Di Armour of God

Di sound of chain. One soldier shift for im stool, im sword dey im side, im shield lean for wall. And di prisoner wey e dey guard dey look am very carefully, one piece after another.

Paul na prisoner, most likely for Rome, and soldiers dey guard am as e dey wait make im case reach di emperor. Day and night, one Roman soldier dey with am. Paul don dey write to di believers for Ephesus about God great plan, about di church as one family, about how husbands and wives, parents and children, masters and slaves suppose treat each other. Now e don reach di end of im letter. And e want make dem know say to follow Jesus na real struggle. So e reach for one picture wey dey right in front of im eyes.

Finally, my brothers, make una strong inside di Lord, and inside di power of im might. No be for una own strength, Paul talk, but for im own. Make una wear di whole armour of God, so dat una fit stand against di tricks of di devil. Di tricks na di cunning plans of di enemy. And Paul talk clear who di real enemy be. We no dey wrestle against flesh and blood, e talk, no be against other people. Our struggle na against di rulers and powers of darkness, against spiritual forces of evil. So wear all di armour of God, so dat when di evil day come, you go fit stand your ground. And after you don do everything, stand.

Then Paul go through di armour, piece by piece, like person wey dey dress soldier. Stand firm, with di belt of truth tie round your waist. Wear di breastplate of righteousness, to guard your heart. For your feet, wear di readiness wey dey come from di good news of peace, so dat you go ready to go anywhere. Above everything, carry di shield of faith, wey you go take quench all di arrows of fire wey di wicked one dey shoot. Arrows wey dey burn, wey trust for God dey quench. Take di helmet of salvation to protect your head. And di sword of di Spirit, wey be di word of God. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, God word. All of dem na God armour, wey e give us.

But Paul never finish. Soldier no dey fight alone. So e add one more thing, maybe di most important of all. Pray, e talk, always, for every occasion, inside di Spirit, with all kinds of prayers and requests. Dey alert. Continue to pray for all God people. And then e ask something for imself. Pray for me too, e talk, say anytime I open my mouth, God go give me di words, so dat I fit make di mystery of di gospel known with boldness. Paul call imself ambassador wey dey inside chain. Ambassador, person wey dey talk for one king, but inside chain. Pray, e talk, make I fit talk with boldness, as I suppose talk.

Di Greek historian Polybius, wey write about two hundred years before Paul, describe di things wey Roman soldier dey carry, in detail. Di big shield, e talk, wide reach about two and half feet, and e long reach four feet. Dem make am with two layers of wood wey dem gum together, and dem cover am first with canvas and then with calf skin. Soldier fit bend down hide behind am almost completely. Na dat kind shield Paul readers for see for dem mind: big enough to hide behind, strong enough to stop arrows.

Di armour of God. You go find am for Ephesians chapter six, verse ten to twenty. One prisoner wey dem chain to soldier, wey see for im guard one picture of how God dey equip im people make dem stand firm. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, God word, and prayer. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Which part of God armour you need to put on pass dis week?