Ephesians 6: The Armor of God

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. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full Armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And 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. (Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV)

Throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites are seen fighting constant battles with their enemies, but we also see God fighting for them. God is seen as a warrior. (See Exodus 15:3; Zephaniah 3:17; Psalms 18:39, 35:1-3, 42:13; Isaiah 11:5, 49:2)

In Ephesians 6, Paul reminds us that we are in a spiritual and physical battle. That is why God sent the Holy Spirit in order to help us resist the enemy’s schemes. So, how do we fight an unseen battle? The Lord gave us His armor to allow us to stand firm and protect us against the enemy’s schemes. With this armor, we have God’s power. The same God who fought for His people in the Old Testament is also the same God who resides within us through the Holy Spirit. We can fight the enemy with confidence when we wear this armor, because we know that God is fighting for us.

The importance and meaning of the armor of God were summarized by my friend Ann Knopp in her book “Pursuing Jesus, Obeying Jesus, Living for Jesus” (2021) as follows:

Belt of Truth—Truth must be the foundation for our life; without truth we have nothing.
Breastplate of Righteousness—Live a right life (protect our heart and lungs).
Feet fitted with the Gospel of Peace—Share the gospel with everyone we meet.
Shield of Faith—Fiery arrows of Satan will fly; our faith keeps us standing strong.
Helmet of Salvation—We must believe in our mind and heart that Jesus died for us then we can be saved.
Sword of the Spirit- Word of God—Study His Word daily so we can fight the battles that come our way.
Pray in the Spirit in all occasions—Whatever comes our way, we always have the Spirit of God with us (p.89).

Without this armor, my friends, we are defenseless and vulnerable to the enemy’s attack. Only a soldier who is adequately armed and trained can engage in warfare. The image that comes to mind when I think of the armor of God is one of a Roman soldier getting ready for battle. This armor protects his head, his heart, and other vital organs. Without it, he would essentially be dead.

In verse 10, Paul tells us to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.” Jesus knew we would face many trials and tribulations, so He left us the Holy Spirit and gave us His armor to help us fight. Without God, we are powerless to resist and win this battle. We cannot defeat the enemy on our own; we must be spirit-filled and strengthened by God’s power. The enemy has used the same tactic since the beginning of time. He is cunning and devious. He strikes when we are weak, vulnerable, and distracted.

Although I’ve always known about the armor of God, I never fully understood how important it was to know its purpose and why God has given it to us. In the past, I’ve tried to try to fight my own battles, but I’ve never been successful. It’s left me feeling weak and defeated and made me more insecure and doubtful. Now, though, I am aware of both who I am and Who lives in me. The God of Heaven’s army lives in you and me. He gave us the weapon we needed to fight the enemy and continue running our race.

Friends, don’t be discouraged when facing trials or tribulations; remember who you are and Whose you are; put on your armor and continue running your race. Your struggles will not end, but ask Him to give you the strength so you may continue on your journey. Take hold of His hand and He will walk you through all the way to victory. Trust and believe in Him!

Once again, I am thankful for Your love, mercy, and guidance. You knew we couldn’t defeat the enemy on our own, so to protect us, You sent the Holy Spirit to guide us and gave us spiritual weapons to help us to stand firm, be on our guard, and not be surprised when the enemy hits us with one of his schemes. Father, give me the wisdom and discernment to know when the enemy attacks me. Help me to always be on guard and to live a life worthy of Your calling. In Jesus’ name, I give You all the praises. Amen.

Reference

Knopp, A. L. (2021). Pursue Jesus, Obey Jesus, Live for Jesus.

Meadville, PA: Christian Faith Publishing.

The Lucado Encouraging Word Holy Bible. (2020). Nashville,

TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.