What Is Comfort?

People go to the hospital to get better. Some hospitals supply you with the clothing, some out of curiosity others out of restrictions on what can and cannot be worn, who can and cannot visit or at the levers least what those visiting hours are. If there for an extended period, you may have your clothes checked while you are in what they supply you and after a period of waiting you can get back into your old clothes.

What does this have to do with anything? Specifically, that somethings instantly covey a message. For some, scrubs mean a time of having a surgery, others, being inpatient, others working at the hospital, or even as a pharmacy technician at a CVS or Walgreens. Somethings bring back memories of either getting help, feeling safe, getting clean or other times having a horrible experience and a very real struggle.

In all of the above scenarios there very well may be an overlap. You may have felt safe technically but had a horrible experience. Or you may have felt uncomfortable in their clothes be their rules but had albeit I am sure a very intense but ultimately life changing, positive experience.

So what do we put on to feel safe? A deceased relative’s favorite shirt? A cherished gift from someone very dear like a shawl or even a hat or sweatshirt with your favorite team that you bought together at the game you and a good friend both attended? Or perhaps a blanket someone made or gifted you when they knew you needed it?

Maybe it is someone’s ring or cross, a pin, earrings, or watch.

What are we called on to put on every day as Christians? The armor of God (see Ephesians 6 below). But does it make us feel safe?

Personally, while praying and doing so I would tend to answer yes, but does it always last throughout the day and night? No to be brutally honest. It is not that I doubt the effectiveness of each piece of armor but rather that so many pieces are bombarded what feels like constantly, I feel fatigued and worn out from all the spiritual attacks.

And that is why we are called to not only remember the last line to cover all the armor in prayer but to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

It is not within our own power that we can even put on these pieces let alone hold them up. The breastplate of righteousness is partially demonstrated through what Aaron wore in the Old Testament, but now we wear the breastplate of Christ’s righteousness not because we have made or had a priest make a sacrifice or say a prayer for us- it is because of our own declaration of faith in Christ’s final atonement for our sins (and any who come to Him) on the cross as the perfect sacrifice that gives us the right to wear it. Unlike repeated sacrifices needed in the Old Testament, God does not see our sins and our past as needing to be atoned for again and again but the righteousness of Christ. His sacrifice was a grace given out of love and freely offered. A mercy we do not have any way of saying it was earned by this act of good work or writing a check to that organization or even attending church. It is a personal choice we made to accept His taking our place and having an ongoing, continually deepening, and growing relationship with Him that makes this all possible.

He promises to carry our burdens and that includes strengthening our arms to have the shield of faith protect us from the barrage of attacks be they verbal, mental, emotional, spiritual, from others or even from ourselves.

Does this all mean that we will never sin again? No. But it does mean that we, as believers who have truly surrendered our lives over to Him, have the Holy Spirit living inside us, “interceding for us with wordless groans”(Romans 8:26) when we don’t even have the strength to formalize the right (or even perhaps even clear enough to pick out one thought alone) words.

So to reiterate, what do we put on to feel safe? Any number of things. But what do we put on and do to know we are safe? The armor of God and prayer.

We made not feel it but His eye is always upon us (Psalm 34:15). He promises to never leave us or forsake us (Joshua 1:5). Jesus is at the right hand of the Father praying on our behalf (Romans 8:34), the Holy Spirit intercedes and guides us (Psalm 32:8).

Here is the Ephesians 6 words on the armor of God but I specially chose the amplified version as they provide additional references to look up as well if you are so inclined.

Ephesians 6:12-18 AMP

“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), [Is 11:5] 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]. [Is 52:7] 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. [Is 59:17] With all prayer and petition pray [with specific requests] at all times [on every occasion and in every season] in the Spirit, and with this in view, stay alert with all perseverance and petition [interceding in prayer] for all God’s people.”

https://bible.com/bible/1588/eph.6.12-18.AMP