Dressed for Battle

I'll admit that I am not the best about keeping up a daily devotion.  Somedays, by the time my head hits the pillow, I am asleep faster than I can think about opening up that devotion book.  And the morning?  I'm usually so late that the thought of completely stopping to read my devotion is just maddening.  I'm not perfect, but that's no surprise.

So, last night I hit the hay a little earlier than usual, and decided to catch up.  Part of the problem with my current devotion book is that it is not written well.  The woman who wrote it, while a wonderful Christian leader in her own right, should recognize that writing is not her spiritual gift.  It's not mine either - hence, the lack of books by yours truly.  Just when I get fed up with reading about her grandkids, I stumble on a valuable lesson that humbles me.

"Dressed for Battle"

Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11)

The writer discusses how we dress when we leave the house - we dress for success for a job interview, dress formally for a formal affair, or wear our Sunday best for church (for those of us who still think God deserves our best appearance).  But how do we dress for battle?  In Paul's letter to the Ephesians, he asserts that we should never leave the house without the whole armor of God lest we are tempted by the devil.  I read this part smugly, thinking how well I stand up to temptations.

Oh wait.  That couldn't be further from the truth.  While I am not tempted by drugs or illicit behavior, there is still one ever-present hand of the devil in my life - procrastination.  It has caused what could have been only a slightly emotional time in my life to snowball into the worst semester of my (so far) very short PhD career.  I spent the first half of the semester wallowing in self-pity when, to be honest, things could be much worse.  If it weren't for my sweet husband, I think I would still have that mindset.  I recognize now that stopping my life for every bump in the road is just another way that the devil takes control.  As the semester is wrapping up, I have several things due in a short time period: three final exams, two papers and a project.  Wearing the armor of God and not answering the call for procrastination will see me through!