BUT THEN WE NEED TO STAND

Why put armor on if you are not going to fight or at least defend yourself? You might say, "Well, I'm a lover not a fighter." (a la Michael Jackson) Or you might comment, "I am a cook." Or "I am the stable-boy." Or "I am the seamstress of the kingdom." An enemy gives no mind to these things as he slaughters you. It is the same with the The Enemy of our soul. The enemy cares not about your rank or occupation, he will kill you, steal all from you and corrupt you unto destruction just the same. This is why, for those Christians who think they fill a less important militaristic role in God's Kingdom - they are dead before they even begin their ministry with Christ - they need to suit-up with The Armor of God also.

Some might say, "Well, why did you take The Armor off to begin with?" To that I say, who says they did?  What if the prayer for The Armor of God once again is a renewing of that part and what it means to our spiritual warfare life. Every soldier has a civilian life as well as a military life. Paul saw the Roman soldier as his example, I imagine, at times, coming home and taking off the armor in order to rest, enjoy life away from fighting for a minute, and renew his battle gear (shield, sword, spear, helmet, breastplate, shoes, belt, greaves). I believe Christians also need to take a breather from battle. When they can, the Christian needs to rest in God's Presence, renew themselves and renew a deeper appreciation for each piece of armor.

The element that some need to be reminded of is - to stand. After all this care to arm yourself or re-arm oneself - stand. After taking care of yourself, God's Armor and renewing those pieces on our Spirit-man or Spirit-woman - Stand! Even after entering the battle, don't run away from the challenge or conflict - stand! Observe how many times the command - "to stand" - comes in Ephesians 6:10-17, The Armor of God.......

• Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.(6:11)
• Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (6:13)
• Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, (6:14)

Christians whether they acknowledge the concept or not are in a daily struggle that is unseen. 

• "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Eph. 6:12)

The Enemy is trying to win battles because he knows he has lost The War. It does not matter where you are in your Christian journey - just accepted Christ or seasoned saint - we all need God's Armor, But Then We Need To Stand!