God’s Armor

In Ephesians 6:10-19 the Apostle Paul gives Christians a list of battle armor for the spiritual war we face. There is a tendency among Christians to departmentalize problems into the groups of, physical and spiritual. They miss a significant point Paul stresses: everything is spiritual.

Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

On a personal level, the Christian’s problem is not with the unreasonable boss, the rent-a-car lady who has your reservation but does not have any cars, the handyman who overcharges, the kid at the drive-through who messes up your order, or anyone else who provides the latest irritant. These are spiritual battles.

Why are these things spiritual battles? Because we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. These situations irritate us and possibly make us angry. We lash out, or at the least gripe and complain. Any Christlike spirit in our demeanor evaporates. The spirit of bitterness remains within us often for the rest of the day or possibly well beyond. We share that bitterness with friends by telling them how stupid the boss is – we have lost the spiritual battle and could assist in others losing their spiritual warfare by instilling that bitterness into them, as they are now irritated at our boss, a person they never met.

I could go further by showing how a Christian’s irritation can have an eternal effect on the unsaved, but we need to describe the armor.

Twice (Ephesians 6:11, 13), Paul emphasizes the need for us to have the whole armor of God. When one piece is missing, we are left vulnerable.

First on the list is “having your loins girt about with truth.” In other words, the truth needs ingrained into our gut. Jesus Christ is the Word, and both are the truth (John 1:1-3,14; John 14:6; John 17:17). In your everyday life, is following the Scripture your nature, or is the Bible even part of your decision-making process? Your answer to that question determines if your loins are girt about with truth.

Next up is the breastplate of righteousness, which covers center mass. In my military and law enforcement training, we were trained to shoot at center mass. Our enemy, Satan, will aim for center mass. He wants to attack your righteousness. When our sin ruins our testimony, more souls end up in hell. We do not lose our salvation, but sin dramatically diminishes our ability to convey the gospel message to the lost. Also, the further we go down the road of sin, the less likely we are to share the gospel. Living a righteous life and recognizing temptation and evil when it arises around us prevents serious spiritual wounds that can have eternal ramifications.

Every soldier needs a good pair of boots; our boots are “the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15). It is easy to see if you have your boots on. Are you going around telling people the gospel?

Paul indicates that the next item on the list is the most important. Ephesians 6:16, “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

Unlike the breastplate, which is stationary, a shield can be moved to any position a person needs. So, faith can be used to defend attacks from any direction in any circumstance. Every problem in a Christian’s life can be fought off with faith. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God. Therefore, faith is essential to a successful Christian life.

A word about faith: faith is believing what God says and applying it to life. God’s Word never tells us that God will have us win the lottery, but it does tell us that we will not be tempted with more than we can bear. Therefore, when temptation comes around, by faith we know that God has already determined we are strong enough to say “no” to whatever the temptation may be. Because of this a Christian has no excuse to sin (1 Corinthians 10:13).

The Helmet of Salvation is next on the list. This piece of armor is salvation itself. Without salvation, the Great Quartermaster will not issue the other things on the list. With respect to salvation as a helmet, a helmet protects against the death blow. We cannot lose our salvation.

The last item mentioned is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Please note that the sword is the only offensive weapon in God’s armor but the most powerful. Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing assunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

The Word of God has the power to change someone’s life and eternity. It can change the world. Do you carry God’s sword throughout the day? Do you use it to make decisions, determine how you raise your children, handle your finances, and interact within your relationships and every other aspect of life? Do you carry the sword, or does it sit on the shelf gathering dust? The answer to that question will show if you wear any of God’s armor.