A short study on the armor of God, found in Ephesians chapter six.

As Christians, we are in a spiritual battle. We are constantly being bombarded with attacks by our three enemies: the flesh, the world, and Satan. Let’s look at the seven pieces of God’s armor, which we can apply to our lives to aid us in this great and life-long battle.

"From this point onward my brethren, receive ability in The Lord, and in the complete authority of His power to overcome resistance. Clothe yourselves with the complete set of weaponry which derives from God, that ye may be able to stand unmoving against the devil’s methodologies. [This is] because we are not in a struggle against flesh and blood but against rulers, against delegated powers, against the world-rulers of the darkness of the age, against spiritual wickedness in the heavenlies. Wherefore take up the complete set of weaponry which derives from God with the intention of using it, so that ye may be able to resist/oppose [spiritual enemies] in the evil day, and having labored to [that day’s] conclusion, to stand unmoving. Therefore stand unmoving, having girded your loins with truth and having clothed yourselves with the breastplate of righteousness; and having shod the feet with preparation/preparedness [which is] derived from the gospel of peace. Above all, having taken up the full-body shield of faith, with which you will be able to extinguish all the arrows of the evil one, which have been set on fire. And receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the spoken word of God, through all prayer and supplication, praying in every season in The Spirit, and unto this very thing, staying vigilant with all perseverance and supplication for all saints."

Before going over the seven pieces of armor, notice seven points from verses ten through thirteen.

1. We must receive ability/power through God. The LORD is the one who gives us power and we must ask Him for it.
2. The Lord has complete power and authority to overcome all resistance, all spiritual resistance. So go to Him!
3. The devil has methodologies. He is precise and informed. We are no match for Him and must resist Him in humbleness, letting God rebuke Him.
4. There are spiritual hierarchies of evil, and they rule the world. But fear not, “because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world,” and again, “whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”
5. Intend to use (and use!) the armor of God.
6. Labor to conclusion. Don’t stop short but press on! “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called…”
7. In order to stand unmoving we must apply all the pieces of armor.

THE SEVEN PIECES OF ARMOR

1. The belt of truth – “Having girded your loins with truth“
   • We must first recognize what truth is. Jesus calls Himself The Truth as well as The Father’s word, which was perfectly revealed to us through Jesus and Who Is Jesus. Jesus, being The Truth, sets us free and enables us to fulfill God’s will/commands through The Holy Spirit. Jesus and His Truth (The Word) must be active in our lives. In fact, it must be the belt which holds up all our other pieces of armor. We must abide in Jesus word. It is this truth which allows us to run unimpeded in our spiritual race.
   • Application: Fill your heart and mind with the truth of God’s word; abide in Jesus and His word and obey it through The Holy Spirit. Allow Him and His word to influence all your actions and thoughts.
2. The breastplate of righteousness – “Having clothed yourselves with the breastplate of righteousness“
   • Our righteousness is Jesus: it is imputed to us through faith in Him. Jesus clothes us with righteousness/salvation like a beautiful bride. The natural result of such an imputation is that we live a lifestyle of faith and love.
   • Application: Through faith, submit yourself and your members to righteousness [Rom 6].
3. Sandals of Peace – “Having shod the feet with preparedness [which is] derived from the gospel of peace“
   • Through Jesus we obtain peace/reconciliation with The Father. There is no more wrath against us: we are perfect in The Father’s sight. In fact, amazingly, “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.” [1 Jn 4:17]
   • Paul states this quite well, saying, “And you, once having been alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and without blemish and irreproachable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith having been founded and firm, and not being dislodged from the hope of the gospel…”
   • Application: Live in the peace which Jesus Christ’s blood has graciously granted to you. Rest in that peace and march forward, not being moved away, not being dislodged from your glorious hope. Go out each day on that footing, prepared.
4. The Shield of Faith – “Above all, having taken up the full-body shield of faith, with which you will be able to extinguish all the arrows of the evil one, which have been set on fire“
   • God is our shield! And God has “given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” [2 Peter 1:4] And “all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.”
   • Application: By faith in Jesus Christ know and claim the promises in God’s word so that you may more perfectly represent Jesus Christ and thereby glorify The Father.
5. The Helmet of Salvation – “Receive the helmet of salvation“
   • Paul expands upon this in 1 Thessalonians, saying, “But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on…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. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as ye do.”
   • Again, he exhorts, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
   • Application: Be strong in hope. Endure in hope. The Father loves us through Jesus Christ and that love is eternal and unchangeable. It is through this glorious love and salvation of Christ that we will not taste of The Father’s wrath, for Jesus Christ drank that cup in full.
6. The Sword of The Spirit – “[Receive] the sword of The Spirit, which is the spoken-word of God“
   • “For the word of God is living, and productive, and sharper than any two-edged 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.” [Heb 4:12]
   • Application: Study and know God’s word. Take example from Jesus and use God’s word to defend against temptation. Sow the good seed of God’s word in your life and it will bear fruit, making us more like Jesus, cleansing us.
7. Prayer and Supplication – “Through all prayer and supplication, praying in every season in The Spirit, and unto this very thing, staying vigilant with all perseverance and supplication for all saints“
   • Prayer is the most important weapon that we have. We have free access to The Father in prayer because of Jesus, and we should use it! For more detail on prayer, click here.