Put on the Armor of God
God's will for us
"Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.
Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all (the) flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones..."
Ephesians
6:10-18 (NAB)
What is the Armor of God?
God's armor brings victory
because it is far more than a protective covering. It is the
very life of Jesus Christ Himself. "[P]ut on the armor of
light," wrote Paul in his letter to the Romans, "...clothe
yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 13:12-14) When
you do, He becomes your hiding place, and shelter
in the storm--just as He was to David. Hidden in Him, you can
count on His victory, for He not only covers you as a shield, He
also fills you with His life.
"I am the vine; you are the
branches," said Jesus. "If a man abides in Me and I in him,
he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
(John 15:5)
Since living in the safety of
the armor means oneness with Jesus, we can expect to share His
struggles as well as His peace. Remember, God has promised us
victory in the midst of trials, not immunity from pain. So
"do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as
though something strange were happening to you, but rejoice that
you participate in the sufferings of Christ..." (1 Peter
4:12-13) Christian heroes who have been tortured for their faith
continue to testify to the supernatural strength--even joy--that
enables them to endure unthinkable pain.
They affirm with Paul -
"that in all these
things we are more than conquerors through him who loved
us.... For I am convinced that neither death nor life,
neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the
future, nor any powers.... will be able to separate us from
the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
(Romans 8:37-39)
This wonderful truth has become
reality to all who believe and follow Jesus. When you put on His
armor, His life surrounds you, keeping you safe, close to
Himself, and free to be His precious friend and trusted
companion. So "put on Christ." (Galatians 3:27) He is your
victory!
How do I "put on" the Armor?
This life in Christ begins with
learning, affirming, and trusting in each part of the armor. The
first part is truth--God's revelation of all that He is
to us, all that He has done for us, and all that He
promises to do for us in the days ahead. This enduring truth
is written in the Bible, revealed by the Holy Spirit, and
realized through Jesus Christ. It cuts through all the world's
distortions, deceptions, and compromises. When you study,
memorize, live, and follow truth, it enables you to see the
world from God's high vantage point. Putting on the first piece
of the armor means feeding on truth through daily Bible reading
and making it part of yourself.
|
PARTS OF THE ARMOR |
KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT... |
AFFIRM KEY SCRIPTURES |
|
Belt of TRUTH |
God |
Deut. 4:39; Psalm 23:1;
18:1-3 |
|
Breastplate of
RIGHTEOUSNESS |
The Righteousness of Jesus in you |
Psalm 100:3; Rom. 3:23-24,
6:23; Gal. 2:20-21; Phil. 3:8-10. |
|
Sandals of PEACE |
Inner peace and readiness |
Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:14; John
14:27, 16:33, 20:21. |
|
Shield of FAITH |
Living by faith |
Rom. 4:18-21; Heb. 11:1; 1
Pet. 1:6-7 |
|
Helmet of SALVATION |
Salvation through Christ today and forever |
Each day: Ps. 16, 23; Heb.
1:3-6
or eternity: 2 Cor.
4:16-18; 1 Thess. 4:17; 1 John 3:1-3 |
|
Sword of the spirit GOD'S WORD |
God's Word countering spiritual deception and accusations |
Heb. 4:12; Matt. 4:2-11; 1
Pet. 3:15; Ps. 119:110-112 |
To put on the "full armor"--and
enjoy a daily and eternal love-relationship with Jesus Christ,
thank Him for what He has shown you in His Word. Know the
Scriptures behind your prayer so that your words and faith are
grounded in the authority of the Bible. (Some of those
verses are listed in the chart above.) Then pray through each
piece. You can use the following prayer as an outline:
- The belt of truth:
Thank you, my Lord, for
showing me the truth about yourself. Thank you for
reminding me that You are the only God, the Creator of
heaven and earth, the King of the universe, my Father who
loves me, and my Shepherd who leads me. You are my wisdom,
my counselor, my hope, and my strength. You are everything I
need each day.
- The breastplate of righteousness:
Thank you for showing
me the truth about myself--that on my own I could never be
good enough to live in your presence. Thank you for taking
my sins to the cross and offering me your
righteous life. Lord, show me any sin that I need to
confess right now, so that nothing will hinder me from being
filled to overflowing with your Spirit. [Take time for
confession] Thank you for forgiving me and for filling me
with your righteous life.
- The sandals of peace:
Thank you for the
peace you give me when I trust and follow you.
Show me how to help others find that peace.
- The shield of faith: Thank you for helping me have
faith in you. I choose to count on everything
you have shown me about yourself--and everything you have
promised me in your Word.
- The helmet of salvation:
Thank you for promising me
salvation both for today's battles and for all
eternity.
- The sword of the spirit, the Word
of God: Thank you for
the scriptures you have given to us. Please show me which one(s) you want me to use to cut through deceptions and gain
your victory in any battle I may face today.
|
