What good is the Armor of God without a WARRIOR on the inside??

"Finally, be strong in the LORD and in His great power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can fight against the devil's evil tricks. Our fight is not against people on earth but against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world's darkness, against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world. That is why you need to put on God's full armor. Then on the day of evil you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing. So stand strong with the belt of Truth tied around your waist and the protection of Right Living on your chest. On you feet wear the Good News of Peace to help you stand strong. And also on use the shield of Faith with which you can stop all the burning arrows of the Evil One. Accept God's salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times with all kinds of prayers, asking for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready and never give up. Always pray for all God's people." -Ephesians 6:10-18

That's deep! Have you ever seen empty armor without a warrior inside fighting a battle? Not me! ...not even in a movie!  Yes, God has equipped us with all we need to be effective for Him but we must do our part! We have to be willing to practice self-discipline and resist the forces around us in order to be most effective!

How do we do this? Well, like any warrior preparing for battle, we have to be "fit" to fight. A warrior has to be physically in shape and in the same manner, we have to make sure we're in top shape by feeding ourselves with the Word of God, clothing ourselves in prayer, empowered by the Spirit, and constantly seeking Him.  

Yes, the battle is not ours, but the LORD's (2 Chronicles 20:15), but we have to be present, willing to let God use us in the battle.  

Jesus, help us to be fully clothed by the FULL armor of God so that we may overcome as you have overcome. Amen.