Exoskeletons – Are You Wearing One? – Queen of Ordinary – dec. 8, 2104

  Are you wearing an exoskeleton?

I was sitting in church yesterday and had a momentary vision of people with insect shells on their back and chest over top of their clothes with a regular little human heads, arms, and legs.  It was a crazy image until I realized that so many of us are wearing an exoskeleton, trying to protect ourselves from the hurtful things other people say and do to us in life.  There is little protection in life from an exoskeleton.  It doesn’t work in insects and it doesn’t work for us when a big enough predator comes along.

The photo above is from a locust, who shed its exoskeleton on my front porch.   It is the perfect image of the locust, but such a thin and flimsy thing.  If you’ve ever walked through the woods after a locust outbreak, their shed exoskeletons will be all over the ground and sound like walking on potato chips as they break apart beneath your feet.

  Only an insect needs and exoskeleton.

We are to put on the whole armor of God.

Our human skin is very vulnerable as well as our human hearts.  We are emotionally vulnerable.  Our hearts are easily wounded and usually wounded most by those closest to us.  But the Bible offers a covering that will protect us and help us deflect the fiery darts of the enemy.

Ephesians 6:11-18King James Version (KJV)

¹¹ Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

¹² For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

¹³ Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

¹⁴ Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

¹⁵ And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

¹⁶ Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: