Put on ALL the armor

“Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” Ephesians 5:11 NLT

In an article posted by Runner's World on February 16 titled, "To Prevent Pain as You Age, Give Your Exercise Sessions a Boost," a new study in the journal PLOS ONE suggested that, contrary to what most people believe, exercising more intensely for longer durations of time is actually the best way to ward off the type of bone, joint, and muscle pain that often comes with aging. Researchers looked at just over 5,800 people over age 50 who were part of a large, long-term study on aging in England. Only high levels of physical activity were shown to be protective against musculoskeletal pain compared to a sedentary lifestyle, according to lead author Nils Georg Niederstrasser, Ph.D., senior lecturer in the department of psychology at University of Portsmouth in the U.K. “Of course any activity helps people stay well and feel better if you’re comparing that not exercising at all. But when it comes to development of chronic pain, mild exercise doesn’t appear to have a long-term effect,” said Niederstrasser. “Not only does activity need to be vigorous, but you need to do it at least once a week.” “Physical activity can improve bone mass and muscle function, as well as reduce stress and improve mood,” he added. “Many older people reduce exercise because they think it will lead to more pain, but the opposite is true. It’s a preventative strategy.”

And you know, when it comes to preventative strategies to ward off pain and suffering in our spiritual lives, there could be no better plan of action that you and I could ever take than to “put on all of God’s armor so that we “will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” Did you get that all part? We need to apply all the armor so that we can defend ourselves against all the ways the devil will come at us. And believe me, he is relentless, cunning, and extremely deceptive in his attacks. So relentless and cunning in fact that Peter warned us in 1 Peter 5:8 to be sober-minded and watchful because our adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

So knowing that the best way to protect yourself against the schemes of the devil (and you can be sure he’s always scheming to harm us) take preventative measures every day by reading the Word (which is the belt of Truth) so that you will know the Word and be able to put on the full armor of God. It will not only keep you from experiencing the pain of being attacked while being unarmed but will greatly reduce your stress and improve your mood considerably. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that wearing the full armor of God is more than a suggestion. It's a command for every good soldier who wants to win the war against our adversary the devil. Help us to understand how important it is to know the Word so that we will never be caught unarmed. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!!!