Today is Halloween.  Tonight, a parade of characters will ring my doorbell with some sort of collection device waiting for their treat.  I will admit, since my kids have gotten older, this holiday is not really as important to me.  I do, however, enjoy seeing the  different costumes and happy, expectant faces as I hand out candy.

Even though Halloween has long since lost it’s magic for me, I can remember the excitement of putting on a costume and stepping out into the world.  A Princess…. A Super Hero…. An animal….the possibilities are endless.  Halloween is the one night every year we all get to be something that we are not.  We get to hide behind masks, wear a costume over our clothes and maybe even get to carry a sword or other accessory to complete the ensemble.

It occurred to me today that dressing up does not (should not, in fact) happen only one night a year.  I realized that I actually put on a costume EVERY SINGLE DAY!  This “costume” allows ME be something that I am not.  It does not just allow me to PRETEND I have more power and strength, it GIVES me power, strength and even PEACE!  Believe it or not, in a way, you can even SEE the costume that I wear.

Ephesians 6:10-18

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  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.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”

I felt this armor in a very real way not too long ago.  I was unpacking from another long hospital stay with my daughter.  I got her settled in her room, unpacked all the bags, started laundry, got the house back in order after my absence and then went to take a shower to wash the hospital off of me.  While I was standing in the shower, suddenly I felt myself just fall apart.  I let the reality of the last several days wash over me and the armor dropped to the ground, almost taking me with it.   The long sleepless nights,  watching my daughter suffer, making polite conversation with nurses and doctors while I was feeling less than cordial at times, and the feeling of being a prisoner to our circumstances…..it was all TOO much!  The weight was more than I could bear at that moment and I felt like my body wanted to just sit down.  This season has felt like an actual battle and has left me battered and tired.  You see, this is who I really am when I am not wearing the armor of God.

I let myself have a good cry.  Then I stood and suited up again.

I buckled the belt of truth around my waist – I am not alone.  I do not have to do this in my own power.  There are MANY times when I do not feel strong enough to get up and face the things my day is going to throw at me.  The TRUTH is that I do not have to be.

I slipped on the breastplate of righteousness – A breastplate protects the most important parts of your body, like your heart.  My heart has felt very under fire in the battles we have been walking through.  It is hard to live a totally righteous life when flaming arrows are coming your way.  There will be times I am going to mess up.  This breastplate helps protect my heart from the enemy’s attack and helps me live out my faith.

My feet were fitted with readiness that comes from the gospel of PEACE – Peace can be found even while there is a war waging around us.  Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”  I make a point of looking beyond the battle and straight at Jesus.  This gives my heart the peace and confidence I need to keep fighting.

I picked up my shield of faith – I am not sure how people get through this life without faith.  My faith in God and what I know about his character (he is good, he is trustworthy, he IS working all things together for my good) is the ONLY thing that gets me through each day.  I may not be able to see how this war ends or how many more battles we have left to fight before it is over BUT I do know the one who is fighting for me.  I will hold that knowledge up against each and every arrow that comes my way.

I placed the helmet of salvation back on my head – Helmets protect our head and mind.  The enemy LOVES to attack our thought life.  If you are saved, then you have the ability to take all thoughts captive to Christ.  Focus your mind on the saving grace of Jesus and you will win the war over your mind.

Finally, I picked up the sword of the spirit – The rest of the armor is about protection or defense.   The sword (the word of God) is about OFFENSE!!!  It is the best weapon!  “For the word of God is alive and active.  Sharper than any double edged sword…” Hebrews 4:12.  Are you battling fear, there is a verse for that.  Are you looking for hope, there is a verse for that.  God’s word has slayed more giants in my life than any other weapon I have tried.  USE IT!

You may not see the helmet that I am wearing as I check out at the grocery store, my breastplate my not be visible under this winter coat that I am wearing today and my shoes look quite normal for my outfit BUT if you see me walking around today with a smile on my face handing all that life throws at me, then you really are seeing the armor of God.   Without the armor I might still be in bed hiding from the world.

So, tonight, dress up like a pirate, super hero, an angel or even Patrick Mahomes (sorry, I had to) but tomorrow……  Tomorrow put on a costume that will actually give you power, strength and Peace.