April 16, 2023
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual.” forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:10-12 (NASB)
Some years ago, after attending one of our Royal Ambassadors for Christ conferences, I remember one of the attendees mentioning to me about how she would cover her children in prayer every day when they would leave home especially when they went to school. She would pray for them by dressing them in every piece of God’s Armor so they would be able to resist the enemy and his temptations.
She would dress them with the belt of truth buckled around your waist to Stand firm and say NO! They would be dressed in the breastplate of righteousness, shoes to be ready to proclaim the gospel of peace, and the shield of faith extinguishing all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Then she would put on them the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, in order for them to be ready to pray to be alert at all times.
The Armor of God is a metaphorical representation of the spiritual protection that we as Christians can rely on in our daily lives. It is described in detail in the New Testament in the 6th chapter book of Ephesians.
I would venture to say that some Believers in Christ give more thought and time on what they are going to wear, especially on special occasions than their spiritual attire. Many of us plan and coordinate weeks and months in advance for what is the ideal attire for that special occasion.
Why Do We Need the Armor of God? As Believers in Christ, we must remember that we are ALWAYS in a battle and must be ready to stand against the evil forces that will come. There is an unseen world in which the human eye cannot exist, and it is the spiritual realm. In this spiritual realm are two worlds, there are angels and demons, and they are set up in a similar structure as a real army. Unless you are gifted by God to see into the spiritual realm then you won’t be able to see them. But they can see you. Just as you have your five senses operating in the natural realm you can also operate with your spiritual senses in the spiritual realm. So those who have the eyes to see in the spiritual realm are able to see what happens there. And those who have the ears to hear what’s going on also hear into that realm.
So, Let’s Get Dressed For Battle! To fight spiritual battles, we need God’s attire. We need His Armor to battle against “the spiritual forces of evil” in the unseen realm, the forces of the dark world. To withstand their attacks, we must depend on God’s strength, the power of the Holy Spirit. We must Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.
The Belt of Truth: The belt of truth helps us to love Your truth, Father. Let us speak the truth and open our ears to hear God’s truth. It represents the importance of living a life of integrity and honesty and standing firmly on the truth of Your word. Keep us from lying and making mistakes. May we always speak the truth in love!
The Breastplate of Righteousness: The breastplate of righteousness guards our hearts and vital organs and keeps our hearts open to You Father. Shield our vital organs from the blows that would otherwise be fatal. As the breastplate protects us against the accusations and charges of Satan let everything that comes from our hearts be good and pleasing to You Father.
The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace: The shoes of the gospel of peace represent the readiness to share the good news of Jesus Christ with others, and to walk in peace and unity. Prepare us to witness for You Father as You give us the words to say to advance into Satan’s territory, aware that there will be traps. Equip us with Your message of grace that is essential to winning souls to Christ.
The Shield of Faith: The shield of faith is our protection that comes from trusting in God and His promises to extinguish the fiery darts of the enemy. Father as You build a strong faith in us it will cast all the fear, criticism, doubt, and apprehension that would make us ineffective. Your shield will protect us from the flaming arrows of the enemy.
The Helmet of Salvation: The helmet of salvation protects our mind and represents the assurance of salvation that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. It protects our mind from ungodly thoughts taking captive every thought or imagination allowing us to take captive and focus on things that are good. Your helmet wards off the blows of false doctrine discerning between spiritual truth and spiritual deception – keeping our eyes fixed on You, Father.
The Sword of the Spirit: The sword of the spirit is the word of God, representing the power of Your word to overcome the lies and deceptions of the enemy. This piece of armor which is the word of God gives us the scriptures that we need to speak against the enemy when he comes to attack us. Help us to keep Your word in our hearts and on our tongues and always be ready to love and defend others boldly. Give us the wisdom and knowledge to step out in faith, remembering that the battle is yours.
A PROTECTED 
HEART: 1 Peter 5:8-9. “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.” (NLT). In the Christian life, we see the evil forces of fallen angels headed by Satan who is a vicious fighter. While not a physical piece of armor, prayer is a powerful spiritual weapon that believers can use to communicate with God and seek His help and guidance in all circumstances.
FATHER GOD: Thank You for Your Word that gives us clear instructions on to live. Help us always to be dressed in Your armor and always be ready to be good representatives of Your kingdom in all circumstances, in the Precious, Powerful, and Preeminent Name of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord, Amen.