lie on the sidewalk and rush out at anyone passing by.

Most people who walk on this stretch of road cross over to the other side as they approach the dog hangout spot. The thing is, the dogs are not always there, and sometimes they do not attack. It is easy for a runner to get caught up in their thoughts and forget about the dogs. The enemy is a bit like those dogs. He lies in wait and sets traps for the unsuspecting. If you do not take precautions, you will find yourself in trouble.

Thankfully, God has not left us to face the trouble ahead on our own.

The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:11 that we should put on the whole armor of God. For us to fully understand this analogy, we must put ourselves in the shoes of the writer.

At the time of Paul’s writings, Jerusalem and the surrounding area were under Roman occupation. The Romans revolutionized warfare and were the dominant army of the time. The Roman soldier donned his armor by first putting on his belt.

This was not like the belts we are familiar with.

These belts had slots to secure the various pieces of armor.

The Romans were also unlike the typical soldier of the time in that they wore specially designed shoes that made it possible for them to stand firm regardless of the terrain.

Their gear, weapons, and training combined to give the Roman soldier an edge over their enemies and allowed them to dominate all who opposed them.

Like the Roman soldier, the Christian has a specialized defense against the enemy. We have the belt of truth, who is Jesus; the body armor of God’s righteousness; the shoes of peace that comes from the gospel of Jesus; the shield of our faith; the helmet of the salvation we received through Christ; the sword of the Spirit—that is, the Word of God—and the gift of prayer. When we learn to wield the weapons God has given us, we will not fall prey to the trouble that lies ahead. My friend, put on the whole armor of God so that you can stand against the attacks of the evil one.

Aminata Coote