Put on the Armor of God

Ephesians 6:10-17

 “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 the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

          There are a lot of battles in this world that we have to fight, but the most important battles we fight are the ones that are inside ourselves. We battle with illness, loss, hatred, guilt, sexual temptation, addiction, and the list continues on. Being strong in the Lord is the only way that we can resist the devil's schemes. The battle can only be won by putting on God's armor that He has equipped us with. You have to rely on God, not on yourself. 

Let's take a look at the armor:

Belt of Truth

          God is the only truth in this life. We find this truth through scriptures in the Bible. We must wear this belt and speak His truth over our lives. Sometimes we get so caught up in our self-talk that we forget that what we are telling ourselves is lies. We must replace those lies with the truth that comes from God.

Breastplate of Righteousness

          Satan aims for our hearts because it is a major weak point in our lives. The breastplate protects us from evil and deception. God gives us righteousness through Jesus Christ because our righteous acts are not enough to save us from the devil’s attacks. We must protect our hearts to keep them pure and holy.

Footwear of the Gospel of Peace

          Always be ready to share the Gospel with people and defend your faith. God specifically placed us on this earth to love Him and to bring others to know Him. We must always be prepared to defend our faith and share it with others. God also gives us peace when we are in the midst of battle and keeps us from feeling overwhelmed in times of trouble.

Shield of Faith

          The stronger your faith, the stronger your shield against Satan. Faith is believing without seeing. Faith is the bond between man and God. Faith comes from the information you are given through scripture, prayer, and experience. When your faith is strong, you won't doubt God and you won't need to run after things for temporary satisfaction.

Helmet of Salvation

          Our mind is a battlefield that directs our lives. We must renew our minds so that it flows with God’s truth. The assurance of salvation is our defense against anything the enemy throws at us. It protects and delivers us from our sinful nature and the devil’s schemes. If we don’t know His truth, then we will fall for the devil’s lies.

Sword of the Spirit

          The Holy Spirit teaches you and guides you along the right path. Just like you must be trained to fight with a sword, you must be trained by the Holy Spirit on how to use scripture to your advantage. The more we know God’s Word, the more useful and effective we will be in doing His will. With this spiritual strength, we can withstand the enemy.

          We can trust that God will provide for us in battle because His faithfulness has already been shown in the cross.