Over the past two weeks, I have been listening to the guys on ESPN and the NFL shows give their two cents on the rules they’re going to enforce involving vicious hitting in pro football. The argument seems to be that violent collisions are occurring way too often and are being done with the intent to hurt a player, not just separate the man from the ball.

While listening to these discussions, I’ve heard a lot of people talk about the equipment used to protect the players, especially the helmet. Joe Paterno, head football coach at Penn State, suggests that players take the facemasks off the helmets to avoid using their helmets as “weapons.” Former Chicago Bears Coach Mike Ditka suggests we do like the rugby players and take the helmet out of the game altogether.

Although neither of those suggestions is likely to be considered, they did make me stop and think about how we as Christians use our “gear” to protect ourselves from violent collisions with Satan. Our enemy knows our weak spots, and he goes after us with all his might trying to hit us in the most vunerable spots. He comes at us with the top of his helmet trying to launch himself directly at our souls, hoping he can knock the Christianity right out of us.

When this happens, how do you protect yourself? What kind of uniform and gear do you put on every day to make sure that the direct hit you may take doesn’t turn your faith away from God? As Christian athletes and coaches, we must daily take time to pray devotedly for protection. Then, we also must do our part to help protect our brothers and sisters in Christ from the collisions that may be occurring in their lives.

Take a quick look around your campus or school. Look closely at all the pain and problems surrounding you being caused by these vicious hits from Satan. When you open your eyes, you will be shocked at what is taking place around you. That is why prayer is so important.

Today, pray hard and pray often for your own protection, your teammates’ protection, your campus’ protection, and your community’s protection. We must never forget the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ is both the biggest and best defensive protection and offensive weapon out there.