The Armor Of God
We're going to take a look at the concept of the "Armor of God", how it is to be implemented, and what benefits we obtain from it; in short, how does it apply to us today? We'll begin by reading Ephesians 6:10-17, as Paul closes out his letter to the church at Ephesus with a stirring call to action..."Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore 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.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
Beginning with verse 10, Paul urges the Ephesians, as well as all of us, to..."be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." First of all, we must understand that we are in a battle, a life or death struggle. We are truly at war, and our minds are the battlefield. The devil is constantly scheming to entrap us, to tear down our defenses. His only goal is to ensnare us, and to drag our souls down to hell with him. The Lord is our first, and only, line of defense. Without Him, we are without hope, and have no means of fortification, or tools with which to ward off the attacks of the devil. We are simply not equipped to defend ourselves against such an enemy unaided.
With verse 11, Paul explains what must be done in order to protect oneself from Satan..."Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." We must make use of all of the proper defenses and weapons provided by God if we are to repel the offensive of Satan, or, as Paul calls it here, the "wiles of the devil." This is an interesting choice of words, as the word "wile" is defined as "deceitfully cunning" or, "a trick meant to trap or entice". We've all heard the phrase "wile away the time", and this is defined as "to spend time in a leisurely or pleasurable fashion." Satan wants nothing more than to deceive us into wasting our time on our own pleasure, rather than devoting ourselves, and our time, to God. After all, this is all he really has to do in order to gain control over our souls. He does not have to persuade us to worship him, as he tried to convince Jesus in Matthew 4:8-10..."...the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." This example is very telling, as it serves to show us that the devil is very powerful indeed, and he has the capability of bestowing great wealth and power upon those who are willing to sacrifice their souls for it.
In verse 12, Paul explains further what exactly the "wiles of the devil" consist of..."For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
This tells us that our battle is not with mankind, but rather with very powerful enemies of great dominion and influence in this world, which are controlled by Satan. These consist of not only dark forces under the direct influence of the devil; they also consist of seemingly religious organizations whose underlying goal it is to lead the people of God astray.
Verse 13 lays out our responsibilities as Christian people in a dark world..."Wherefore 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." It is our duty to cover ourselves in this armor, to encase ourselves within it, in order to stand against these wicked influences. We are to arm ourselves against these attacks, and strengthen our resolve to withstand evil, as we read in James 4:7..."Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
We come now to verse 14, as Paul begins to lay out in detail what each piece of the armor of God is..."Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness." Of course, we all understand that Paul is not speaking of a physical suit of armor. He is using the analogy of armor in order to convey the protection which God provides us, and the ways in which it is manifested. With this in mind, we will take a look at each piece of "armor". The loins of a person are the abdomen, or the core, and this is where all of our strength flows from. Any physical activity which we undertake originates from our "core". If truth is at our "core", then all else will fall into place. If anything other than truth is at our core, we cannot be successful. It is as simple as that. The breastplate of a suit of armor covers all of the vital organs, and guards the heart, and therefore is extremely important in warfare. Our "breastplate" is the righteousness of Jesus, which is imputed to us, transferred by faith to believers through the sacrifice which Jesus made on our behalf. Without it, we would be totally vulnerable, and have no hope of success on the battlefield.
Paul continues in verse 15..."And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;" In ancient times, soldiers wore brass coverings for their feet because one of the tactics employed against an approaching army was to place sharp sticks buried in shallow holes, called gall traps, which would pierce the foot, thereby incapacitating the soldiers. Because of this, the soldiers had to be prepared for such a threat. Likewise, we must be prepared for the hidden attacks of the devil. We must have our hearts in a prepared state, that is, resolved to follow Jesus. This will bring us peace on the inside, despite the raging war going on around us, as we read in Philippians 4:7..."...the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
With verse 16, Paul reveals our main fortification..."Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." Faith is our principal line of defense. It is the shield which will thwart the attacks of the enemy. We read in 1 John 5:4..."For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." A strong foundation of faith is a buffer which the weapons of the enemy cannot penetrate. Paul uses the analogy of "fiery darts", which, in ancient times, were actual weapons employed in warfare. These would be arrows, made of cane, with combustible materials wrapped around the tip. They would be lit on fire and then shot at the intended target, and would be capable of penetrating tents, or wood, setting them on fire, thereby causing great damage. The temptations which Satan attempts to entice us with are very similar. When the devil bombards us, we must use our faith to ward off the onslaught. Otherwise, his assault will be much like a fiery dart, penetrating into our minds, and, as we read in James 3:6, setting them "on fire of hell". We must understand that Satan is called the prince of this world for a reason. He is very powerful, and if given the opportunity, he will take total control of our minds, our will, and ultimately, our very soul. He knows exactly what areas we are weakest in, what tempts us most, and how and when to use these temptations to lure us away from God.
Finally, in verse 17, our greatest defensive and offensive weapons are revealed..."And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." An interesting side note here is that, when we are told in this verse to "take the helmet", and the sword, this is a different Greek word from those used in earlier verses. Previously, in verses 13 and 16, we were told to "take the whole armour" and to "take the shield of faith", which are decided actions on our part. Here, however, in the original Greek, the word for "take" is "dexasthe", which is literally translated as "receive." So, we are to receive salvation, and let it cover us like a helmet, as we read in 1 Thessalonians 5:8-10..."But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord, Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him." Likewise, we are to receive the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. James 1:21 tells us..."Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls." The word of God is our weapon against the wiles of the devil. Apart from it, we have no answer to the temptations hurled at us. Satan tells us, "you know that you want to do this, you know that it will make you feel good, you know that you are powerless to resist...", and the word of God is the weapon which we are to use to ward off these attacks. No greater example of this is to be found than that of Jesus battling Satan in the wilderness, as we read in Matthew chapter 4, as Jesus time and again wields the word with authority against the temptations of the devil, saying, ..."It is written." Furthermore, we read in Hebrews 4:12..."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." So we see that the word of God is our sword, the means by which we overcome the barrage of Satan.
Let us have no misconceptions. The devil is a liar, a thief, and a murderer. He wants nothing more than to destroy God's people. Jesus tells us in John 8:44..."...He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.", as well as in John 10:10..."The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." Peter tells us in 1 Peter 5:8..."Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." However, we must remember that we are not alone in this fight, and we have not been left defenseless. When we have truth as our core, and the righteousness of Jesus covering us, we are at peace with ourselves as well as the world around us; our faith is strengthened, as we receive salvation and meditate on His word. This is the way in which we defend ourselves against the wiles of the devil, and wield the full power of the whole armor of God, that we "may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."
Beginning with verse 10, Paul urges the Ephesians, as well as all of us, to..."be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." First of all, we must understand that we are in a battle, a life or death struggle. We are truly at war, and our minds are the battlefield. The devil is constantly scheming to entrap us, to tear down our defenses. His only goal is to ensnare us, and to drag our souls down to hell with him. The Lord is our first, and only, line of defense. Without Him, we are without hope, and have no means of fortification, or tools with which to ward off the attacks of the devil. We are simply not equipped to defend ourselves against such an enemy unaided.
With verse 11, Paul explains what must be done in order to protect oneself from Satan..."Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." We must make use of all of the proper defenses and weapons provided by God if we are to repel the offensive of Satan, or, as Paul calls it here, the "wiles of the devil." This is an interesting choice of words, as the word "wile" is defined as "deceitfully cunning" or, "a trick meant to trap or entice". We've all heard the phrase "wile away the time", and this is defined as "to spend time in a leisurely or pleasurable fashion." Satan wants nothing more than to deceive us into wasting our time on our own pleasure, rather than devoting ourselves, and our time, to God. After all, this is all he really has to do in order to gain control over our souls. He does not have to persuade us to worship him, as he tried to convince Jesus in Matthew 4:8-10..."...the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." This example is very telling, as it serves to show us that the devil is very powerful indeed, and he has the capability of bestowing great wealth and power upon those who are willing to sacrifice their souls for it.
In verse 12, Paul explains further what exactly the "wiles of the devil" consist of..."For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
This tells us that our battle is not with mankind, but rather with very powerful enemies of great dominion and influence in this world, which are controlled by Satan. These consist of not only dark forces under the direct influence of the devil; they also consist of seemingly religious organizations whose underlying goal it is to lead the people of God astray.
Verse 13 lays out our responsibilities as Christian people in a dark world..."Wherefore 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." It is our duty to cover ourselves in this armor, to encase ourselves within it, in order to stand against these wicked influences. We are to arm ourselves against these attacks, and strengthen our resolve to withstand evil, as we read in James 4:7..."Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
We come now to verse 14, as Paul begins to lay out in detail what each piece of the armor of God is..."Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness." Of course, we all understand that Paul is not speaking of a physical suit of armor. He is using the analogy of armor in order to convey the protection which God provides us, and the ways in which it is manifested. With this in mind, we will take a look at each piece of "armor". The loins of a person are the abdomen, or the core, and this is where all of our strength flows from. Any physical activity which we undertake originates from our "core". If truth is at our "core", then all else will fall into place. If anything other than truth is at our core, we cannot be successful. It is as simple as that. The breastplate of a suit of armor covers all of the vital organs, and guards the heart, and therefore is extremely important in warfare. Our "breastplate" is the righteousness of Jesus, which is imputed to us, transferred by faith to believers through the sacrifice which Jesus made on our behalf. Without it, we would be totally vulnerable, and have no hope of success on the battlefield.
Paul continues in verse 15..."And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;" In ancient times, soldiers wore brass coverings for their feet because one of the tactics employed against an approaching army was to place sharp sticks buried in shallow holes, called gall traps, which would pierce the foot, thereby incapacitating the soldiers. Because of this, the soldiers had to be prepared for such a threat. Likewise, we must be prepared for the hidden attacks of the devil. We must have our hearts in a prepared state, that is, resolved to follow Jesus. This will bring us peace on the inside, despite the raging war going on around us, as we read in Philippians 4:7..."...the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
With verse 16, Paul reveals our main fortification..."Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." Faith is our principal line of defense. It is the shield which will thwart the attacks of the enemy. We read in 1 John 5:4..."For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." A strong foundation of faith is a buffer which the weapons of the enemy cannot penetrate. Paul uses the analogy of "fiery darts", which, in ancient times, were actual weapons employed in warfare. These would be arrows, made of cane, with combustible materials wrapped around the tip. They would be lit on fire and then shot at the intended target, and would be capable of penetrating tents, or wood, setting them on fire, thereby causing great damage. The temptations which Satan attempts to entice us with are very similar. When the devil bombards us, we must use our faith to ward off the onslaught. Otherwise, his assault will be much like a fiery dart, penetrating into our minds, and, as we read in James 3:6, setting them "on fire of hell". We must understand that Satan is called the prince of this world for a reason. He is very powerful, and if given the opportunity, he will take total control of our minds, our will, and ultimately, our very soul. He knows exactly what areas we are weakest in, what tempts us most, and how and when to use these temptations to lure us away from God.
Finally, in verse 17, our greatest defensive and offensive weapons are revealed..."And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." An interesting side note here is that, when we are told in this verse to "take the helmet", and the sword, this is a different Greek word from those used in earlier verses. Previously, in verses 13 and 16, we were told to "take the whole armour" and to "take the shield of faith", which are decided actions on our part. Here, however, in the original Greek, the word for "take" is "dexasthe", which is literally translated as "receive." So, we are to receive salvation, and let it cover us like a helmet, as we read in 1 Thessalonians 5:8-10..."But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord, Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him." Likewise, we are to receive the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. James 1:21 tells us..."Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls." The word of God is our weapon against the wiles of the devil. Apart from it, we have no answer to the temptations hurled at us. Satan tells us, "you know that you want to do this, you know that it will make you feel good, you know that you are powerless to resist...", and the word of God is the weapon which we are to use to ward off these attacks. No greater example of this is to be found than that of Jesus battling Satan in the wilderness, as we read in Matthew chapter 4, as Jesus time and again wields the word with authority against the temptations of the devil, saying, ..."It is written." Furthermore, we read in Hebrews 4:12..."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." So we see that the word of God is our sword, the means by which we overcome the barrage of Satan.
Let us have no misconceptions. The devil is a liar, a thief, and a murderer. He wants nothing more than to destroy God's people. Jesus tells us in John 8:44..."...He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.", as well as in John 10:10..."The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." Peter tells us in 1 Peter 5:8..."Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." However, we must remember that we are not alone in this fight, and we have not been left defenseless. When we have truth as our core, and the righteousness of Jesus covering us, we are at peace with ourselves as well as the world around us; our faith is strengthened, as we receive salvation and meditate on His word. This is the way in which we defend ourselves against the wiles of the devil, and wield the full power of the whole armor of God, that we "may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."
great article i needed to hear at this time mom
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