Ephesians 6:12-17 (NCV)
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.
Ephesians
6:10-18 is the famous “Armor of God” passage.
Paul says in verse 11 “put on the full armor of God”. Why?
So that you “may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the
devil”. The devil’s schemes are many
including corrupting your faith (the great deceiver, Gen 3), telling you that
committing a certain sin is acceptable (the great liar, John 8:44), and telling
you that you are no good (the greater murderer, John 8:44). Then Paul writes in
verse 12 that our enemy is not other people but that our enemy or enemies are
spiritual forces, aimed to destroy your soul and spirit, along with your body,
and keep you from flourishing in the kingdom of heaven here on earth. By that, I mean keep you from enjoying an
abundant life that Christ promises (John 10:10) to His followers who truly
follow Him as Lord.
The
armor of God consists of five defensive weapons and one offensive weapon.
1.
Belt
of truth—John 14:6
2.
Iron
over your chest (breastplate of righteousness)—Matt 5:6
3.
Shoes
of peace—Eph 2:14-15
4.
Shield
of faith—Gal 2:20
5.
Helmet
of salvation (Acts 4:12)
6.
Sword
of the Spirit (Word of God) (Heb 4:12)
If
these pieces of armor are too many to remember, just remember your Savior and
Lord, Jesus Christ. Paul also wrote in
Romans 13:14 to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ”; that is, to protect yourself
with His Word, with His righteousness over Satan, with His promises of peace,
with your faith in Him, with His salvation and with the power of His Word. Remember, all it took for Jesus to eliminate
satanic attacks in His temptation was to quote the word of God.
You simply put on God’s armor by knowing
and trusting the Lord. You read, study,
meditate, and believe in His Word and stand on His promises. You believe that the Bible is true. You
believe that you are forgiven and have the righteousness of Christ (right
before God) in you. You feel His peace
because of your trust and praying daily.
Your faith continues to grow as you live each day dedicated to Him. You have the assurance of salvation because
of your faith in understanding what salvation really means. You always come back to the Bible to help you
through whatever difficulties you are facing and whatever threats you feel from
satanic attacks (e.g. doubt, fear, worry, discouragement, frustration,
addictions, hardship, etc).
The
biggest lesson you must learn from the armor of God and what you must teach
your children is that you cannot overcome spiritual attacks on your own. Your own strength will fail you
eventually. Jesus Christ is the only
person in history who has defeated Satan through His sacrificial death on the
cross and his resurrection. Without the
armor of God, you and your family will be defenseless against the deceit,
immorality, and disobedience that go on all around you in this society (its
culture, media, entertainment, values) we live in. What are you doing to protect your family and
yourself? In what areas of your life do
you experience the greatest spiritual warfare?
If you or a member of your family is being spiritually attacked right
now, what must you do?
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