The alarm goes off, and before lifting your head from the pillow, your mind begins scrolling through the various tasks awaiting you for the day: Waking the kids to get up for school for the second time, preparing the coffee, getting the eggs and sausage cooking, jump in the shower, then getting dressed, dropping the children at school, fighting rush hour traffic to get to work, facing your boss who is already annoyed and asking for assignments or updates on projects as you walk through the office door, passing the co-worker (you know who I am talking about), whose priority is gossiping instead of working. Experiencing any one or all of these stressors and strains of the morning before the day has begun could even cause Mother Theresa to fall into the trap of the temptation of losing her temper and saying something off-color. Does that morning sound familiar to you?
As a Licensed Professional Counselor, I often hear these stressful issues from my adult clients. However, my young clients also struggle to cope with the same adult mental health issues of anxiety and depression that they experience on their job every day -- school. Children and adolescents are navigating a challenging school environment fraught with problems, such as: how to handle bullies, the stress of completing homework assignments on time, passing exams, and handling racism, sexism, and peer pressure. They are also facing issues we Generation Xers never had to think or worry about, from being fat-shamed and bullied on social media and living with threats of school shootings to avoiding infection from the latest COVID-19 strains of the month. These challenges can be anxiety and stress-provoking situations for children and adolescents to navigate successfully mentally.
Life’s stressors and our disappointment in our ability to handle them can make us question ourselves unfairly; I might add, “Why am I not happy? As a Christian, I am supposed to be happy,” or worse, “Am I really a Christian because I am so unhappy?”
The answer is “Yes!” Yes, you are! Many of us jump out of bed to face the day without doing the essential mental preparation needed to have a positive and safe experience of the day. So, what do I mean when I say to have a “safe” day? Mental preparation is needed to defend against the inevitable arrows and spears thrown at us during the day that threaten to sabotage our happiness and peace of mind. Every day cannot be sunny, but if we know that upon opening our eyes in the morning, we will be attacked by things seen and unseen trying to sabotage our mental health, why not prepare for it?
Ephesians 6:11-13 states, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” (Ephesians 6:11 – 13, ESV).
The Bible tells us what the armor we are to wear will look like. The Bible states, “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication….” (Ephesians 6: 14-18)
So, how do I create my own personalized armor to face the day? Glad you asked!
For this article, we will apply the armor of God as a way of preparing our hearts, mind, and soul for the small battles during our day that threaten our happiness and peaceful mindset that, if not guarded, can lead to negativity or cause one to sin leading to a weakening of our spiritual connection with God. In war, a soldier would never think of facing the enemy without protective armor. Let’s go out into the world where we face known and unknown dangers that can threaten our mental health. We need to meet with our mental armor ON this school year, job, or any activity. Here are a few steps on how to visualize putting on your protective mental armor:
- Preparation – Give yourself 10-15 minutes before leaving your bed to visualize placing each part of your uniform onto each body part, then praying aloud to ask God to protect each part of the uniform.
- Helmet – The first item of clothing is the helmet. The helmet protects one’s head from harm when struck with an object. We are asking God to protect our minds and our thoughts. For example, one may say, “I am putting on the helmet of God to protect my mind from depression, confusion, and anxiety. I ask God to help me think clearly and positively towards myself and others.”
- Breastplate – The breastplate protects our vital organs, particularly our heart, and lungs, from being punctured, bruised, damaged, or mortally wounded. In this case, one would ask that the heart be protected from the arrows that the words of others can launch. One may state aloud, “I am putting on the breastplate of God to protect my heart from being bruised by the words and the actions of others. I ask for God to protect my heart from disappointment and to not allow myself to have my emotions controlled by others.”
- Belt – The belt of truth was part of the uniform that holds the sword firmly at one’s hip. The belt is the anchor to hold the sword of the Spirit in place. As Christians, we stand firmly, grounded in the truth of the word by our side and the responsibility of keeping it firmly in place so that when the truth is used, it is wielded to help and not hurt. One may ask God to “Give me the discernment to know when to speak and to be fearless in speaking truth to help others and not to hurt.”
- Shoes – Shoes stand for being sure-footed. Shoes are essential to the soldier and help one be grounded and able to shift one’s weight to maneuver and dodge the enemy’s blows while remaining balanced. Shoes can also represent times one may walk away from conflict to keep the peace instead of marching into danger. One may ask that God, “Make me sure-footed in facing others who may try to trip me up with their words. I pray to be kept grounded and humble” or “God, give me the strength and wisdom to walk away from this situation that is dangerous to get help for myself and my loved one” or if in speaking about a severe mental health issue suffered by you or a loved one, one may pray, “God, help me feel anchored in reality and not be subjected to hallucinations and delusional thinking that threatens my perception of reality and what I know to be true” or “Lord, help me to avoid conflict with others or from falling into the traps others have tried to ensnare me in.”
- Sword – The sword of the Spirit represents the word of God. Unlike the belt of truth, the individual speaking the truth, the sword represents God speaking that truth through us. The sword is the weapon yielded by the soldier to defend, protect and defeat the enemy. The sword is sharp and cuts, not dependent on the ability of the solder to be effective but is powerful due to its nature. One asks God to walk before us and make “crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth (Luke 3:4-6 NKJV).” We are asking God to step into situations that we cannot handle or control on one’s own and require God to intercede on one’s behalf in the situation: whether to speak with potential business partners to close the deal, impress the manager during the interview, help speak to the heart of difficult co-workers, an employer or to influence a decision in the hands of another to work in your favor. One may pray, “Lord, I am carrying the sword of your truth. I ask that you walk before me and change the hearts and minds of those who oppose me, do not like me, and are hard to have peace with. I ask that you help me be brave and use my mouth to speak with others on issues troubling to me with confidence and control without lashing out or speaking from a place of anger or pain. I ask that I can articulate my feelings and position calmly and that the truth of my sincerity is well received and understood.”
- Shield – We pick up the shield when we are entirely suited up and ready to go into battle. This protection is the last but essential part of our uniform that will complete our protective covering. We believe that Jesus will keep us safe as we have asked him to bless us with protection throughout the battles of our day. The shield protects the soldier from being harmed by the enemy’s weapons. The shield for the believer represents faith. Our faith in Christ to deliver us from evil, seen and unseen. Psalm 110 of David states, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” Weapons lanced against us in the form of cruel words meant to hurt our feelings or deeds done to you to cause self-doubt and hatred of self and others. We may ask, “God, strengthen my faith in your promise that you will protect me from the hurtful deeds and words of (Name of particular classmate, employer, co-worker, family member, other) who have tried to say things to hurt my feelings or turn the hearts of others against me as you are my vindicator” or “God I stand in your truth that my body will be healed in the name of Jesus and that any evil coming against me cannot strike me down, but my body will be healed and made whole again.”
God does not want us to face evil or problems in our own will. He wants to fight our battles for us and to give us cover. Visualization can be a powerful tool to help perceive the day before it has begun using positive imagery of our body encased in a seamless metal armor of love forged in God’s word. He protects us from the top of our heads to the tip of our toes. Covered in armor, wielding our shield, we face the day boldly in the quiet confidence and surety that we trust God to uphold his promises he has spoken over us, to make our “enemies a footstool for your feet,” and to deliver us from evil. Now, walk in faith, a brave soldier of Christ.