“Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places. Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to successfully resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious]. So stand firm and hold your ground, having tightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (an upright heart), and having strapped on your feet the Gospel of peace in preparation [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news]. Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” Ephesians 6:11-17 AMP

One of the things I grew to appreciate about being in the military was the simplicity of it all. What it boiled down to was learning how to follow instructions. We were told where to be, when to be there, and what to be wearing upon arrival (including what items were required to be in your pockets and in which pockets each item should be placed). For me, it freed up my mind so I could focus on the job or task at hand because I wasn’t bogged down with trying to anticipate all of those details myself.

One instruction in particular we learned was what it meant to arrive dressed in “full battle rattle” and be ready to rock and roll. For our unit, “full battle rattle” meant having on all of your protective gear (helmet, flack jackets, eye protection, weapons, additional loaded magazines, etc.). When you’re loaded down to the gills with all of the various bits and pieces of required battle equipment, there tends to be a distinctive rattling sound when you walk…this sound became known long ago as “battle rattle” and thus the definition of being fully dressed for battle.

What I love about the scripture above is the fact that we have been given a spiritual description of what it means to be in full “spiritual” battle rattle. Just as soldiers in the military are loaded down with training, protective gear, fire power, and a chain of command, soldiers in God’s army are loaded down with the same things, only in a different way. God gives us all the keys to being ready for whatever battles come our way: choosing personal integrity, moral courage, an upright heart, and using the Gospel of peace to give ourselves firm-footed stability; using the shield of faith to extinguish the flaming arrows of the adversary, along with the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

Imagine a person running across an open battlefield in nothing but flip-flops, shorts, and a t-shirt. Bullets whizzing by them from all directions, bombs exploding all around, and every step they take risks locating a landmine. It’s pretty easy to determine that their chances of making it across that open field unharmed are less than slim to none. That is why they are given every manner of protection and self-defense imaginable BEFORE they start across. God offers the same protection and self-defense to all of His children. Just like the military, you have to choose to join up…choose a side, so to speak, in order to gain all the gifts of protection available. God needs the same commitment from us. How blessed we are that there is a lot less red-tape involved in choosing God than there is in joining the military!

We have the opportunity to renew our relationship and commitment to our Father in Heaven every single minute of the day and night. And no matter how many times we mess up or forget to follow His instructions on where to be and how to dress our spirits, He will NEVER withhold the spiritual battle rattle He’s offered to us so willingly and with so much love. However, He will never force us to take advantage of it, either. We must always choose to use what we’ve been given, day after day, hour after hour, minute after minute. So before you step out of bed or out of your home today, ask yourself if you’re in full battle rattle, because as sure as the sun will rise, the enemy will be waiting to send a barrage of attacks your way. If you’re not dressed in your spiritual battle rattle, take a moment and do whatever you need to do to put it on!