Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
Ephesians 6:11
Costume parties were always fun when I was young. I would spend all afternoon getting every detail taken care of, saving the mask for the very last. As long as the mask was off, I was still myself; but when my face was covered, I became another person.
The full Christian life may be masked and never seen. Some masks we wear are pride, deceit, false humility, discontentment, the devil’s schemes, unconfessed sin. We must daily peel off our masks and replace them with the full armor of God.
Only when our human masks are shed and we don God’s armor can we stand against the devil’s schemes. This means we must put on the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness, and we must fit our feet with readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. It means we must be strong to hold up the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit. Most of all, we must learn to stand our ground in prayer (see Eph. 6:14-18).
What pieces of God’s armor do you need?
Prayer
Lord, thank You for the armor with which You provide me. Only with Your preparation for my soul can I stand against the devil’s schemes. Make me aware of when I put on a human mask to hide my weaknesses and help me quickly to replace those weaknesses with Your armor.
Journal: What human masks do you wear? In what area do you need to take a stand today? Read Ephesians 6:10-18. What are you struggling against today?