God’s
Spiritual Armor
The Whole
Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord
and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of
God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the
devil. 12 For we do not wrestle
against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against
the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present
darkness, against the spiritual forces of evilin
the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole
armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and
having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on
the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of
righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your
feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances
take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of
salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is
the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and
supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance,
making supplication for all the saints, (Ephesians
6:10-18) English Standard Version (ESV)
Much
has been written concerning the ‘armor of God’ and spiritual
warfare.
Some
say that there is no such thing as spiritual warfare and some, going to the
other extreme, see every difficulty of life as a direct attack from
Satan.
I
will not focus as much on the ancient usage of actual armor as I will focus on
the meaning and application of the passage.
I
will only speak of the actual physical armor when it helps explain a spiritual truth.
It
is my intention that, as Christians read this article, they will be
strengthened in their walk with Jesus in practical everyday ways.
Believers are at war and the Devil is our
enemy
We
are warned in First Peter to, “Be
sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a
roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1Peter 5:8
ESV).
Peter
here reminds us that Satan is real and his goal is to destroy us; he is at war
with us. The prize is our soul.
In
Ephesians 4:27, Paul tells us that we must, “…give no opportunity to the devil” (ESV).
Paul’s
words indicate that the Devil is looking for ‘opportunities’ to tempt, deceive,
and defeat us.
Revelation
12:9 tells us that Satan is, “…the
deceiver of the whole world” (ESV).
The
Bible does not clearly say why, but we know that if it were not for the grace
of God, Satan would destroy all of us and consign us to an eternity of misery
in hell. Every Christian is engaged in a spiritual battle
Christians are in a Spiritual battle
However,
our battle is not like earthly battles, we are in a spiritual war,
“For
we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the
spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians
6:12 ESV).
The
Christian’s battle is not so much a physical battle as it is a spiritual battle,
or a battle of the mind.
It
does not matter whether a Christian is a body builder or a child, because the
fight is not a physical fight. This battle centers on what we believe
about the Truth of God’s
Word – the Bible.
Therefore,
since the battle takes place on a spiritual level, our armor must be spiritual
armor.
Since we are in a war, we need protection
In ancient times, the soldier relied on his
armor for protection; his shield, his sword,
his helmet, and other tools were
employed to fend off his enemies.
armor for protection; his shield, his sword,
his helmet, and other tools were
employed to fend off his enemies.
In ancient times, the soldier relied on his armor
for protection; his shield, his sword, his helmet, and other tools were
employed to fend off his enemies.
When
soldiers go into battle, they do things to protect themselves.
Today’s
military has sophisticated technology that is used to try to keep casualties to
the minimum.
However,
in ancient times, the soldier relied on his armor for protection; his shield,
his sword, his helmet, and other tools were employed to fend off his enemies.
The
Christian needs armor too. “Therefore
take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil
day, and having done all, to stand firm” (Ephesians 6:13 ESV).
God
does not expect us to defend ourselves apart from His gracious
provision. The biblical admonition is to take up the whole armor
that God has provided; He will protect us.
The true Source of the believer’s strength
“Finally,
be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the
whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the
devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11
ESV).
This
verse reminds us that it is God’s power and strength that enables us to resist
the devil. The phrase “…be
strong in the Lord…” is in the passive voice.
This
means that the strengthening is being done to us;
The
strength is God’s and the armor is God’s; we, as His subjects, are filled with
His strength enabling us to engage in spiritual warfare.
Ephesians 1:19 speaks
of, “…the
immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe” (ESV).
There
are some believers who mistakenly think that, once they are saved, God gives
them power and ability to use as they see fit.
However,
the Bible says that these gifts are controlled by the Holy Spirit,
“All
these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one
individually as he wills” (1
Corinthians 12:11 ESV).
God
supplies everything we need to live the Christian life; however, these things
only come to us as long as we are faithful to love, honor, and worship Him … as
He rightly deserves.
We
have no spiritual power apart from God.
We have victory in Jesus.
The
Gospel of John, chapter 15, clearly teaches that our source of strength is our
union with Christ.
Jesus
said, “Abide in me,
and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it
abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am
the vine; you are the branches.Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that
bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John
15:4-5 ESV).
As
long as we have a vital active relationship with Jesus, His strength will
empower us to resist the temptation to sin. It matters little
whether that temptation comes
from Satan or from the culture in which we live.
The
Bible promises us victory because we are united with Jesus Christ.
If
we take these teachings seriously, we are guaranteed protection against our
spiritual enemies;
We
will be more effective Christian soldiers.
In this spiritual war, there are no fence-sitters –
you are either on the Lords’ victorious army or on the wicked “Powers” of
Satan.
Ensure you’re enlistment on the victorious army of
the Lord. Settle that sin issue right
now by saying this prayer:
“Father God, I confess I am a sinner and my sins have separated me from
You.
I am truly sorry. I now want to
turn away from my past sinful life and live a new life pleasing to You.
Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again.
I believe that Your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected
from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer.
I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my
heart from this day forward.
Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for
the rest of my life. Thank you, Lord, that according to Your Word, I am born
again.
Use me for Your glory.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.”
Related Posts:
“The Battle Belongs to the Lord”
Maranatha Jamie Owens-Collins
lyrics
In heavenly armour we'll enter the land
The battle belongs to the Lord
No weapon that's fashioned against us shall stand
The battle belongs to the Lord
The battle belongs to the Lord
No weapon that's fashioned against us shall stand
The battle belongs to the Lord
We sing glory and honor
Power and strength to the Lord
(repeat)
Power and strength to the Lord
(repeat)
The power of darkness comes in like a flood
The battle belongs to the Lord
He's raised up a standard, the power of His blood
The battle belongs to the Lord
The battle belongs to the Lord
He's raised up a standard, the power of His blood
The battle belongs to the Lord
we sing glory and honor
power in strength to the lord
(repeat)
When your enemy presses in hard do not fear
The battle belongs to the Lord
Take courage my friend, your redemption is near
The battle belongs to the Lord
power in strength to the lord
(repeat)
When your enemy presses in hard do not fear
The battle belongs to the Lord
Take courage my friend, your redemption is near
The battle belongs to the Lord
the battle belongs to the lord
battle belongs to the lord......
battle belongs to the lord......
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