Body armour

Ephesians 6:10-20      Body Armour                 

The Whole Armour of God

          Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our^* struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these,^* take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,^* for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak. 

        Have you ever noticed the number of people that wears crosses around their necks?  I will confess to having quite a collection myself, almost like jewelry. To some it's a statement, to others like a protecting salve, to others an opportunity to show some bling. Do you see how large some of those crosses are?

         It's interesting if only because originally the cross was a sign of torture, a sign of shame and punishment. My how the Christians turned the tables on that one. Now it is a sign of victory, a sign of love, a sign of new life and a blessing.
        
          I think of the cross as choice (e) all of the above. When we think about what to wear as our armour for the battle of our souls against what we are tempted with, against what evil that lurks in the world, a cross is an ideal reminder to us of what is important. It's a reminder of how much God loves us. God was willing to hand his son over to die a miserable death for us. Jesus was willing to endure excruciating pain and die for each and every one of us.  The cross really becomes quite a powerful symbol, eh? If you were the only person on the planet, Jesus still would have died for you.

           I don't think a cross should be worn as a badge that we are better or that only we are the  saved because that's just not true. I would wear a cross as my reminder to myself, my body armour.