“Be insulated, not isolated!”

I had another moment the other day when I was using my Bass Pro Shops koozie to keep my Diet Mountain Dew cold. Immediately, I grabbed my Bible and began reading John's Gospel account. Chapter 17 verse 15 says; “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.” I thought to myself; “Ah, there is a reference to a koozie in Scripture!” In this passage, the Lord Jesus is encouraging the disciples to be in the world and not of the world. This particular verse is contained in a prayer that Jesus is praying for His disciples and for all future believers (including you and me). What does this mean? It means that we are to be insulated, not isolated.

God calls us to engage culture with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are not commanded to isolate ourselves from the world and live on a mountain wrapped in animal skins eating locusts for the rest of our lives. Instead, God has commanded us to go into the world as agents of change, as salt and light, and purposed to dispel the darkness by shining the light of truth. God never calls us to retreat, but rather, He affirms the promise of His unfailing presence with us as we go (Matt. 28:20).

How are we insulated? We are to be clothed with the armor of God (Eph. 6:10-17). The armor of God belongs to God. In essence, when we clothe ourselves with the armor of God we are putting on His clothing; more specifically, we are putting on God Himself. The Apostle Paul is drawing on imagery from Isaiah 11:5, 52:7, and 57:19. This is a reference to Yahweh (the Messiah) as a warrior King fighting with His own armor to vindicate His people. Paul has already instructed us to be “imitators of God,” (Eph. 5:1) and now he is encouraging us to put on the character of God by donning ourselves with His armor. If we are to insulate ourselves and stand firm in this world, then God’s armor is paramount in accomplishing that. There is much to say about the armor that cannot be covered in this article, but let’s briefly touch on each piece.

1. We must gird our loins with truth. We are to securely fasten the belt of truth around us and prepare for action. The belt was important to a soldier in gathering the long tunic and tucking it into place. This allowed him to move freely. The belt properly worn kept the breastplate in place and allowed the sword to be fastened for quick, easy access.
2. We must put on the breastplate of righteousness. We are to allow God’s righteousness to protect our vitals. The breastplate covered a soldier from neck to thigh. It represents standing in Christ’s righteousness not our own.
3. We must put on the shoes of the Gospel of peace. These shoes would have nails that would press down into the ground giving the soldier a firm footing. As a believer, we have peace with God, giving us firm footing when engaged in hand-to-hand combat.
4. We must take up the shield of faith. This shield is dipped in the water of the Word of God, and therefore, extinguishes the flaming arrows of the evil one. Faith actively believes in the provision and protection of God. Our faith becomes a shield.
5. We must take up the helmet of salvation. We must be reminded of the hope of our salvation. This speaks of a present deliverance from sin. Today, tomorrow, and for all eternity we are saved from sin.
6. We must arm ourselves with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. The authoritative Word of God is an offensive weapon. Unlike the belt, shield, helmet, and shoes, used for defensive purposes, the Word of God is often used for offensive purposes!

Allow me to carry the koozie analogy just a little further. The armor of God is like a koozie that provides insulation from the world. When properly donned, the temperature of the world will not affect us. We will not falter or sound retreat. We will not allow the world to squeeze us into its mold (Rom. 12:1-2). This truth applies to all Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our children must be insulated as they attend school and go out into the world. Adults must be insulated as they enter into the market place. Ministers must be insulated as they offer counsel and preach and teach the Word of God.

How do we clothe ourselves with the armor? We pray (Eph. 6:18).

We pray and ask God’s protection for our children. We pray that our children come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus as we model a life of following Him and living insulated lives. The answer is not isolation. We are to be in the world, but not of the world. Eventually, our children will be out in the world and will no longer be under the protection of a parent. In order to survive, they must be taught how to stay insulated in Christ. We see this illustrated in nature. A mother deer will teach her fawn how to hide and protect itself from predators such as bobcats and coyotes. The fawn learns this at a young age and is able to survive when it gets older. The fawn is not isolated from these dangers, but rather has been insulated and taught that these dangers exist, and how to stand firm and be protected.

We pray and ask God’s protection for those in the work/market place. Christians in the secular world have an enormous opportunity to be salt and light. When insulated, they have an opportunity to model morality, integrity, and sound ethical decision-making. However, when not insulated, he/she eventually becomes the same temperature as the world around them and their witness crumbles. It’s much easier to succumb to social pressures than to be an agent of change or salt and light. When we reach equilibrium and become the same temperature as those around us, we lose the ability to hear the voice of God. At this point, we begin to rationalize, reason, and justify our words and actions. We must be insulated!

We pray and ask God’s protection for ministers who counsel, preach, and teach the Word of God. A minister of the Gospel is a walking target for the evil one. It reminds me of playing Nintendo’s Duck Hunt years ago. You see these little ducks gliding across the screen and you get to blast them out of the sky! Ministers must be insulated as they counsel people, stand before the people of God, and proclaim to them the Word of God. Otherwise, they will get shot out of the sky! How many stories have we heard of ministers (i.e. pastors) engaged in moral failure? The numbers are staggering and it is damaging to the witness of Christ. They must be insulated!

The evil one wants nothing more than to destroy the Christian witness. He desires to destroy Christian homes by deceiving and distracting fathers from being spiritual leaders, mothers from tending the affairs of the home, and children from obeying their parents. He desires to deceive and distract the church from fulfilling the Great Commission and seeking to reach the lost and disciple the found. He desires to deceive and destroy the witness of men and women who profess to be sold-out committed followers of Jesus; only to discover moral failure because they neglected to put on a piece of armor. Don’t be numbered among the casualties.

We pray and ask God to clothe us with His truth, His righteousness, His peace, His faith, His salvation, His Spirit, and His Word. Then, we follow His lead into battle and we stand firm.

The answer is insulation, not isolation. God’s armor is our koozie. Put it on!