letter from the editor
Guest editor @RACHELCOLLINS is the SPRING 2011 editorial intern for OC magazine. She is a Journalism major at EVANGEL UNIVERSITY. BLOgspot: lifeoutoflove. wordpress.com
Y
ou’re a medieval warrior, the battle is on and the enemy is upon you. Fully armored from head to toe, you are prepared—or, so you think. Charging forth as your opponent approaches, you reach for your sword and grab—a handful of air? Oh no, you forgot your sword (and there never seems to be a squire-turned-hero to pull the legendary Excalibur out of the stone around when you need one). Sure, your shield will deflect some of the enemy’s weapons, but without an offense—your sword—you have no way to inflict damage and reduce the numbers of those wielding those weapons against you. Before long, the enemy’s offense is too much against your sword-less state, and it’s all over—you’re defeated.
4 ONCOURSE MAGAZINE | oncourse.ag.org
Most Christians are familiar with the armor of God from what they may have learned in Sunday School, church or family conversations. But there is a deeper meaning of this armor. In life, trials come and go and may be a variety of shapes and sizes. The Bible says that we, as Christians, are in a constant battle (Ephesians 6:12). We need to know exactly what we are fighting for and against. We will not be effective in battle if we do not know what our weapons and shield are. God calls us to be heavenly minded, Kingdom focused and in line with His will and His kingdom. But what does that mean? It means focusing on things out of this world, not becoming consumed with the worries and troubles that may come
our way. We are fighting, partnering with Him for His will to be done on the Earth. The word armor is a description of the metal coverings formerly worn by soldiers or warriors to protect the body in battle. It derives from the Latin word “armatura” which means “to arm.” During the Roman Empire, the armor was a source of protection—defensive and offensive. Ephesians 6:14-17 urges us to be fully prepared as Christians by donning the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, the belt of truth, the helmet of salvation and the shoes of readiness. Ready to suit up? To get a deeper look into the purpose of each part of the full armor of God, read the extended version of this article at oncourse.ag.org.
MORE@ http://shrink-my-link.com/aiz