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The Whole Armor of God!
Ephesians 6:13-18 (KJV) says, “13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”
Ephesians 6:13-14a says, “13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand (anthistēmi – resist, stand against) in the evil day, and having done all, to stand (histēmi – covenant, establish). 14Stand therefore…” This first Greek word, “anthistēmi”, is where we get the word “antihistamine” from, which is a type of blocker. You will take an “antihistamine”, such as Zyrtec, to fight the symptoms of allergies. In order to fight and resist the symptoms of your environment, such as seasons that are changing, you must submit your self therefore to God (James 4:7)! Be obedient to His Word by standing firm and established in your covenant with Him. Do your part, and God will do His! Therefore, be clothed with the armor of God!
Paul described the armor of God based off of a Roman soldier who was a prison guard! Again, he wrote the book of Ephesus while he was in prison! While describing a soldier, Paul instructs us to put on the “whole” armor of God. We are not called to put on “part” of the armor of God. Every piece is necessary to having authority over our minds, withstanding and exposing every attack of the enemy and walking in dominion on the earth!
Here are the pieces of the Armor of God and their purposes:
- Belt of Truth – The belt is what holds everything together. The shield and sword can rest and rely upon the truth.
- Breastplate of Righteousness – Righteousness protects the heart. Notice there is no armor for your back. It’s because you are not to turn your back to the enemy. You cannot conquer what you refuse to face!
- Shoes of the Gospel of Peace – we are to walk in pure evangelism, spreading and sharing the good news of peace. You can only have peace if you walk in victory. The God of peace can only bruise Satan under our feet if we stand firm on the Word of God! Roman soldiers oftentimes wore shoes with spikes on the bottom of them to stand firm on hillsides or slippery slopes. We must be unshakeable and unlovable in the gospel!
- Shield of Faith – Faith quenches all the fiery darts of the wicked. It was custom in Biblical times for soldiers to anoint their shields so that arrows shot at them would simply glide off! The only way for your faith to be anointed is to place your faith in the Anointed One, who is Jesus! Faith is simply knowing God (Lester Sumrall). In Roman times, there were two types of shields. One was a small shield, used for battles one-on-one. The other was a large, door-shaped shield, used so that you join together with fellow soldiers to fight against an invading army. When the enemy began to invade, they would get low to force the soldier on horseback to go over top in order to stab the horse so it would cause the soldier to be thrown off. There are different types and levels of faith need in different battles, scenarios or situations. Sometimes, you may feel like you have to tackle stuff on your own, and other times you may have to link up your faith with brothers and sisters! Whatever it is, do it in the name of the LORD! As long as you go forward in God that’s all that matters!
- Helmet of Salvation – Salvation protects your mind! You must renew your mind with the salvation founded in Christ by being equipped with the mind of Christ. You have to be willing to look at battles and situations through Christ’s eyes! Don’t allow doubt, death and defeat to overwhelm your mind because if you allow the enemy to take residence in your mind, it’s easy to lose the battle before you ever get started! Your mind was created to give it thoughts to think, and so fill your mind with the Word of God. Think about the blessings of God and what He has done in your life!
- Sword of the Spirit – Listed in Ephesians 6, this is the only offensive weapon you have. While salvation, truth, faith, evangelism and righteousness are your weapons of defense in defending your body, soul and spirit, along with the territory God has given you, it is the Word of God that allows you to advance the kingdom of God and take territory, rather that is certain regions or even people for His glory! We understand that scripture was written as people were moved upon by the Holy Ghost (2 Peter 1:21), but the Word of God is also prophecy and things God has spoken to your heart! It is the testimony of Jesus in your life, which is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). The purpose of God speaking is to reveal the true nature of your heart, and if there is any area of disobedience and impurity in your heart, He puts it in check so that you may repent of your sins and surrender whatever is necessary to Him!
- Lance of Prayer – While the spear was not mentioned in Ephesians 6, maybe because the prison guard would not have had this weapon in his arsenal at the time, it was very much used in battle. Although a sword is used in hand-to-hand combat, a spear was used to reach an enemy in the distance. Prayer can reach where you cannot! It is time to launch air strikes against your enemy, and it only comes through prayer, declaring God’s Word over your situation!
What good does it do have the shield of faith and not the sword of God’s Word? In that case, you can have your faith in the wrong resources. Every pieces is necessary. At times you may not have to use every weapon, but simply be prepared and willing to show up to the battle and face your enemy. Your nearness to God will always be your greatest defense!