Are You Wearing Your Armor?

There is a very interesting passage of scripture in the Bible that talks about the armor of God and is found in Ephesians chapter 6 verses 10 to18 (KJV), “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;”.

There are certain key points of the utmost importance in this passage of scripture that I would like to point out if you may permit.

First of all I would like to make it abundantly clear that this passage does not refer to any “physical” armor. Many times people read this text and associate it with something they can actually touch with their hands when in fact it’s talking about attributes we should clothe ourselves with.

Secondly we have to notice that this armor allows us to stand against the wiles (tricks or stratagems) of the devil. There again, to clarify the fact that this is not something physical that we wear, we are told in verse 12 that we are not wrestling against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces. Yes you may tell me that at times this fight may become physical, true, but at the end of the day it is spiritual in origin.

Practical Guide of the 7 items the armor of God is made up of:

1. Truth
2. Righteousness
3. Preparation/Readiness that comes form the gospel of peace
4. Faith
5. Salvation
6. The word of God
7. Prayer

These are all very powerful tools that we should use in our daily lives as we fight this battle. You may ask yourself though “How can I use those tools in a practical way?” so to answer this question I would like to share seven points with that will hopefully enlighten you on the matter.

1. Truth

Do like Christ, when the enemy comes at you with his lies trying to lead you astray, fight back with the word of God. You need to ensure that you know God’s word for yourself so that you won’t fall for it.

2. Righteousness

Live an exemplary life above reproach by faith in Jesus Christ so that you may bring glory to God in everything you do. Remember, your righteousness comes from Christ!

3. Preparation/Readiness that comes form the gospel of peace

As a “soldier” of the gospel be ready for action, for service, for obedience etc. Be watchful, the enemy always looks for easy preys.

To put it simply: Always be ready!

4. Faith

There is no way I can overemphasize the importance of faith in the Christian walk. To put it simply, there is no way in this lifetime that you will be able to live a life that is pleasing unto God without faith. To take God at His word you need to have faith and believe that He will do what He says He will do.

Believe without doubting!

5. Salvation

You can’t take part in the most important battle of your life and have doubts about something as fundamental as salvation. I will simply quote Romans 10:9 which says, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;” (American Standard Version). So the big question is “Are you saved?” This question must leave no doubts in your mind because you can’t enroll in this army or be victorious if you don’t meet this condition.

Remember, you are saved by faith in Jesus Christ.

6. The word of God

You have one guide on the battlefield: the word of God.

This guide gives you vital information such as:

1. How to use the weapons;
2. Your allies;
3. The enemies and their strategies;
4. It provides you with your orders from the commander in chief: Jesus Christ;
5. It is needed to know the terms of engagement;
6. Etc.

Don’t underestimate its importance; your life depends on it!

7. Prayer

Many of your battles will be won in prayer. You must also realize that not only it is important to pray for yourself but also your brothers and sisters as they depend on you to do so also. It’s a team effort where fellow soldiers pray for each other.

Pray throughout the battle according to the leading of God’s Spirit.

Finally I would like to say that the better you know your orders, the nature of the battle, your weapons, the enemy's etc. the greater your chances of victory and total success. You battle guide is the Bible, God's word to us.

So now, put on the armor of God my friend.

Reference: #PRW0000004