Ephesians 6:10-18
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”
Many of us, when we read this passage of Scripture, will think:
- Oh, how beautiful this is!
- Isn’t God wonderful to say such glorious Words to us!
- Oh, how He loves you and me!
There is nothing wrong with any of these thoughts about this passage of Scripture. But I believe that our Lord wants us to take His Words so very seriously! You might say “How am I to put on these things which are invisible?” I will attempt to show you not only how to put them on, but also why it is so vitally important to have each of them on before you even get out of your bed!
We must affirm who we are in Christ Jesus. We put this armor on by FAITH!
Let’s go through them one by one:
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth:
What is the truth which you must put on for the battle? The truth is that you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. You are His saint. You are in this world, but certainly not of it. You have been regenerated by our God and the Holy Spirit indwells you. That is truth!
And having on the breastplate of righteousness;
The breastplate of righteousness protects our hearts. Whose righteousness do you possess? Certainly not your own! You have the righteousness of Christ! Your heart is filled with emotions – many of which are guided by your flesh. The breastplate of righteousness protects you from your emotions getting in the way of the Truth of God’s Word.
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
We are all prone to wander. When you were born again and came into the family of God, your feet should take you to where He directs you, to share His glorious Gospel with the lost. You are to be ready at all times, wherever you go, to share His peace which is the Gospel.
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
You are placing your trust in God to protect you. You know that He is protecting your emotions. You know that He is in full control. In faith you stand on the Rock, knowing that He is with you and has equipped you to resist the “whispers” of the devil. After all, Satan’s battlefield is in our minds.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Both defensive and offensive. When Satan attacks (which he will) you know that you have the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God to protect you! Resist the devil and he has no choice but to flee!
Remember that Satan tried in vain to confuse the Son of God in the wilderness. Every time Jesus responded with “It is written….” He used the Word of God to shut down the evil one.
Offensively, you will use the Word of God to impart God’s wisdom to a lost world.
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”
Prayer must be like breathing to you. It is direct communication (communion) with God. Prayer is MORE powerful than any of us can imagine!
Without the armor of God (which is spiritual) you will be going out into battle like a soldier would go onto the battle field with no weapons – offensive and defensive. Would a soldier ever go out to fight the enemy without his weapons – protective and defensive? Of course not!
Our fight is not with flesh and blood. At times we think it is, but God clearly shows us that our fight is with the evil one in the spiritual realm. Therefore we MUST have our spiritual armor in place and be ready for the battle!
I was inspired to write this piece after listening to this audio by Charles Stanley:
Shalom b’Yeshua
MARANATHA!