About three weeks ago, I was riding my motorcycle with a good friend when I had a wreck. Needless to say, motorcycle wrecks can be very serious and people can be badly hurt or killed in them. I was very fortunate to only have some road rash. Really, the only thing REALLY hurt was my pride, because once everyone finds out you are okay, they make fun of you mercilessly. And that has certainly happened.
However, I'm okay only because of one thing. I was wearing protective gear. I had on a closed helmet with face shield, padded jacket, padded pants, gloves, and riding boots. Had I not had the gear on, I would be hurt very badly. Maybe even worse.
Here is a picture of my helmet:
Had I not had the helmet on, well, let's just say my face would look a lot different. There is a well-known saying when you ride motorcycles, "Dress for the slide, not for the ride." In other words, be prepared. When you ride, sooner or later, the slide may happen. Be prepared for it.
Because I was wearing my protective gear, I'm okay. I got some road rash on my right forearm and on my right hand. Quite honestly, I've had worse from skateboarding when I was a kid, and far worse from playing soccer over the years.
But back to the helmet. God showed me something with this picture. One of the most famous passages in the Bible is Ephesians 6:11-17 talking about the "armor of God."
"Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Ephesians 6:11-17
God tells us to put on His armor, because we can get very hurt without it. I would hate to imagine what my body would look like had I not had on the motorcycle armor. However, what do our souls look like when we aren't wearing God's armor?
I would imagine many of our souls are very wounded. Maybe even broken. Not because of the attacks, because everyone is attacked. Everyone is tempted. Everyone has terrible things happen to them. Everyone "wrecks" from time to time spiritually. We sin. We fall short. We mess up. We do things that we know better than. Satan attacks our families, our lives, our professions. He gets at us through our kids, our loved ones, our friends.
The difference isn't in the attack. The difference is in the armor you wear. Are you prepared for the attacks? Is your head protected with the helmet of salvation- knowing that you are saved and that no one can snatch you out of God's hand? Is your heart protected with the breastplate of righteousness? Do you carry your faith like a shield, using it to counter discouragement and depression and indecisiveness and lukewarmness?
Or are you, like so many, open to every attack? I see people riding motorcycles in t-shirts and flip-flops, sometimes at speeds of more than 70 mph. Those are known as "SQUIDS"- Super-Quick, Underdressed, Imminently Dead." They are also known as organ donors. Is that you spiritually? Are you a Christian SQUID? Are you a Christian organ donor? Possibly so. Many of us are. And we are one temptation, one attack, one setback away from being devastated spiritually.
Probably the greatest spiritual attack happened in 2004 when my son died. That just about did me in. That was a motorcycle wreck spiritually. However, my wife and I both had on our armor. We had a knowledge of the truth of our salvation, that our son would be in heaven, and that this earth is temporary. We had faith like a shield that warded off depression and discouragement and anger. We had our hearts protected by the knowledge that we had done the right things and taken the right actions. Therefore we were able to stand. We were able to come out on the other side stronger.
Attacks will happen. "Wrecks" will happen. It's a guarantee. The only question is- will you absorb the attack or will your armor?
All I know is that my head was protected by my motorcycle helmet. It did its job. My torso was protected by the padded jacket. My knees and legs were protected by the padded pants. They did their job well. So does God's armor. God's armor is extremely effective in protecting you from attacks. The question is, are you wearing it?
Because of my motorcycle armor, I am physically okay. Because of God's armor, I am spiritually okay. And just remember- spiritual attacks are far more vicious than any motorcycle wreck ever would be. The body is temporary, but the soul is forever.
As I looked at my scarred up motorcycle helmet, I wonder if one day I will be able to see what my God armor looks like. I think I will be amazed at how dented, scarred, beat-up, and broken it truly is. As I think of what it looks like, I shudder to think that if I didn't have it on, what my soul would look like. Just another reason I am thankful to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Not only did He take my sins, He takes the attacks. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
"Above all, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 4:23
However, I'm okay only because of one thing. I was wearing protective gear. I had on a closed helmet with face shield, padded jacket, padded pants, gloves, and riding boots. Had I not had the gear on, I would be hurt very badly. Maybe even worse.
Here is a picture of my helmet:
Because I was wearing my protective gear, I'm okay. I got some road rash on my right forearm and on my right hand. Quite honestly, I've had worse from skateboarding when I was a kid, and far worse from playing soccer over the years.
But back to the helmet. God showed me something with this picture. One of the most famous passages in the Bible is Ephesians 6:11-17 talking about the "armor of God."
"Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Ephesians 6:11-17
God tells us to put on His armor, because we can get very hurt without it. I would hate to imagine what my body would look like had I not had on the motorcycle armor. However, what do our souls look like when we aren't wearing God's armor?
I would imagine many of our souls are very wounded. Maybe even broken. Not because of the attacks, because everyone is attacked. Everyone is tempted. Everyone has terrible things happen to them. Everyone "wrecks" from time to time spiritually. We sin. We fall short. We mess up. We do things that we know better than. Satan attacks our families, our lives, our professions. He gets at us through our kids, our loved ones, our friends.
The difference isn't in the attack. The difference is in the armor you wear. Are you prepared for the attacks? Is your head protected with the helmet of salvation- knowing that you are saved and that no one can snatch you out of God's hand? Is your heart protected with the breastplate of righteousness? Do you carry your faith like a shield, using it to counter discouragement and depression and indecisiveness and lukewarmness?
Or are you, like so many, open to every attack? I see people riding motorcycles in t-shirts and flip-flops, sometimes at speeds of more than 70 mph. Those are known as "SQUIDS"- Super-Quick, Underdressed, Imminently Dead." They are also known as organ donors. Is that you spiritually? Are you a Christian SQUID? Are you a Christian organ donor? Possibly so. Many of us are. And we are one temptation, one attack, one setback away from being devastated spiritually.
Probably the greatest spiritual attack happened in 2004 when my son died. That just about did me in. That was a motorcycle wreck spiritually. However, my wife and I both had on our armor. We had a knowledge of the truth of our salvation, that our son would be in heaven, and that this earth is temporary. We had faith like a shield that warded off depression and discouragement and anger. We had our hearts protected by the knowledge that we had done the right things and taken the right actions. Therefore we were able to stand. We were able to come out on the other side stronger.
Attacks will happen. "Wrecks" will happen. It's a guarantee. The only question is- will you absorb the attack or will your armor?
All I know is that my head was protected by my motorcycle helmet. It did its job. My torso was protected by the padded jacket. My knees and legs were protected by the padded pants. They did their job well. So does God's armor. God's armor is extremely effective in protecting you from attacks. The question is, are you wearing it?
Because of my motorcycle armor, I am physically okay. Because of God's armor, I am spiritually okay. And just remember- spiritual attacks are far more vicious than any motorcycle wreck ever would be. The body is temporary, but the soul is forever.
As I looked at my scarred up motorcycle helmet, I wonder if one day I will be able to see what my God armor looks like. I think I will be amazed at how dented, scarred, beat-up, and broken it truly is. As I think of what it looks like, I shudder to think that if I didn't have it on, what my soul would look like. Just another reason I am thankful to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Not only did He take my sins, He takes the attacks. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
"Above all, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 4:23
