Armed & Equipped

"From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other..."  (Nehemiah 4:16-17)

This passage of Scripture was shared as a devotional thought in a leadership meeting I attended last week with the reminder to defend ourselves against the enemy while doing the work of God.  As leaders of the church engaged in Christ's mission to establish His kingdom on earth we encounter all the forces of darkness that are working in opposition to kingdom values.  While the war has already been won through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, we continue to battle "against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" as we live between the times until the consummation of the kingdom of God when Jesus comes again.

To live victoriously and work successfully between the times it is essential to be well armed with the Word of God and well equipped to fulfil the work of God.  

To be well armed means to "put on the full armour of God" and to "pray in the Spirit on all occasions" (Ephesians 6:10-18).  To be well equipped means to "continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of...so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:10-17).

God has equipped us with every resource we need to fulfil His purpose and has given us His Spirit to empower us to complete His mission.  We are indeed well armed and well equipped to successfully live and work as the people of God!