In today’s verses, the apostle Paul gives a call to action. He concludes his teachings to the church at Ephesus with an analogy on how they can be prepared spiritually just as soldiers were prepared physically. We too can apply this analogy to our own lives by allowing it to help us be prepared in thought and with a disciplined heart by putting on the protections freely offered to us by God.Paul teaches that our battles will go beyond what our eyes can see and defy what we think we know to be fact. The only way that our armor will be effective is if we have prepared ourselves by surrendering our heart to Jesus and immersing our mind into the Word of God and following what it teaches.When Paul talks in verse sixteen about taking up the shield of faith, he is metaphorically referring to a Roman era shield large enough that a military soldier could hide his entire body behind it. This particular shield had an iron frame. Leather was stretched over it, and finally, the shield was soaked in water before battle to facilitate extinguishing the enemies flaming arrows. It is estimated to have weighed over twenty-two pounds. The soldiers were expected to be able to manipulate it easily with a single arm so that the other arm could freely wield a sword or spear to take ground against an enemy. Go grab a twenty pound weight, and in an open area, freely swing that arm with the weight while your legs are running and your other arm is moving independently. You will quickly learn that muscle preparation is vital to wield the armor.Therefore, we must firmly grasp that we fight an infinite war from a place of victory, not for a victory. Our finite battles on this earth are opportunities for free men and women to reveal the victory already won by Jesus on the cross. Surrendering our hearts to Jesus and training our minds through Scripture allows us the strength to wield the armor of God with assurance that death is no threat to our life.