My son, Sam, had a lacrosse game last night. It is an interesting game to watch. I am still trying to determine the rules of the game, but I am getting better. It is a cross between hockey and soccer with a fraction of football. If you have the ball and you are advancing toward the goal, the opponents will come after you and can hit you with their sticks. It’s called “checking” in the game, but I call it just plain mean. I mean come on, if you have a bad day at school, just find the guy with the ball and take it out on him, right? I don’t think so.
Sam plays goalie. I watched him when the other team came his way. He would ready himself for an attack but he would also call out to the defenders on the team and tell them what he needed. They were supposed to support him by creating a shield around him protecting him and the goal. After watching it one time, I started thinking about Ephesians 6:10-18.
We know attacks will come our way (vs. 13), so we need to be prepared for them and put on the armor of God. The armor described in these verses is very similar to the armor Roman soldiers wore in battle. Their armor only covered their front side because they counted on their fellow soldiers to cover their back side in battle. This could be where we get the phrase, “I’ve got your back.” Just as Sam needed the assistance of the defenders on his lacrosse team to help him hold off an attack of the goal, we need the assistance of our fellow believers to help us hold of an attack from the enemy in life. We were never meant to do it alone.
Ask the Lord to reveal those you can lean on and support during times of difficulty in life and invest in those relationships. You will be blessed.