Have you ever really thought through the meaning of the Armor of God? The types of armor mentioned in this passage is something we do not see or think about today. Armor to the warrior in those days was both defensive and offensive. If a soldier did not wear his defensive armor (helmet, breastplate, shield) he would be vulnerable to an enemy attack. If he did not use his offensive weapons like his sword, he could not defeat the enemy.
The passage in Ephesians 6 calls out six “pieces” of armor that protect us in spiritual battle, but how do we “put them on”? How do they work? What do they do for us in our everyday life?
Ephesians 6:10-17
Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take action against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 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, stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Here are definitions of the terms from Bible Gateway and a few thoughts about them.
Belt of Truth- God’s truth rules in my heart and will be in my mind and on my lips always.
To accomplish this, we must know God’s truth. The more we study and understand Scripture, the more “truth” we will have in our heart and mind to protect ourselves. Daily Scripture reading, meditating on it and applying it to our life will help us grow in the truth. If we do not know and apply the truth, it cannot help us, and we would be missing that piece of armor.
Breastplate of Righteousness- Apart from God there is no righteousness, but through Jesus we can be “born again” and made righteous in the Father’s sight.
Righteousness is a gift. We can only decide to accept it or not. On our own, we cannot become righteous. Only by letting the Spirit have control over us can we put on the breastplate of righteousness. Without the Spirit’s leading, our human nature cannot produce righteousness.
Feet fitted with readiness that comes from the Gospel of Peace- Reflecting the Gospel in my words and actions, so that Jesus shines through my every encounter and in His timing, He may draw others one step closer to Himself.
As we go about our day, showing that we care and have love for one another in what we say and do, gives us opportunity to share the Gospel. If our words and actions do not reflect Biblical principle, we cannot show the world His peace.
Shield of Faith- May we take up the Shield of Faith, Your Word concerning promises about the present and future—promises of everlasting love, abundant life, and so much more.
A shield is a defensive weapon. Our shield of faith will stop all of Satan’s attacks, unless we lay the shield down. Do we take our shield of faith with us in the encounters in our normal day? To protect ourselves from the enemy’s “fiery darts” we must hold up this shield, have strong faith by believe His promises, and not “lay it down”.
Helmet of Salvation- Nothing can separate me from God’s love. I have been saved by grace. In His grace, He helps me to say “no” to all ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live a self-controlled, upright, and godly life.
A helmet protects a soldier’s mind. At salvation we are given the Holy Spirit. The helmet of salvation is there to protect our minds from thoughts Satan tempts us with. Scripture says test the spirits. The Holy Spirit is given to us to help us distinguish when thoughts are not from God.
Sword of the Spirit- Let the Spirit reign in my life and bring to my mind just the right Bible verses to be in my heart and on my lips.
Jesus used this offensive weapon when He was tempted by Satan in the desert. Scripture is the best offensive weapon we have for spiritual warfare. As mentioned in the Belt of Truth, the more Scripture we know the less Satan can get us off track. To stay on the offense, stay in the Word daily.
This song by the Gospel group Harvest is a good challenge to all of us.
Lyrics to “The Army of the Lord” by Harvest
Are we walking into the enemy’s camp
Laying our weapons down
Shedding our armor as we go
Leaving it on the ground
We’ve got to be strong in the Power of his Might
Prove to the enemy
We are the army of the Lord and we’ve won the victory
All around us the war is going on between the wrong and the right
We got choose which side we’re on the darkness or the light Cause some of the soldiers of the Lord
Just don’t realize that the captain of the army of darkness
Has come to blind their eyes
Are we walking into the enemies camp
Laying our weapons down
Shedding our armor as we go
Leaving it on the ground
We’ve got to be strong in the Power of his Might
Prove to the enemy
We are the army of the Lord and we’ve won the victory
Can’t you see were in a battle there’s no place to hide
Our shields of faith are full of darts
There shooting from every side
Shake out the darts and run right at them
Remember Who you’re fighting for
And don’t fall asleep because if they catch you
They’ll tag you prisoner of war
The Armor of God is available for every believer. We just need to put it on every morning.
Christian Life Coach 