Who's armour are you in?

“Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around.” 1 Samuel 17:37-38 We live in a society today that puts before us a picture of who we should be, how we should look, think, act and even what stages of life we should be at according to our age. This mostly results in us spending a huge amount of time comparing ourselves to others or evaluating our lives based on a largely invisible yardstick created solely on what we think people’s expectations are of us. But if we are going to go into battle for God then we are going to have to go in as ourselves. “Did I make a mistake with you?” I imagine Him asking each of us, “Did I not create every detail of who you are and what you are to do for me?” He sure did. If you are not convinced that you have to be exactly who God created you to be, have a look at David. We all know that he, a mere shepherd boy, killed the giant Goliath. But before he went out onto the battlefield something small, seemingly insignificant, took place that is often overlooked. He has a brief conversation with King Saul where David convinces him that he can fight the giant. Let’s pick up the story here. “Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. ‘I cannot go in these,’ he said to Saul, ‘because I am not used to them.’ So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.” The Message says it best, “David tried to walk but he could hardly budge.” Far too often I find myself like this in life. I try to move forward but can’t, I try to get ahead but seem stuck. Decisions are difficult to make and insecurity plagues me. And until the day that God whispered that beautiful line in my spirit, “I cannot use you unless you’re you.” I didn’t realize that everything I do while pretending to be someone else really means nothing. Even when I received the approval of those around me it was loss and not gain. At least, in the eyes of God, I was living second best. Our abundant life is irrevocably linked to accepting who we are. And to do that we have to whole-heartedly believe that God not only made us but also approves of us. How great that David was so sure of who he was that he could stand up to a King by removing the armor. What confidence to go out into battle as a shepherd boy instead of a soldier. It dawned on me that David not only had to stand up for who he was against the enemy but also to those in his own camp. A double challenge then, not only do we have to be ourselves no matter what but we need to accept those around us for who they are. Some people tell me that they don’t know who they are. Start taking off the ‘armor’ of your wounds, disappointments, pride and the expectations of others and you might start finding out. Many of us have the heart to fight, willing and able to go into battle, only to be defeated. Can we blame God for that when He has equipped us in every way to win only for us to put on someone else’s armor that leaves us immobile? I’m stepping out as myself today, I hope you’ll join me.