THE ARMOR OF GOD

“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.”  – Ephesians 6:11-15.

The armor of God is an important truth to understand and apply. It’s the imagery of a soldier in full armor. Ephesians 6:14-17 describes the 6 pieces of the armor of God. To put on the whole armor means to believe all that Jesus has done and to live it out in daily life. It is living in the power of everything that God has done in every area of life even when there are challenges.

The whole armor is the expression of your full trust in God and what He has done for you through Jesus Christ. Putting on the full armor of God is meant to bring strength, stability, and encouragement so you can receive all that God has for you.

The reason for the whole armor of God is that you need it so you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. The full armor of God is what protects you when you have doubts, fears, and guilt. The way you stand against the accusations of the enemy is to believe what God’s Word says about you instead.

Putting on God’s armor isn’t like dressing in clothes from your closet. There’s no mixing and matching, no switching out for whatever the season may require. Spiritual armor is applied by faith, daily — and the entire letter of Ephesians teaches us how to put it on.

At times, we may fail to put on the armor. We get busy with our own pursuits, and when the struggle sneaks up on us, we try to fight in our own strength. When these fiery darts strike us, we are left wounded and wearied. Our spiritual strength is sapped, desire for prayer dissipates, singing is silenced, shame is stoked, fellowship is avoided, and our taste for temptation increases. The devil does not want you to remember that he was soundly defeated at the cross: Jesus broke Satan’s stranglehold on humanity when He died on the cross.

You are not a victim of this life but a spiritual warrior backed by all the promises of God and have access to amazing spiritual weapons that you can tap into to have victory over the things that trouble you in this life. You will never win this spiritual battle in your own strength. You will only be successful when you draw your strength from the power base, God Himself. There you will find the strength and stamina to “stand firm against all strategies of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).

Discussion Questions:

1. What is sobering about the fact that we need armor as Christians?
2. Read Ephesians 6:13-16: What protective defensive pieces of armor are children of God given in their ongoing struggle with the forces of evil? What offensive weapons are we given in which to wage war?