Get Ready (Daily Refresh, You Version, 10-25-25)

Would a doctor begin an operation without surgical gear? Would a firefighter run into a burning building without a protective suit? Would a soldier head into a battle without armor?

With the exclusion of extreme situations, of course they wouldn’t.

In fact, not only do they spend years preparing for such moments, but they also learn to protect themselves from harm. If they aren’t prepared, they cannot do their job. 

Writing to the believers in Ephesus from a Roman prison, the apostle Paul said:

“Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:11‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬

Every day, we face battles that we can’t fully see. And if we’re not prepared, we cannot do our job of loving God and people well. 

God’s armor is readily available, but we must make the intentional decision to dress ourselves for battle. 

When we intentionally dress ourselves in the armor of God, we can be ready for the attacks that will inevitably come our way.

My Thoughts

One of my favorite things about being retired is that I can wear my pajamas every day when I don’t have an appointment to go to. The comfort and coziness of being in my favorite attire makes me content and able to move around more freely without the restriction of sometimes uncomfortable and weighty clothing.

But whether I stay at home in pj’s or venture out in my regular clothes, I always prepare myself for each new day by putting on my armor of God. I always start each day with a devotional and Bible reading, my quiet time to talk to the Lord and to listen to what He has to say to me. He is the One preparing me for whatever circumstances I will face that day, so spending time with Him is not an extra thing I do, it’s a must that I feel lost without doing it. Satan is always ready to attack, especially when we least expect it. So, isn’t it best to be prepared? I don’t fight fires as my fire chief brother does, so I don’t need to don his gear. But I do face the enemy of my soul daily who tries to tempt me to do things that are not pleasing to God and that might hurt other people. With my armor on, I can recognize the attack for what it is, fight back with God’s Word and continue on with my day. The attack may only last a minute, but it is important that I win the small battles so that I will be ready for the larger ones that Satan will use to try to defeat me.

Each of us who calls ourselves a Christian is a friend of God. That fact makes us automatically an enemy of Satan. God has given us exactly what we need to defeat him each time he shows up to thwart us in our daily journey with the Lord. But we have a part to play that is vital. We have to prepare ourselves daily, knowing that the lion roams about and that we don’t want to be his next snack. Thus we get ready with God’s armor, every day. And we don’t go to battle until God’s presence is clearly with us. He will show us what to do and tell us what to say, if we just listen and have our armor on, ready to take on the enemy and be victorious. The battle belongs to the Lord, He is and will be victorious, but we cannot sit around in loungewear and wait for God to do everything for us. He could, but He told us to put on the armor. So, let’s obey and get ready for the day!