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Equipping ourselves

Ephesians 6:13 

“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” 

Recently I had a conversation with one of my friends. Before our interaction, I didn’t set any expectation other than simply just seeing how they were doing. To my surprise, my friend asked me a question: and what was just a simple question, felt like an opportunity for me to express my faith. If I had not already had a foundation of God’s word, it would have been a missed opportunity. We are all presented with opportunities, some we may not be aware of, others we may not feel comftable in expressing, but all of them we need to be equipped for.  

Our faith and belief are counter-cultural: it doesn’t agree with the views of today and goes against the perspectives and viewpoints of the society we live in.  As long as you claim to be a Christian, there will be people that disagree with what you believe in. This isn’t a bad thing, rather an opportunity to prepare ourselves. We are not called to win arguments; we are called to plant seeds into people’s hearts.  

As we can see from the verse, we are required to “put on the full armor of God”. This is not from a physical perspective but rather a spiritual one. Our spiritual weapons can only ever be found through God and his word. His word is never void and never changing. Equipping ourselves has a dual relationship: it’s an internal work for an outward execution. Allowing ourselves to be filled by God’s word, not only helps us but for the people around us.  

I wasn’t aware at the time that my friend needed to hear God’s word, however if not that I had a foundation on God’s word I wouldn’t have been able to “stand”. Having a foundation that is built on God’s word allows us to stay firm in uncomftable situations or conversations, as we allow the holy spirit to use us as vessels.  

It’s also important that in our preparation, we shouldn’t also limit God’s power to use us as we are. We can become theologically grounded but still have a closed heart. God will use what you know, as long as you let Him use you. 


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