Put on all the protection that God gives you so that you can fight, not against other people, but against the prince of darkness. Put on the belt of truth, not just the truth that makes you feel good, but all of it, because anything that is truly true must come from Him. And when you are armed with the truth, it protects your sensitive places. Put on the breastplate of God’s justice, the justice that is righting the wrongs in our world, fixing the broken, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and looking at the underlying issues that need to be corrected. This armor is only useful when facing the enemy, but you don’t have to run from the father of lies because you have the truth. Put on the shoes of readiness and look up, because when you don’t have to worry about what’s around your feet, you are ready to give an answer for the hope that you have. I’m not talking about a rude, sarcastic, or even combative answer, I’m talking about a truthful, kind, compassionate and respectful answer that makes people think well of Him. Take up the shield of faith, and don’t forget to stand together. This one works decently alone, but when combined with & relying upon the faith of others, it becomes and impenetrable wall. This is not a wall to filter out other people, but to fend off the evil one, and to protect those who’s shields may have failed. Put on the helmet of His redemption that marks you as one of his own, and take up the sword of the spirit. It is alive and active. It does the work. It’s so sharp that it divides the soul and the spirit, marrow and bones, it even judges the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. Don’t think the power lies with you as the one wielding, but only He can bring justice because only He is just. Above all, communicate with Him, because only He is capable of doing anything of any good.
—Ephesians 6:10-18 (The Dri Paraphrase, round two because the first one wouldn’t post and then disappeared into cyberspace. The first one was probably better. Oh well.)