I am a Marvel fan. Iron Man is one of my favorites. He’s not a superhuman. He’s a human with this bulletproof armor that protects himself and others. He uses his armor for good. I work hard at self protection. You could say I’m armored up.
I use my armor for good, too. My armor is used to keep people I don’t trust from getting too close. It’s fantastic at defense. No one gets close. Words can’t hurt me. Villains can’t get to me. If necessary, I have weapons but usually I retreat from the threat. My armor is strong and was firmly in place.
I discovered a problem with being armored up. I had the wrong type of armor. I had spent decades perfecting my armor, collecting all kinds of accessories. I pretended that it was keeping me safe. It was keeping bad people away. The problem was it also kept out the good people, the people I love. It prevented me from truly getting close to others. It was a rare person that I would let the armor down for and actually be vulnerable.
13-18 Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out. (Ephesians 6:13-18 MSG)
It was during therapy work that I realized how much armor I had accumulated over the years. I realized I was spending an exceptional amount of time trying to keep the bad out. I was missing out on so much good, so much joy. It was time to put down that armor.
We do need to be armored up. It is a very different kind of armor. I don’t need Iron Man. I need truth, righteousness, peace, faith and salvation. I need prayer. This is my true protection. It feels scarier at first but once I started to apply it, I genuinely felt safer.
Are you armored up? What does your armor look like? Is it built out of peace and truth? What would happen if you took on new armor? Share your experience here and breathe life and bring hope to others.