The Full Armor of God
Ephesians 6:11-17 (NCV)
"Put on the full armor of God so that you can fight against the devil’s evil tricks. Our fight is not against people on earth but against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness, against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world. That is why you need to put on God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing. So stand strong, with the belt of truth tied around your waist and the protection of right living on your chest. On your feet wear the Good News of peace to help you stand strong. And also use the shield of faith with which you can stop all the burning arrows of the Evil One. Accept God’s salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
As Christians, we are always in a spiritual war. Our fight in this spiritual war is different than a war we fight in the world. First, we do not use physical weapons to fight but spiritual ones. Second, our fight is not against each other but against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness and against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly realms. In spiritual wars we are powerless to defeat our enemy the devil and his demon followers without God’s help. That is why Paul tells us to use spiritual weapons known as the full armor of God. The armor will help us to fight the good fight when dealing with the devil and to help us remain standing strong during and after each battle we will face.
- The belt of truth - The belt of truth holds all the armor in place. Knowing the truth of the scriptures will help us to recognize the devil’s lies because he is well-known as the “Father of Lies.” The truth can also set us free from believing the devil’s false accusations against us. In addition, it helps us to stay committed to the truth of God, so we remain a person of honesty and integrity that pleases God.
- The breastplate of righteousness - The breastplate of righteousness protects and shields all our vital organs from the enemy like a soldier in battle. The breastplate of righteousness protects our heart from evil so we can stay Holy and pure. We are protected by the righteousness of Jesus’ blood.
- The shoes of the Gospel of peace - The shoes of peace allow us to stand firm in the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ peace will shine in us so we can be a light for others.
- The shield of faith - The shield of faith protects us from the fiery dart attacks of the devil. His attacks include putting doubt in our minds about the goodness of God, our salvation because of sin or how others think about us.
- The helmet of salvation - The helmet of salvation protects our head and thoughts from doubt and fear. It keeps our mind focused on the truth of God’s promises so the devil cannot control our thinking. With the helmet, our thinking is controlled by the Holy Spirit.
- The sword of the Spirit - The sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon we use in our spiritual war. We must use the word of God to help us believe God’s truths rather than believing the devil’s lies. Jesus used the word of God to defend himself against the devil’s lies when he was tempted in the desert. The truth of the Gospel helped keep Jesus from sinning.
