THE ARMOR OF GOD

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God…” (Ephesians 6:13).

To Christians who have walked with the Lord for very long at all, it should be quite evident that there are a number of opposing forces working to discourage, discredit, and destroy them.  You may have experienced some or all of the following: opposition or resistance from your family, friends, or coworkers; temptations in your flesh; afflictions in your body of various sorts; sickness; sleeplessness; evil thoughts; unforgiveness; or pride.  These are but a handful of the ways in which the enemy of our souls can attack us once we become children of light.  Often, we may not recognize them as assaults on our faith but, make no mistake, it is Satan himself and his evil spirits who have declared war against us, and they will not stop until they destroy our faith or we make a stand and send them packing.  In his letter to the church at Ephesus, the Apostle Paul writes, “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.” (Ephesians 6:12). 

In chapter five of Ephesians, and the beginning of chapter six, Paul is teaching about normal human relationships and how we ought to conduct ourselves as we interact with others.  He starts by laying down some ground rules for how we should behave ourselves in the Church of God (Ephesians 5:1-21).  Paul then addresses how husbands and wives should act toward one another and lays down some basic parameters within which to work (verses 5:22-33).  The Apostle then treats the subject of parent/child relationships in the same way (Ephesians 6:1-4).  Finally, Paul tackles the subject of masters and their servants and lays down some guidelines for them also (verses 5-9).  This last section can be applied to employer/employee relationships today. 

After all of this good teaching on our relationships with others, Paul reminds us that it is NOT flesh and blood that we are wrestling with as believers in Christ, it is spiritual wickedness in high places!  “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)…” (2 Corinthians 10:3, 4).  For all the world it can seem like our battle is with our brothers and sisters, our husbands or wives, our children or parents, and our bosses or employees, but it is Satan himself who is using our loved one’s often good intentions to redirect us away from God’s will. 

Once, when Jesus was preparing His disciples for the eventuality of His death, Peter actually rebuked his Lord and told Him that such a thing would surely not happen to Him.  Peter’s intentions were understandable, but what he could not comprehend was that if Jesus didn’t die, the world would be lost forever.  Jesus said to Peter, “Get thee behind Me, Satan: thou art an offence unto Me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” (Matthew 16:23).  Jesus recognized the leverage that Satan has over our human condition and our lack of clarity where God’s will is concerned.  Our mind and our flesh are the battlefield that we must gain the victory over.  We, too, can too often be guilty of wrong thinking and carnal reasoning.  We therefore need to be discerning about the battles that we face and look behind the anger, impatience, resistance, etc., to see what the real battle is about and what is behind it.  Remember at all times that we, too, can be the source of opposition to others if we are not vigilant.  It is really all about what we savor in life: the things that be of God, or the things that be of men! 

God has equipped us with spiritual weapons with which to wage an effective war against the forces of evil.  “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.” (Ephesians 6:13).  “...(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:4, 5).  Notice that Paul tells us to take the “whole” armor of God, and not just pieces of it.  Every item has a specific purpose and protects us against different aspects of Satan’s onslaught.  We need to become familiar with God’s armor so that we are comfortable using it in the heat of battle.  When David was preparing to face Goliath, Saul offered him his armor to wear to protect him.  Armor wasn’t a bad idea – it made good sense to the natural mind, but David had never worn or proven armor in battle.  It would only have hindered him, and so he refused it in the end.  This is why we must prove God’s armor, learning to use it in battle against our foe.  It was David’s faith in the weapons that God had given him (his sling and some stones) that brought him victory.  These he had proven and found effective against other threats that he had encountered in the fields as a shepherd.

“Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth…” (Ephesians 6:14).  Satan’s greatest tactic is his lies.  He’s very good at it – he’s had a lot of practice.  Since before creation, he has practiced his deceptions.  He is subtle, and carefully weaves a bit of truth into his lies in order to convince us to agree with him.  “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14).  Truth is the only defense against a lie.  That is why we must know the truth and stand firmly upon the promises of God.  When we are attacked, we must deliberately affirm the truth to the devil.  Jesus did so during His temptation in the wilderness, and the devil had to back down.  Peter reminds us that if we will resist the enemy of our soul, he will be forced to flee from us.  We are not defenseless!

“...and having on the breastplate of righteousness…” (verse 14).  Satan is also the accuser of the brethren.  He will bring up your past sins and failures to you to fill your heart with doubts and fears.  It is righteousness that will combat these accusations.  Not our righteousness, but Christ’s.  Our righteousness is like filthy rags, but Jesus’ righteousness is like a clean, white robe that covers our nakedness and shame.  When Satan accuses, we merely need to point to what Jesus has done for us on the cross of Calvary and he must cease.  His accusations will then be deflected from our heart by the breastplate that God has provided for us.  We cannot stand on our own merits, but always on the merits of the Son of God!  My goodness is simply the product of Him working in me to change my vile nature and make me more like Himself.  “For He [God] hath made Him [Jesus] to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21). 

“…And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace...” (verse 15).  The ancient warrior’s foot protection consisted of heavy sandals and brass greaves to protect the shins.  God has given us spiritual armor so that we can both stand and proceed forward.  We must be prepared to stand our ground for the Lord and the Good News of His Kingdom.  Satan would like to intimidate us and cause us to be silenced, but we have been called to be witnesses for the Gospel.  We must remember that His is a Gospel of peace, however, and we should never be quarrelsome or argumentative.  The servant of the Lord must never strive about the Gospel, but be gentle to all men, ready to teach, instructing them in meekness and all humility.  Scripture tells us, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth PEACE; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!”  (Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:15).  Certainly the Gospel of Peace equips us with the necessary armor for our feet so that our footing is sure and and we can “stand against all the wiles of the enemy.”  We need to not only stand our ground and keep what we have already gained in Christ, but we also need to press forward and, as Joshua and Israel of old, take new ground that Satan occupies, but God has promised us!

“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” (verse 16).  Faith is the most versatile piece of God’s armor.  It can withstand heavy blows, quench Satan’s projectiles that he hurls at us, and be used to cover any exposed area of our body.  “...this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4).  Faith transcends what we see with our eyes and reason with our senses, and it trusts God despite contrary circumstances.  This is invaluable against an enemy who likes to present us with an alternate reality to the one God has promised us.  Although all of God’s armor is effective against various types of attacks, faith provides us with a valuable second layer of protection that we can apply to any area where the enemy may be focusing his attack.  Faith bridges the gap between God’s promise and its fulfillment.  Abraham believed God even though he had to wait till he was about 100 years old before Isaac was born.  Moses trusted God even though he had to spend 40 years in Midian before he was sent to deliver his people.  Joseph endured great hardships before God released him to be the savior of his family.  The Bible is full of examples of how faith was the vehicle that God used to bring about His divine purpose.  “Above all,” scripture says, we must take up the shield of faith!

“...And take the helmet of salvation...” (verse 17).  The helmet protects the head, including the mind, and the mind is the main battleground where the devil likes to attack us.  The assurance of our salvation in Christ Jesus is a defense against many of the enemy’s onslaughts.  It is an answer that the devil cannot resist.  When he stands against us to accuse us we need only to point him in the direction of the cross and the empty tomb.  It is Christ Himself Who is our advocate and it is He Who has purchased us with His own precious blood.  “Who is he that condemneth?  It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, Who is even at the right hand of God, Who also maketh intercession for us.” (Romans 8:34). 

The Lord is in the process of renewing our minds and creating in us the mind of Christ.  “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5).  “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus...” (Philippians 2:5).  The purpose of this process is that we may begin to see as God sees, and think as God thinks, for His ways are as far above ours as the heavens are above the earth (Isaiah 55:8, 9; 1 Samuel 16:7).  We learn that our outer man must perish so that our inner, spiritual man can be renewed little by little and day by day.  We must learn that we cannot trust the things that we see because they are merely temporal.  It is the things that we can’t see that are eternal and that really matter in life (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

“...and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God...” (verse 17).  In Bible times, the sword was the main weapon of choice.  It could be used as both a defensive and an offensive weapon.  Unlike a bow and arrow, or a spear, it was meant to be used for close-in fighting.  When you were near enough to your enemy to stare into his eyes, it was time to draw your sword and defend your ground.  There is great power in the Word of God when wielded through the Spirit.  “For the Word of God is quick [alive and life giving], and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.” (Hebrews 4:12).  Satan’s lies can never hold up to the truth of God.  That’s why it is not only effective in defending the ground that you have won, but also in moving forward and taking new ground that Satan thinks is his.  Jesus spoke the Word of God to Satan when our Lord was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days.  Each time Jesus did this, the enemy had to try another tactic against Him.  The devil knows that God’s Word will never return to Him void, but will prosper in the thing that He sent it to do. 

The sword of the Spirit has two sharp edges.  While one is directed outward toward one’s enemies, the other is pointed inwardly toward the bearer.  This is a good reminder for us that while we often direct God’s Word toward others, God reserves a sharp edge to use in searching out our innermost motives and intentions.  “...piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12).

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” (verse 17).  While prayer is not necessarily included as a separate piece of the spiritual armor, Paul does include it just the same.  That is because prayer must be an integral part of literally everything that we endeavor to do for the Lord.  Praying in the Spirit is praying according to God’s mind and will, and we should always seek the mind of the Lord when we pray.  Such prayer will be truly effective when we touch His heart and are not merely focused on our own selfish wants.  We must be watchful as well, not only for our own sakes, but for others also.

God has provided us with everything we need to defend ourselves against the enemy of our souls.  He has also given us weapons powerful enough to take back from Satan all that we lost in Adam.  Let us therefore prove these weapons in our own lives, allowing the Lord to teach our hands to war, and our fingers to fight.  As good soldiers of Jesus Christ we must often endure hardships on the battlefield, but the victory is much sweeter when it is hard-won.  Remember, God has promised us a crown of life if we endure temptation and learn to overcome!  Praise His name!