Note: much of the following post was first shared in 2015, and the armor of
God is something we need to put on daily and to understand even more!
Ephesians 6:10-17 NLT
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.
When we choose God,
we choose to engage an enemy, and that enemy we know as Satan. By living with God’s truth we will know His
grace and share His love with others.
We must stand firm
against the strategies of the devil. Like
a great army leader he knows how and where to attack. He is be throwing his fiery arrows at
us. These can be physical or emotional
arrows, they can be real or imagined, they can be large or small, insignificant
or a big deal. But the
enemy is after us.
What must we do to
ensure that we are ready for the enemy’s attack? These verses remind us of things to do
in order to be ready for the spiritual battle taking place around us.
Be strong in the
Lord. Too many times we choose our own strength rather than
God’s strength.
Put on God’s
armor. This command and offer is constructed in such a way for
us to know that God owns the armor and provides His armor for us, but it also
says that we have a choice. Going
unprotected we have problems.
Put on the belt of
truth. Truth is like a belt. It holds us together. Truth
is a person, and His name is Jesus.
Put on the body
armor of true righteousness. This one isn’t easy to understand. True righteousness is something we
learn about the closer we get to God. He
makes us righteous based on what God has done.
Put on the shoes of
being ready to always share our hope and the peace of God. Just share your story. Tell people what God has done for you,
not what you have done. God
is still in the position of giving hope.
Share His hope.
Hold up the shield
of faith God has given us. Don’t go in to battle unprotected. Hold a shield based on these things
God has given.
Put on the helmet of
salvation. Our salvation is a gift from God based completely on His
promise, His action, His love and the completed work of Christ.
Use the sword of the
spirit God has given to us. Finally, use your sword. The Bible. God gives us His word to get in us, to
hold us, to train us, to guide us, to inspire us, to encourage us, to give us
what to say and so much more. This
is our only weapon of offence.
The armor of God is
a big deal. Remember we
don’t have to preform to please God. He
has always done all we need to get us to heaven and to seal us for abundant
life before heaven. Understanding
the battle and living by God’s truth prepares us daily for greater things.
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