The Full Armor of God

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish 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. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Ephesians 6:10-18

This past week I have been very aware of spiritual warfare. I think one of Satan's favorite targets to attack is a junior high outreach summer camp, staff and campers alike. What I realized this morning is that despite being aware of the battle, I haven't been nearly as active as I could be. I've been mentally providing a running commentary of what I see around me, rather than running for my sword and armor and diving headfirst into the fight.

By nature, I'm not a warrior. Granted, there are certain topics that will rile me some, and people I'm rather protective of and will fight for, but in the grand scheme of things, I'm more likely to be the one dispensing band aids and lollipops than the one stalking the fort in the grass at 3am in camo and greasepaint.

I think it's time for that to change, at least spiritually. (No, I don't plan on joining the army any time soon... I'll leave that to my brother) My belt of truth and shield of faith need some maintenance, and there's gaps and chinks in them. Fears, insecurities, distrust, a selfish one-sided point of view all slip through those chinks and paralyze me because I don't have well maintained armor. In the past, they probably would have kept me down for days, hindered relationships, and isolated me from everyone around me. The most recent round, while difficult, at least made me aware of what is going on. Rather than curl up inside myself and throw a pity party because I hurt, this time, I prayed... and kept praying. A battle that normally would have lasted days, took place in an intense 30 hour period. And now I know whawt to watch for. It's time for me to sit down and do some major spiritual maintenance.

For starters, there is truth. When the father of lies tells me that I'm not someone people want to be around, those same people are telling me they do. When that voice whispers in my mind that I'm all alone in the world, I look at my housemates, and know that alone is the last thing I am. When I hear "You'll never measure up," I look at the stories of the bible, and know that some of the biggest screwups of all time were some of the people closest to God's heart, and were not only forgiven, but treasured by Him.

Then there is faith. Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 I am certain that I am going to heaven. I am a princess of the kingdom of God, adopted into his family, and that is irrevocable. What happens in this life, is subject to change without notice, but the beauty of this story is that I know how the last chapter ends. I need to keep my eyes on that final page in mind, and not get wrapped up in the relatively minor details of what happens on page 20 of chapter 26.

The core of both of truth and faith is the Word of God. I've been diving deeper into the Word more and more each day, and need to continue to do so. My bible reading habits have always been sporadic, with periods of intense concentration, and periods of absolutely nothing. The Word is truth, and I gain confidence in who I am as a child of God, his workmanship when I steep myself in that truth. Faith grows out of truth and trust, so all three go hand in hand.

My conclusion.... Love your Bible, never leave home without it, even when you can't physically take the actual book with you. When you memorize scripture, it's always with you, and you can draw upon it all the time, any time. Knowing what God says is the first step towards a truely spectacular set of armor.

Duct Tape Goes To Camp

Top 10 ways to use Duct Tape at a Young Life Camp.

1. Create a leash for your keys. Take a long strip of duct tape, run it through your key ring, then through your belt loop. You'll always know where they are!

2. Show off your accomplishments on your favorite golf cart WWII Memphis Belle style. Cut light bulbs, toilet plungers and mop buckets out of duct tape and apply to the sides of the cart. Add the YL bug logo to the front while you're at it. Everyone will know exactly how sweet your skills are.

3. Duct tape rags to your hands and wash windows ultra quickly!

4. Use duct tape to hold drop cloths in place while painting buildings. Better yet, skip the painting, and apply duct tape to the surfaces that need paint. It's easy to touch up later... just apply more tape!

5. Help campers who bought stuff at the store pack quickly. Throw everything into the suitcase and duct tape shut.

6. Create awards for the staff and families who volunteer at work week out of duct tape rolls and various construction supplies (paint brushes, toilet paper rolls, etc.) Let everyone who lends a hand at camp know they matter!

7. Use duct tape to repair all the slightly broken items that are discarded to the intern house. A few more layers of of tape, and that lamp will have lots of life in it again!

8. Create adjustable air filters. Stretch strips of tape across the air intake for the air conditioner, sticky side out. The sticky side will catch the dirt, and it's cheap to replace!

9. Make sure every team of campers can identify their stuff. Use duct tape on large sheets to make informational and directional signs. No one will ever be lost by accident again!

10. Help the kitchen servers keep their trays balanced. Tape the trays to each server's hands and shoulder. Go ahead and tape the serving dishes to the tray while you're at it.

So please... mail your favorite Work Crew, Summer Staff or Property Intern a roll of duct tape! (electrical tape will work too in a pinch... colored tape is even better!) :-D