This summer at Pineridge Adventure camp was one of excitement and spiritual testing. I had the joy and honour to lead many of the lessons taught at camp this year! Nothing energizes me more than getting up in front of a group of people (big or small) and passionately sharing something I’ve learned! Add to that the opportunity to dust off my acting skills, put on a full suit of armour, wield a medieval-looking sword— and I was pumped!
I watched as kids grew in their knowledge and passion for the Lord over the days they were at camp. I watched as kids made big decisions— to ask questions, to confide in their cabin leaders, to grow in Christ, and to even get baptized at the foot of our famous slip-n-slide!
But with the end of any exciting, high-energy, high-intensity exercise in faith, one very crucial hope lingers— that the kids would remember what they learned. When all the action dies down… when their blood sugar levels return to normal… when life returns to normalcy, or turns to difficulty… will they remember to live out the lessons they learned?
This summer we focused on Ephesians 6:10-18– the armour of God. This theme was exciting and fun, but also full of potent spiritual truths. One of the truths that stood out to me, personally, was the fact that armour is meant to be maintained. A soldier needs to make a conscious effort to practice with their sword, to repair and improve their armour, and to be in constant communication with their Commander.
Imagine a soldier who neglected one or more of these things! Imagine what would happen if, after basic training, a soldier decided to toss his armour in the closet, never practice with his sword, and cut off all communication with Command? What would happen if a soldier chose to shut his eyes and plug his ears and attempt to ignore the battle that was raging around him?
And yet, how quickly we forget that we are waging war against an Enemy every day! How quickly we forget that we are walking through a spiritual battlefield every single second! Are we leaving ourselves open for attack?
The Good News is that our God, our Saviour Christ Jesus— our Commander— is a powerful, wise, and caring Leader. He doesn’t send us into battle alone. He doesn’t drop us into the middle of a fight without any preparation or tools! God fights beside us! We are rubbing elbows with a Warrior God who knows how to win the war! God doesn’t line up His troops and only select the “best”— He invites everyone to join Him!
But the responsibility to grow and to follow still lies with us! Are we communicating with God daily? Are we continuing our training by being involved in church and small groups? Are we recruiting others to join this winning team led by a loving Saviour? Are we staying strong, and sharp, and well-practiced in Truth, Righteousness, and the Word of God?
Are you battle ready?
