Whether you're living an active life and enjoying the amenities of a senior living community or working out ways to stay in your existing home, you know the world isn't perfect. Seniors of faith are especially attuned to this truth. They've seen good and bad come and go through the years, and they have a peace and hope in things that aren't of this world.
But even with that hope, it's easy to get metaphorically beat up by the things happening around you in life. That's why it's so important to remember to put on the whole armor of God as you live out your days.
For older adults in need of a refresher, we've dug into the armor of God verses from Ephesians 6 to bring you a bit more than you might remember from the Sunday school lessons of your childhood.
The fact that Paul tells believers to suit up for the battle ahead can create misunderstandings. You might sport spiritual armor provided by God, but you're not the real warrior. Someone else already fought — and won — the battle, and that's important to remember.
Without considering Ephesians 6:10 before moving into the armor of God, it can be easy to put the burden of battling on the person. But Paul says, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power." The power is the Lord's, not yours.
The world is full of battles we do have to fight. You may need to advocate for yourself with health care providers, stand up to a bully in your congregation or even battle against your own desires of the flesh. These are all certainly things you can bring to God, but they're only symptoms of the battle that Paul is discussing in Ephesians 6.
Before Paul starts the armor of God inventory, he reminds his readers they're not fighting against each other or even against the human authorities who might be oppressing them. He says, "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." (Ephesians 6:12)
Once he identifies the battle and where the strength comes from, Paul begins listing the parts of the armor. While seniors of faith aren't arming up with actual chain mail — thank goodness, can you imagine trying to make your way across your independent living community in that? — Paul's metaphor can be helpful. By thinking of the armor of God in this way and associating each piece with a faith strength or tool from God, you can better remember how to gear up to face each day spiritually.
A belt is worn snugly around a person to hold up or hold in place the rest of an outfit. In the same way, the truth of the Gospel can be wrapped around a person, girding everything else they know.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said to his followers that unless their righteousness exceeded that of the scribes and Pharisees, they'd never see the kingdom of Heaven. He was telling them that no matter how they tried and how they scrambled to live according to the law, they would fall short. Instead, they were to submit to him so his righteousness could be their own. This is what the breastplate is about.
Remember toward the end of the Gospel of Matthew when Jesus told his disciples to go into all nations, disciplining them and baptizing them? You can bet those disciples strapped on the metaphorical shoes that came with the readiness given by the Gospel. Today, seniors of faith can strap on those same shoes and be prepared to demonstrate our faith in all that we do.
Your faith in God through Christ is the shield that stands between you and the arrows of God's enemy. Luckily, Paul reminds believers in Romans that nothing — not death, demons or anything happening now or coming in the future — can separate them from Christ.
The penultimate piece of armor in your weapons chest from God is the helmet of salvation. By taking this up daily, you remember the sacrifice Christ made for you and that you've been saved through grace. The metaphorical helmet helps you guard against the thoughts and insinuations in the world that anything else could be true.
Finally, Paul offers the sword of the Spirit. It's no well-honed metal blade. It's the Word of God, which you can use as a map and guide or as a tool to cut through the darkness of the world around you.
After taking up all these tools, what should you do? You might feel like you're supposed to rush into battle — to slay giants or lead revivals. And some may be called to such purposes. But Paul gives a next step that's important for everyone.
As a senior of faith, you can wake up every morning and consider the armor of God. And then you can pray — for yourself and others — and leave the rest to God.
