And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no weekend war that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels (Ephesians 6:10-12 MSG).

Wearing weather-appropriate clothing is against the law for teenagers. 

It’s true! I first learned of this when my then middle-schoolers began boycotting wearing warm coats to school in winter months in favor of hoodies. Now my high-schoolers choose to pair their hoodies with shorts and jeans with so many holes they may as well be shorts.

Add a move to the upper Midwest to all of the above, and you *might* think things have changed… but you would be wrong. It’s not just my teenagers: I routinely see kids being dropped off and picked up at school wearing only pajama pants and hoodies, some only t-shirts, and lots of kids in shorts. In January… in South Dakota!

It doesn’t matter what state we live in–mama just wants to make sure her babies are prepared for the cold world! I make sure they’re supplied with good and warm clothes, and more often than not those clothes are left in their closets. Which means mom is left shaking her head, because a coat left at home isn’t doing anyone any good.

I wonder if God ever shakes his head at us?

He’s made sure we’re prepared to stand up to everything the Devil throws our way. He’s supplied us with the very best armor and weapons (truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, God’s word, prayer!) to fight to the finish, but those weapons don’t do any good if we leave them at home.

The fight against the Devil isn’t going away, just like winter up here is more than a cold snap that lasts a few days. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. The coats and warm layers are meant to shield those I love against the harsh and dangerous elements. The weapons and armor given us by God are meant to shield us, to help us fight to the finish, to avoid injury, to give us a leg up in this constant fight.

When the teenagers are headed for the door and not dressed for the weather I’ve been known to say in utter exasperation, “Just trust me and wear the coat!” I wonder if God–seeing us headed for the “door” unprepared–is ever exasperated with us.

 “Just trust me and wear the armor!”

The fight is happening all around us whether we choose to see it or not. God, help us to make the armor you’ve given us a priority this week and always. Amen.