Suit Up Devotional - Week 1 - Outfit

Outfit
Derara Hurisa won the 2021 Vienna City Marathon. After battling for 26.2 miles, the Ethiopian squeezed out a narrow victory, beating the second place finisher by three seconds in a sprint finish. All the joy and exhilaration from winning the race and seeing the fruit of all of Hurisa’s hard work was short lived though. Hurisa was disqualified shortly after the race ended. The shoes Hurisa wore during the race violated the rules of the race. After all the hard work and energy Hurisa put into the race, his biggest downfall was the fact that he was not outfited properly.
We have an opponent.
In Ephesians 6:10-11, we read that in order to stand the schemes of our opponent, the devil, we need to put on the whole armor of God. We need to be outfitted with the proper attire if we want to emerge victorious against the schemes of the enemy. There are many different outfits we can try to withstand the attack of the devil. It may appear as though some of these outfits will provide us with victory, but in the end it is only the armor of God that will stand the test of time. For those who have put their faith in Jesus, we are to do as Paul writes and put on the armor of God. Part of the role of a parent is to outfit your child in the armor of God, until they can do so for themselves. In order to aim our kids at the target, we need to outfit them as best we can. It would be difficult to run a long hard race only for our kids to discover they have been equipped with the wrong outfit. The best outfit we have to stand against the schemes of the devil is the armor of God.

Suit Up Memory Verse
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
-Ephesians 6:10-11

Family Activity
Pick a room for a battlefield in your home. Make pillow forts, tents, anything that you and your child come up with. Divide in two teams (parents versus kids, girls against boys, whatever works best for your family). For the battle you can get marshmallows, nerf guns, water guns (this can be an outside battle), you can use paper that is balled up, socks, anything you already have. Do not feel like you have to go buy anything. As you are playing, talk about being in the Lord’s army. This will be a good reminder for you and for your family that there is a spiritual battle. Talk about weapons found in Ephesians 6:10-18.
As a parent, grandparent, caretaker, your child is watching you fight this battle. When they are little you are their protector and as they grow you are showing them how to wear, and use their armor; Guide them, protect them, and equip them to fight.