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Read Ephesians 6:10-24.
The gospel imagines strength in a different way than we do in politics, war or sports. The armor of God is not like the armor of a soldier. We do not wear battle armor as Christians. We wear the armor of grace.
As you read this passage, notice what the armor is made of. The writer does not point to a belt of bravery or a breastplate of domination, but a belt of what is true and a breastplate of doing what is right. These shoes are not for marching. The shoes make us ready to proclaim peace. God’s shield is not a shield of defensiveness or expertise, but of faith. We are not given a helmet of outrage and a sword of snappy comebacks, but a helmet of saving grace and a sword of the Word of God (which, we read in the first chapter of John, is also the name for Jesus). Sometimes the things we imagine will make us strong and keep us safe are not reliable, nor the things that make for peace.
This message is excerpted from the Bible study “Receiving grace: a study of Ephesians” by Heidi Haverkamp in the November/December 2024 Gather magazine.
Lovely grace to center ourselves during our troubled times.