Put on the Armor of God

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 

Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 

Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Ephesians 6:10-18

Do you put on the armor of God every day? We are weak, but have mighty strength and power in God alone. Why do we need to put on the armor of God? So we are able to stand firm against the strategies of the devil in this dark world. The Devil is constantly going against us as Christians. We are to put on the armor that we may resist and to continue to stand firm. 

But how do we put on the armor of God? It should not be just an empty ritual that we do every morning while we get dressed, putting on our belt of "truth" and our shoes of "readiness" etc. There are specific ways that we put on our armor each day to prepare us to stand firm. 

BELT OF TRUTH

The "belt of truth" is the truth of God's Word. Just as a police officer must know exactly where everything is on his belt so he doesn't pull out his handcuffs when looking for his gun, we too as Christians need to know God's Word so that we can be ready for what ever opportunity may occur. We do this by studying and meditating on God's Word, praying, and memorizing scripture. 

BODY ARMOR OF GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS (Breastplate of righteousness) 

The "body armor of God's righteousness" is the righteousness of Christ that guards our heart. Though Christ covers us with His righteousness, we are also to live righteously: live in a way that is pleasing to God. This involves not only applying God's Word to our lives, but also doing a self-examination daily, checking if we need to fix anything before we go into the battle, such as confessing our sin, righting a relationship, or changing an attitude. 

SHOES OF THE PEACE OF THE GOOD NEWS

God says in His Word that we are to be ready to give an answer at all times. We must maintain our footing and be able to go wherever he needs us to go. This involves being prepared to share the Gospel, and asking and looking for opportunities that God has for us. When we are ready and willing, God can and will use us in many ways. 

SHIELD OF FAITH

Faith is accepting that what God said is true and acting on it. We need to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the devil with our faith, standing firm on God's word and His promises. We can do that by writing down promises that God gives us in His Word, memorizing them, and claiming them for ourselves. Let faith change the way that you live. 

HELMET OF SALVATION

Salvation is the certainty that Christ has saved and redeemed us. It is our hope. We wear the helmet of salvation by keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, and squelching all doubts that Satan throws our way. 

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT

The Word of God is a double edged sword, cutting through bone and marrow. Every single word in the Bible is from God to us. We can count on temptation in our lives, and the only way we can defeat that temptation is by specific verses from God's Word. We draw our sword from the belt of truth. How do we use it? We speak it, we pray it, we believe it. 

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Are you fully armored by God today?