The Full Armor of God
Jesus promised His disciples two things in this world- ONE, we will have troubles and TWO, He has overcome them all! John 16:33, “…In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” May God use the inspired teachings of Paul to help insure our victory over every battle we face, In Jesus’ name!
EPHESIANS 6:10-18
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.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD
- BELT OF TRUTH: The belt of truth (Jesus’ teachings and commands) hold 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 & 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- i.e., “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 (Matthew 4:3-4).
FIVE THINGS TO REMEMBER IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE
- EVERY BATTLE IS SPIRITUAL: Though people may be used by the devil, ultimately our battle is between our spirit and evil spirits. Thankfully, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to give us all the power we need to defeat every spiritual enemy we face! (Acts 1:8 & 1 John 4:4)
- 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! (2 Chronicles 20:15, Psalm 23:5, Romans 8:37, & 1 Corinthians 15:57)
- 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)
- 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).
- PRAYER IS OUR LIFE LINE: Prayer is not ask God for things learning to share our heart with God in times of testings and being encouraged by hearing His heart for us (2 Corinthians 12:8-9).
As disciples of Christ we stand and fight from victory- not for victory. Why? Because in Jesus we are already more than conquerors!