Ephesians 6:10

When soldiers go into battle, they get extremely armored up.  They have bulletproof vests, helmets that are made of steel, gloves, boots, and tactical gear.  They want to be protected against enemy fire.

In the same manner as this, we as Christians need to put our armor on.  We need to put on the full armor of God.  We need to recognize there is an enemy out there, a spiritual enemy.  An enemy that prowls around and waits to attack, the devil is so subtle that we may not realize when he attacks and over time, if we do not wear our armor daily, he will penetrate and take over our lives.

We read in Ephesians 6:10-17 – “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 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. 13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle, you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

So yes, there are evil rulers lurking around this Earth.  They are the authorities of the unseen world.  They have an army just seeking to influence and infiltrate, to occupy, and manipulate.  They want you to just keep living the ungodly life you are living.  They want to make you seemingly comfortable in your situation, which is a big lie.  There will be no peace.  It’s all a mirage, a fallacy, it’s not real.  It’s a trap to keep you away from our Lord.

The devil and his army have one job, to keep as many people away from God as possible.  They are everywhere and there are trillions of demons on this Earth.  Trillions upon trillions, seeking to deceive you, seeking to give you everything God doesn’t want you to have or do.  The devil and his enemy need to be recognized.  They must be known by God’s children.  Once you know and believe that they are there, you need to put on your full armor of God that He has for you.  This is the only way you will win the battle.  You can’t just have some armor on.  You can’t just be at church.  You can’t just be serving at church or helping out on a mission.  You can’t just read a devotional or a daily scripture.  You can’t just be good.  None of these are sufficient enough to stop the devil and his army.  You need the full armor of God coupled with reading your word every day.  You need to keep your eyes on Jesus at all times in all situations.  Let’s start by recognizing every piece of armor and go into an explanation of each piece.  We need to understand each piece and its job, what is used for, and how to apply it so we can stand against the devil’s schemes and attacks.

Piece #1 – Belt of Truth             

This will help you stand your ground, preparing you in season and out of season.  Make yourself ready for battle when the devil comes with his influx of lies.  Put on your belt; keep the truth wrapped around you so you’re not fooled by his trickery.  Also with the belt of truth, it will help you teach others the truth about the word of God.  So when the devil is fooling them or they come with a deceptive heart, you can stand strong on the true word of God and deliver the true promise.  You can combat the devil where he stands.  Satan is the master of deception.  He can make his lies sound so good.  So keep God’s word in your belt and let the truth fight for you Exodus 14:14.

Piece #2 – Body Armor of Righteousness

Satan attacks our hearts, our emotions, self-worth, and trust.  God’s righteousness is our armor that protects our heart and ensures His approval.  He approves us because he loves us and sent his son to die for us.

Righteousness – “Behavior that is morally justifiable or right.”  Such behavior is characterized by accepting standards of morality, justice, virtue, or uprightness.  The Bible standard of human righteousness is God’s own perfection in every attribute, every attitude, every behavior, and every word.  So God’s law, as given in the Bible, both describe His own character and constitutes the plumb line by which He measures human righteousness.

It all boils down to conduct in relation to others.  Especially with regards to the rights of others in business, in legal matters, and beginning with a relationship with God.  It is contrasted with wickedness, the conduct of the one whom, out of gross self-centeredness, neither reveres God nor respects man.  The Bible describes the righteous person as just or right, holding to God and trusting in Him.  (Psalm 33:18-22)  

So our body armor is to be put on after we receive Christ and ask for forgiveness.  We put our armor on so it contains our righteousness that God has given us.  We must continually practice living according to God’s word, so it lives in us and through us.  So are attitude shines on and people see the light and will know we are children of God.

Piece #3 – Shoes

“For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.” Ephesians 6:15

The Good News, also known as God’s Word, when one reads and meditates on it on a daily basis, will bring you that peace that passes all understanding.  So what this is saying is to walk in God’s Word every day, all day, everywhere, and all over.  You see if we put our shoes of peace that comes from the good news, then we should be walking in that peace no matter what trials come, no matter what tribulations arise, and no matter what weapon the enemy brings at you.  You remember you are wearing the peace that comes from the Good News, the piece that is in us because the Holy Spirit lives in us.  So today take a stand and slip on your shoes of peace and ready yourself for the day’s battles.  We must be saturated in God’s word so His love is dripping off of us.  Everyone should see you shine, everyone should taste your salt, and then when it’s time to plant seeds people will receive them.  Go today and be the witness God called you to be.  Put on your third piece of armor and be ready to shine on.      

Piece #4 – Shield of Faith

In every battle, you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery darts or arrows aimed at you by the devil.

Faith – It says to use it as your shield, so let’s think about that. The Bible says if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to that mountain move and it shall be moved.  The Bible says it is by your faith that you were saved.

Faith – Complete trust or confidence in someone or something.  Trust, belief, confidence, and conviction.  A strong belief in God or in the Word of God.

The Word of God is filled with scriptures pertaining to faith.  If we have faith in what the Word of God, the good news, and His promises then we should know that for every single thing the devil shoots at you, you can be sure that if you truly believe in the words God spoke, you will be able to deflect those lies.  You get this faith by reading the word of God and listening to his voice. The still small voice in your mind as He speaks to you in your Word, you retain it in your heart.  You need to be in your word every day and when I say your word, I don’t mean just a devotional book or a daily scripture, or a message from the radio, or the TV, or Facebook “feel good” posts.  I mean in your actual Word.  Open up your Bible and read it.  Let it come alive for you.  The Bible says the word of God is alive.  It can cut through bone and marrow.  Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”  So faith comes by hearing, hearing the word of the Lord, and this is your shield.

Piece #5 – Helmet of Salvation

This is a very important piece of armor.  The Helmet of Salvation keeps God’s word in it. After we get saved, receive Christ as our savior, we need to constantly feed our new spirit and kill the old fleshly person we once were. 

Salvation – Deliverance from sin and its consequences believed by Christians to be brought about by faith in Christ.

Once a person repents of their sin, they are going to be the main target for the devil and his army, trying to needle your brain with all sorts of lies and deception.  They will try to the end of days to get you to sway the other side.  So our helmet of Salvation, you put this on and this keeps you safe, free from the head blows from the devil and his demons.  You must protect your mind, Satan is subtle.  He can shout thoughts of bitterness, rage, anger, ungratefulness, and judgment.  There are literally hundreds of mind sins you can be slipped by the demons to get you to try and chew on it or dwell on it for but a moment.  You let it sink in, then you digest it and there it goes; you start to feed on it and it grows into sin.

So the helmet of Salvation is vital to a Christian and must be coupled with all the other pieces to go out and fight your battle and do God’s will.  God wants us to plant seeds, be a light, and be salt.  So get geared up and go be a soldier for our Lord.

Piece #6 – Sword of the Spirit

The Sword of the spirit is the word of God.  This is our defense out of all the pieces of armor.  The Word of God will combat any attacks from Satan.  The Bible says that the word of God is sharper than any double edge sword.  It can split bone and marrow, and spirit and soul.  The word of God can penetrate down to our deepest, darkest places, and core.  You can repair, protect, slay, destroy, heal, rebuke, and love.  If it has all the powers that God has, it is God and it is living.  That is why it’s referred to as the sword of the spirit.  It is the ultimate weapon and also the ultimate healer.  It will bring you into the most beautiful loving relationship with our Savior, one that you will never find anywhere else, ever.  Take up your sword daily.  Let it penetrate deep down.  Let it bring you into that loving relationship you’ve been longing for, a relationship with Jesus Christ.  The word of God is our ultimate GPS.  It leads us, guides us, loves us, and it disciplines us.  Let it take over your life.  Let it become your life, walk in it, and let it walk in you.  It will change you forever and lead you into a glorious future, a future where Jesus is King.  It allows you to be 100% dependable on him.  The Bible says to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness first and all things shall be added unto you.  So pick up your sword first thing in the morning and don’t lay it down until it’s time to sleep, and even then have it close by.

Along with our armor, putting that on every day, we also need to pray.  Pray at all times and on every occasion through the power of the Holy Spirit.  We must make our every thought prayerful ones, looking at our situations through the eyes of Christ.  Answer people how Christ would.  Keep little prayers on your tongue so throughout your days you can respond in love and pray for people, pray for situations, pray for your Christian brothers and sisters, and pray for your church.  Pray, follow the will of the father in planting seeds, winning souls for Christ, and in teaching the true word of God.

We live in a world where Satan and his demons get to run about and attach themselves to individuals, influence them, manipulate their minds, and have them in their own jail cells all comfortable with stuff.  We live in a society that worships idols, who cares more about the status of a person, than the actual person.  We live in a society where riches and fame are more important than morals and love.  We idolize people based on how good they play a sport, how good they act, or how good they sing.  These are the people our world looks up to and listens to.

The Devil has this world so lost that we, as Christians being interjected into it have to be very careful and tread very lightly.  We need to have our armor of God on and be in our word, prayed up, fasting, and ready for battle because if you’re not, the world will gobble you up 100% for sure.  I’ve seen it happen over and over, time and time again.  And when it happens to Christians sometimes they don’t even realize it.  They’re too comfortable in their worldly lifestyle.

This is how you know who to be praying for.  You look, watch, and listen.  If you see brothers and sisters in the Lord, who are not prayed up and are not in their word consistently, pray for them.  It’s so easy for Christians to keep one foot in the world.  We all know the verse “do not be conformed to the ways of the world.”  This is a big struggle for 95% of Christians and we as leaders have to remember that many are called few are chosen.

Paul, an ambassador for Christ, sits in prison and writes powerful letters to the people of Ephesus.  He sits there shackled in chains, thinking about other’s needs, thinking about who he can plant seeds of Jesus Christ to.  He asks that people pray for him to have a boldness that he would be courageous and bold enough to keep spreading the good news to all he runs into, plus spread the secret which is the good news to the Gentiles.

Where are we today?  Are we in a place we don’t like?  Are we at a job we don’t like?  Are we staying in a place that’s not our style or our kind of neighborhood?  Are we in a foreign land away from our family and home?

It doesn’t matter where you are if your life is God-filled and Holy Spirit lead than he has you right where he wants you.  You make the most of every situation and be open to how God wants to use you.  God’s plans are so much bigger than anything you can imagine.  So no matter where you are or what situation you find yourself, God can and will use you.  So keep in prayer, and in His word, and you will see what the Lord wants you to see.