People tend to regard armadillos as cartoon-like characters. It’s hard to take them seriously. They look odd. Walk odd. Act odd. But there is something oddly cool to me about armadillos.
I was talking yesterday with a group of dear friends when someone dropped the “Armadillo Card!” I can’t even remember their point, but I have not been able to delete it from my mind ever since. So I went in the other direction and mounted an “armadillo investigation.”
What I found was astonishing.
The armadillo’s armored plates are tough but flexible. Even the tail is wrapped with protection. The only unprotected area is the animal’s undercarriage which can be defended by curling up in a tight ball.
At this point the connection to our faith walk with Christ struck me in the form of a question:
What if the armadillo had to scramble back to its home and “armor up” each time danger appeared?
The result would, of course, be predictably bad. That’s why armadillos keep their gear on at all times!
God gives us the same protective armor (Ephesians 6), but it is worthless if we fail to put it on when we enter life’s war zone.
And even if we do put on God’s armor, we need to stand strong and courageous in Christ and allow him to fight off the challenges of life. We should never put on God’s armor and then hide from life or run away. That makes us vulnerable to an enemy that could have been vanquished had we simply held our ground and trusted God’s armor.
Christians need to have ARMADILLO FAITH so their armor is always on and ready for life’s twists, turns, and trouble.
I ask God to remind me every day to put on his armor and never think “I don’t need it today.”
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Are you wearing the armor that God has given you or is it in the closet at home?
“Finally, build up your strength in union with the Lord and by means of his mighty power. Put on all the armor that God gives you, so that you will be able to stand up against the Devil’s evil tricks.” Ephesians 6:10-11
