Unless we put on the armor of God, we’ll be unprepared for the spiritual battles ahead.

Armor Up

Unless we put on the armor of God, we’ll be unprepared for the spiritual battles ahead. In our walks as Christians we should expect spiritual warfare. The Word says that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12). As Christians, we are to fight the enemy using the armor of God. The Word says “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him” (2 Tim 2:3-4).

Called to be Soldiers

We are called to be soldiers and to war against the enemy. God commands us to “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” (Eph 6: 10). It is not just parts of the armor we need, but “take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph 6:13-17).

Helmet of Salvation

Putting on the helmet of salvation and hope means to have hope and strength knowing that we are saved. It’s key when going to war that you know for certain that you are saved. You are a child of God and a part of the Kingdom of heaven. Having your hope centered on the salvation that is found in Jesus Christ is the key to that hope. Scripture tells us to “rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom 5:3-5).

Salvation Assurance

How do we know we are saved? The Word of God says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Rom 10:9-10). Jesus reassures us by saying, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24).

Breastplate of Righteousness

Next we have the breastplate of righteousness. We have righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ as we know that it was “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor 5:21). Jesus took on our sins so that we might be made the very righteousness of God. We needed this cleansing because, “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away” (Isaiah 64:6). Jesus paid the price for our righteousness, once and for all. His sacrifice is absolutely perfect. Knowing that we are righteous with God is a beautiful to know. Knowing that we have complete access to the Father through the Son, so “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us” (Rom 8:31)?

Belt of Truth

Jesus is truth, saying, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus is the Word. The Word is truth. It’s important to fill ourselves with the Word and its many promises. There is so much strength to be had when we delve deeply into the Word and we hold onto the many promises. Without the Word we would have no direction. We would forget the many promises of God. Learning the Word and using it gives us so much power and strength in our spiritual battle.

Shield of Faith

The shield of faith is intended to stop all the fiery darts of the enemy. It’s important to use the shield of faith correctly. We have faith in the Word and in God. Everything that is in the Word is true. We can hold on to God’s many promises. The enemy uses lies and deceit, but God’s Word is truth. Using the shield of faith and standing in the Word is the key to success against the enemy. All of the lies and deceit are exposed when we stand in the truth and use the shield of faith.

The soldier of Christ must rely on his shield, his sword, his helmet, and other tools to fend off the enemy.

Feet of Readiness

Feet fitted for readiness comes from the Gospel of Peace. We are on duty at all times as soldiers for Christ. Having peace through the Gospel means we have faith and assurance we are saved, and that we are sons and daughters of God because of what Jesus has done for us.

Sword of the Spirit

The sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God, is alive, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb 4:12). We basically use the Word as a sword as a powerful offensive weapon.

Here are a few Scriptures that can be used in using the sword of the Spirit:

● “The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name” (Ex 15:3).

● “Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble” (Ex 15:6-7).

● “The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before you and said, ‘Destroy” (Deut 33:27).

● “I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed. I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet. For you equipped me with strength for the battle. You made those who rise against me sink under me. You made my enemies turn their backs to me, and those who hated me I destroyed. They cried for help, but there was none to save; they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them. I beat them fine as dust before the wind; I cast them out like the mire of the streets” (Psalm 18:39-46).

● “The Lord goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his zeal; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes” (Isaiah 42:13).

● “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed” (1 Sam 2:9-10).

Conclusion

Putting on our spiritual armor and the sword of the Spirit every day is the key to success against the enemy. The Word of God says once we put on all of the armor of God, we are to stand; standing firm against the enemy. Hold on to the promises of God and wage war with the armor of God and the Word of God.

Author’s Bio: Jonathan Koenig is a owner of BiggerFaith.org, a Christian testimonials website.

Here is some related reading for you: Spiritual Attacks: Putting on the Armor of God

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Tagged as: Armor of God, Spiritual Attacks, Spiritual Battles