The Armor of God

 

Ephesians 6:10-18 – The Armor of God

Paul wrote the letter of Ephesians while he was imprisoned in Rome.  He sent it to the church in Ephesus and probably to all the churches near Ephesus.  He knew that Christians were constantly in warfare with evil forces as we are today.  The power of these forces is very strong so Paul tells how to prepare for and how to go into battle with the evils of this world. 

We are to put on the Armor of God so we can stand against the devil’s schemes.  He encourages us to wear it every day, because evil will come every day.  Our struggles in this world are not against men and government, but against the darkness of this world – the devil.  Put on your armor as a soldier does.  No soldier can win battles unless he is prepared.  He trains before going into battle and he carries with him what he will need to fight the enemy.  Paul tells us that we need to train and take with us the full Armor of God.

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” – Eph. 6:10-18.

What exactly is the Armor of God?

The Belt of Truth – Truth is everything God has told us about Himself and about Jesus.  This truth is in our hearts and minds.  It holds our armor in place.  It secures our armor, but allows us freedom.  Jesus said, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:32.  With it around our waist, we are prepared to defend against the devil’s lies.  We will be able to see through his lies and deceptions.  It helps us see that power, materialism, money, and pleasures are not important in life as the devil would have us believe.  We should commit ourselves daily to walk in the light of God’s truth.   

The Breastplate of Righteousness –Righteousness comes from God.  It is our justification making us right with God.  It covers our hearts and all vital organs and stops the enemy from hurting us.  We are to go into battle with confidence and not fall for the devil’s lies and accusations.  With this breastplate, his lies and reminders of our past sin will not penetrate our hearts.

The Shoes of Readiness and Peace – Shoes allow us to step freely without fear adding to our movement and defense, because we know the good news of Christ which gives us peace in Him.  We can move in obedience to Christ and flee any temptations as we walk doing whatever He has called us to do.

The Shield of Faith – This shields our bodies.  It extinguishes all the fiery darts of evil.  These darts could be doubt, fear, angry words, reminders of our past sins, or any evil thoughts the devil puts in our minds.  When the devil attacks us, our strong faith in Christ enables us to withstand all his attacks.  The Roman soldiers would fix their shields together to make a wall so it would cover more soldiers at the same time.  We Christians should join together, which makes us stronger and safer against the attacks of the enemy.

The Helmet of Salvation – Your mind is the devil’s target.  He wants you to doubt your salvation, but the helmet will protect your mind.  Jesus saved you by His love and gave you the gift of salvation.  This knowledge protects and assures us for our eternity.  Our minds are protected because of Jesus’ work on the cross. 

The Sword of the Spirit – This is the only weapon of offense in the armor.  It is the Bible, God’s Word.  There is power in the Word of God.  It is also the Holy Spirit.  When the enemy tries to use arguments and our thoughts against us, we are to trust in the truth of God’s Word and let ourselves be guided by His Spirit. 

Pray and Stay Alert – We are to pray constantly and for everything.  We are to pray for all Christians.  Prayer should become a habit.  It is essential in using the armor.  We draw strength from God and rely on Him.  It really activates the armor.  We are to be alert like a sentry on duty.  We must be alert and watch for any signs of infiltration by the enemy and then go immediately to prayer.

The Christian life is not about making yourself happy and comfortable.  It’s a daily battle with unseen forces of wickedness.  Satan isn’t concerned with unbelievers of this world.  He already has them and they are headed for destruction.  He hates those who are trying to live a holy life.  The Armor of God is our spiritual defense against his attacks.  The armor is invisible, but it is real and when used and worn daily, it provides solid protection again the enemy.  Jesus has already won our victory on the cross and Satan knows it so he is working extra hard to deceive us.  We need to put on God’ Armor to keep Satan out of our minds and hearts.  We need to stay alert because we never know when he will attack.

How are you putting on the Armor of God?

Are you in the Word daily?

How is prayer a big part of your daily life?

Thanks for stopping by my site.  Have a blessed day, stay in prayer, and stay alert.  See you next time.

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