Not Equipped for the Cold

by Shani4jc

Many of us in the southern United States are currently experiencing an extremely unusual occurrence- an actual few days of winter. Temperatures where I live have been in the high teens to low twenties in the morning and not getting too much above freezing if it makes it above freezing at all. Now, to those in the north, I know we seem like a bunch of whiny babies, but give us a break. I know we start to bundle up if it gets below 60, but our bodies are accustomed to 90 degrees and up. Hot, humid days are the norm for us and they don’t bother us too much. But,  cold temperatures are an entirely different thing. We don’t know how to handle cold! We don’t have proper clothing for the cold. Most of us don’t even own a coat and wool is not a fabric of choice around these parts. In fact, when it snowed a few weeks ago (another totally bizarre event for us), I had to improvise and put socks on my grandson’s hands because we don’t have gloves. We are just not equipped for this weather, so when we say we are freezing to death, cut us some slack! We are fighting a battle we are not prepared to win! In much the same way, many of us are fighting battles in our every day lives that we are not equipped to fight. We go out to fight and don’t have the first bit of armor on. We go out blind with no battle plan whatsoever to follow. We are defeated before we even begin because we are unprepared for the enemy. We have to wise up and prepare for battle. We have to wear the right armor and follow the right battle plan or we will be defeated. Our enemy is stronger, smarter, and much more ruthless than we are. He knows exactly where to aim his arrows to destroy us. He knows how to taunt us and cripple us to the point where we are his for the taking. However, he is NOT stronger, smarter, or more prepared than our Heavenly Father. He may know our weaknesses and how to exploit them, but God know his weaknesses and how to exploit them. God has given us the battle plan in His Word and if we follow it, victory is ours for the taking. He has told us exactly what armor to wear for protection. If we put it on, we render Satan defeated. It’s only when we go out unequipped that Satan gets the upper hand. I wised up today and added some additional layers after freezing all day yesterday abd I wasn’t nearly as cold. May we all wise up in our other battles and put on the full armor of God abd stand ready to defeat our enemy.

”Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God...” Ephesians 6:14-17