The Full Armor of God
The full of armor of God is one of the greatest illustrations given in the Bible to signify the kind of war we wage against the devil and the flesh in this world. Each part of the armor teaches the disciple an important aspect of their victory in Jesus.
Get ready to know who God said you are and to do what He said you can do- defeat the enemy and live a victorious life in Jesus Christ!
SERIES TEXT
Ephesians 6:10-17, “10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD
- BELT OF TRUTH: The belt of truth (Jesus’ teachings and commands) hold up your spiritual pants up and centers all you do, John 8:31-32.
- BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: The breastplate of righteousness (given to you by Christ at the new birth) protects your heart and gives you your identity, 2 Corinthians 5:21.
- SHOES OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE: The shoes of the gospel of peace (peace with God because of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection) is what guides your life and gives purpose to everything you do, Romans 10:14-15.
- SHIELD OF FAITH: The shield of faith (faith in God’s Word) protects you from all the attacks of the enemy (doubt & fear), Romans 10:17.
- HELMET OF SALVATION: The helmet of salvation (the mind of Christ) guards your thoughts and lines them up with the will of God, Romans 12:1-2.
- SWORD OF THE SPIRIT: The sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) is the weapon you use against your carnal thoughts (1 Peter 2:11 & 2 Corinthians 10:5) and the devil’s temptations (Luke 4:3-4).
THREE THINGS TO REMEMBER IN THE FIGHT OF FAITH
- THE BATTLE IS THE LORD’S: Since Jesus is already victorious and has made you more than a conqueror- you are fighting from victory, not for victory! (Psalm 23:5, Romans 8:37, & 1 Corinthians 15:57)
- STAND YOUR GROUND: You are to fight to keep and maintain all that Christ has triumphantly given you- don’t give the enemy one foothold! (Ephesians 4:26-27, 1 Peter 5:8-9, & Revelation 12:11).
- TEMPORARY DEFEAT IS NOT FINAL: Even if you lose a battle against evil, remember that Jesus has won the war- repent, get back up, and keep fighting! (Proverbs 24:16, Hebrews 12:4-13, & Revelation 3:5,3:19)
The disciple stands and fights from victory in every area of their life, not for victory, because through Christ we are already victorious!