The Full Armor of God
Dear Friends,
Satan counts on us forgetting that this world in which we live is a battlefield. Day by day, hour by hour, we face a spiritual war and a real enemy whose main aim is to steal, kill, and destroy. The forces of darkness don’t wait for us to be ready and prayed up for their attack. They are ruthless, determined, and cunning.
God has given us his Word and Spirit so that we’ll have the wisdom and protection to stand against the enemy. This enemy we face, no matter how cruel and vicious his schemes, can never bind our spirits if they have been set free by Christ. We can only be defeated in battles; we can only be silenced if we forget to use the tools that God has given us.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 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 the 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 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.” Ephesians 6:10-18
The Belt of Truth: A soldier in Paul’s day had a leather belt that he tightened about his waist to hold his tunic together and to carry his weapons. In our Christian armor, it is our integrity that holds everything else together. If we don’t have integrity in the big and small things of our lives, we are going to lose the battle.
The Breastplate of Righteousness: The breastplate of a soldier covered the soldier’s vital organs. For the Christian soldier, the breastplate is the sanctifying righteousness of Christ. The enemy wants to attack us with lies, and impurity to get into our hearts and minds. He is always looking for a crack in our armor. We must make sure that our righteousness, our connection with Christ is always in good repair. If not, then we cannot win the battle.
The Shoes of Peace: A Roman soldier’s sandals would have had hobnails on the sole, very much like football cleats because when they were fighting, they needed solid footing. In war, slippery footing will not give a soldier peace of mind. When Satan comes against a believer, he throws out doubt and discouragement to cause us to stumble. Unless we have solid footing grounded in the gospel we cannot have peace, then we cannot win the battle.
The Shield of Faith: The legionnaire’s shield measured approximately two feet by four feet. It protected the soldier from arrows shot by the enemy. Satan and his agents, both human and supernatural, are going to fire flaming arrows at us. He knows a spark can ignite a big fire. Our Christian shield is made of our faith. A resolute faith will stop and extinguish the fiery arrows of attack that are aimed at us. Without faith we cannot win the battle.
The Helmet of Salvation: A soldier used a helmet to protect his head because if his head was wounded, he wouldn’t be able to think. A helmet gives us a sense of safety. One of the most important pieces of armor that a Christian has is an assurance of salvation. If we don’t know that we are saved, that our salvation is assured after this earthly life, then we cannot win the battle.
The Sword of the Spirit: In Paul’s day the most effective offensive weapon was the soldier’s sword. The believers most effective weapon is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Jesus modeled the use of this weapon during His temptation in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-13). Bible Study and memorization of God’s Word can turn the strongest of Satan’s lies and attacks, without it we cannot win the battle.
Most of us live busy lives. It’s easy to forget what kind of world we live in. All too often we race through busy, hectic days, ill-equipped, unprepared, or simply not aware of what we’re up against, or who the real enemy even is.
Believers are called to be salt and light in this dark world. Satan doesn’t want that so we cannot expect to go for very long without encountering obstacles and attacks thrown in our direction. This battle is real, it’s intense and it has eternal consequences. Remembering that we live in a battle zone, putting on His armor daily, staying alert, and praying, will help us to “stand strong.”
Only by Grace,
Pastor Mike