Unpacking the Armor of God

As followers of Jesus, we are in a constant warfare against evil. Dark principalities throw everything they can to attempt to make us want to give up the good fight of faith. We may face dark forces of depression, discouragement, sadness, lethargy, disappointment and all sorts of trauma. As we read in John 10:10, The enemy seeks to "steal, kill and destroy". The darkness doesn't want us to have the victory we are promised.

Although God gives us everything we need for victory, It is easy for us to get consumed with a daily battle that we lose the sense of God's strength working in us. God is the source of our strength as we read in Isaiah 40:29-31,

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

God alone can give us the strength we need to persevere, overcome and win our battles. Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:10-11,

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes."

Putting on the full armor of God makes us strong in the Lord and in his mighty power, making us able to overcome any battle we face against the forces of evil.

Let's unpack the armor of God. We continue in verse 14 of Ephesians 6: "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist". We must fasten on God's word of truth tightly - to guide us through life and give us discernment between good and evil. This belt of truth holds the entire armor in place. It is the foundation on which we must live our lives.

The next piece of the armor is the "breastplate of righteousness". Righteousness is being in a right relationship with God. This is a righteousness that can only come by faith that Christ died for our sins and through repentance, we can have forgiveness. This breastplate guarantees eternal life.

Next, Paul tells us to have our "feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace". This is the good news of our salvation through Jesus Christ which gives us peace of mind and complete assurance of our victory. By knowing the good news, we are ready to run and advance on the enemy with full vigor and confidence.

Ephesians 6 continues in verse 16, "In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one". Our unwavering faith in God helps us to stand our ground because we know that no matter what the enemy throws at us, God has it all under control and we are under his powerful protection.

Next, we are to put on the "helmet of salvation. That is, we must guard our minds with the confidence of our salvation. We do this by remembering that Jesus has already defeated our enemy as we read in Colossians 2:15, "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." This helmet of salvation protects us from the arrows of doubt that the enemy tries to penetrate into our minds.

The final piece of the armor of God is "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God". We must follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit who uses the word of God to slash and destroy the lies and deception of the enemy. Through the truth of God's word, we can immediately disarm the enemy and be victorious.

Apostle Paul gives us one more vital piece of advice to be able to stand our ground against the spiritual forces of evil. He tells us in verse 18 to "pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."

We must cover the armor of God with prayer and remain alert. We must never let our guard down. Life will always have distractions and detours which will try to derail us. This is why it is important to pray on all occasions to keep ourselves focused.

Whether we are currently in an ongoing battle or in between battles, the Lord has fully equipped us to overcome darkness and has already guaranteed our victory through the cross. We just need to strap on our armor and put our trust in Him. He promises to renew our strength so we can soar like eagles, run and not be weary, walk and not be faint.

Keep fighting the good fight, for the victory and the joy is ours!

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