To prepare myself for the battle ahead, by faith I put on the 

So Lord, I go now rejoicing that You have chosen me to represent You to this lost and dying world. May others see Jesus in me, and may Satan and his hosts shudder as Your power is made manifest in me. 

In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.

Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in his letter to the Ephesian church (and ergo, to us), teaches us to "armor-up" for this spiritual warfare with the spiritual armor God provides ONLY to His faithful (stay with me here).  In  Ephesians 6:10-12, he reminds us that our struggles with sin and with those people who hate the living God (and yes, who hate us for serving Him in law enforcement) are not battles against flesh and blood but against the Evil One (Satan) himself. Before we knew Christ as Lord and Savior, we were "of Adam" and enslaved to the powers of sin and death. Now having been reconciled to God through Jesus, we no longer have the devil as our captain but now serve in the army of the Lord of Hosts (see  Romans 5:12-21). Still, the influence of sin does not disappear at all at once, for the world, the flesh, and the Devil strive to make us forget whose side we are on as servants of the cross ( 1 Peter 5:8-9).

The only effective way to keep us from going against the way of Jesus and acting as traitors to His cause is to continually put on the uniform (armor) that identifies us as His servant-warriors ( Ephesians 6:13-17). Paul uses the analogy of a 1st Century soldier's (the federal "cops" of that time) armor to describe the armor of faith. While we can and should draw powerful application from each particular piece of armor that has a specific spiritual characteristic (and the fact that each piece of armor is an integral part for the functionality of the whole uniform), it is more important to see that the roots of what God has for us through Paul go back to the Old Testament. In   Isaiah 59:15-17, the prophet speaks of God wearing the same kind of armor He wants us to wear in battle against Satan. Putting on our spiritual armor simply means that we continually clothe ourselves in the Lord, relying on His power, gifts and grace to resist temptation and to enable us to risk even our own well-being (including even our lives) for the sake of the His kingdom.  Does that not sound like what we do in law enforcement or in combat?

Continual prayer in the Spirit, both for ourselves, our families, partners and the public we serve and protect is the means by which we wear this armor ( Ephesians 6:18-20). Understand also that praying in the Spirit is not a mystical experience but rather an alertness/quickness to pray because, knowing the Holy Spirit intercedes with and for us as we pray, we recognize the power in acknowledging our dependence on God ( Romans 8:26-27).

Finally (and I love how Paul uses the word " finally" in verse 10), it is absolutely crucial that we understand the audience Paul is speaking to here: other Christians (believers). Folks, unless we are first born again in Christ -- a "Christian" as God alone can define it -- we are ultimately utterly powerless against a very determined enemy.  In short,  unless we are living under the power of the Holy Spirit that indwells every true believer, we have NO armor to protect us and no power with which we can effectively stand against the devil!  So do you have that?  Are you in fact born again "in Christ" and are thus able to daily " put on" (v. 11) the WHOLE armor of God (and with the understanding that we are never told to take it off) and wield the sword (God's Word) against a most vile, powerful and determined enemy?  Are you sure?

(1) J esus' first recorded words in His earthly ministry were and remain: " Repent and believe in the Good News " ( Mark 1:15 ).  To repent  is a "180" -- a complete, radical change of mind and heart as it relates our sin. To believe  as He intends it here is to cry out to God for your salvation and wholeheartedly  surrender in faith to Christ in the same way we have "faith" that our body armor will do its job against the rounds it is intended to stop, that our weapons will function properly in when facing an enemy intent on destroying us (or those we love, serve and protect), or that a soldier's parachute will open when it is supposed to (we stake our very lives on it)!  And the "Good News" that Jesus refers to here? It is of course His gospel and plan of salvation.

(2) This same concept of " believe " (the saving kind) is further revealed in John 3:1-21  where Jesus says, "... you must be born again. " Note our Lord's emphasis on the word " must " (not "may" or "should"): this is ultimately the life-saving/life-changing  personal relationship (and NOT "religion") with Jesus Christ that I stress here every week (see What does it mean to be a born again Christian ?). 

Then, with this in place, open to heart and embrace,  How can I be saved? 

Still in doubt?  Check out this powerful, short video message by my friend, fellow officer and noted trainer, Travis Yates:  Cops and Salvation.