One day I was sitting alone in a chapel at a hospital I volunteer at and praying for a renewal of my heart to unbound the chains of my sinister flesh and the demonic stronghold the enemy had on me. I was getting weaker and weaker each passing day. I kept listening to the lies the devil had spun in my mind, getting angry and bitter at God for allowing some circumstances to happen, and letting distractions keep me away from reading my Bible and praying daily. And although I knew I needed to fight back, my stubborn pride kept winning. That same day, I read a blog post my friend Kylie wrote with her struggle in spiritual warfare, which was exactly what I needed to read. I’ve noticed it’s a major problem among Christians as spiritual warfare is not a real joke and is something we wrestle against daily.
In Ephesians 6, we see Paul writing to the church of Ephesus, exhorting them to stay alert at all times against the clever schemes of Satan and his subordinates. Though the devils tactics aren’t clearly expressed, there is an ongoing battle in the spiritual realm and because the conflict with Satan is spiritual, we can’t use tangible weapons against him. The only way to withstand the enemy and have victory in our lives is to faithfully follow the instructions laid before us and suit up accordingly with God’s Armor(6:13).
A smart soldier takes his role in battle very seriously and doesn’t march into the battlefield unprepared. He trains his mind and body for the perils of war and against the wiles of the enemy by familiarizing himself with his strategies and anticipating his next move. If he’s lazy and doesn’t follow correct protocol, he’s endangering his life, his fellow comrades lives, and costing the lives of many others in the process.
Verse 14 talks about the belt of truth. Scripture makes it clear that the devil is a liar (John 8:44) and a thief who comes to wreak havoc on God’s children (John 10:10). This belt secures us from believing the fallacies of the world and holds our faith true when we compare our beliefs and actions to God’s Word. Truth is the first component of God’s Armor. Without truth, the rest of the armor will crumble down leaving blind spots for the enemy to strike! It also mentions the breastplate of righteousness. This piece of armor is specifically designed to protect our heart and soul from evil and deception. It has Christ’s name stamped on it to remind us that our righteousness was purchased for us by the blood of Jesus on the cross. Our own acts of righteousness {being good, humble, honest, and fair} has no effect against the devil (Isaiah 64:6). Only righteousness from Christ is sufficient to deflect any blows to our vital organs that would otherwise be fatal.
The Gospel Of Peace is spoken of in verse 15. Satan will place many obstacles in our paths as we’re advancing into his territory. He doesn’t want people to hear the message of salvation essential to winning their souls to Christ. The footwear of peace enables us to walk in confidence when difficult trials encamp us by clinging onto our position in Christ {being right with God} and staying content in troubled times.
Verse 16 speaks of the shield of faith. Like the gospel of peace, this shields us from the fiery arrows of fear and doubt, crafted by Satan to tempt us to doubt the validity of Scripture and the faithfulness of God. This happens often when we’re enticed to believe that God’s ways aren’t good enough when we’re seeking instant gratification and so we try to take matters into our own hands. Faith is a reminder to all of us that even when God’s promises aren’t readily visible, God holds true to His Word. (Hebrews 11:1) It serves as a protective barrier against temptation when we take God at His Word and remain grounded in truth.
The helmet of salvation in verse 17 protects our mind from receiving false doctrine and temptations of the devil. It keeps the mind stable by assuring the believer that their salvation in Christ is secure and eternal. Without that helmet, they can’t discern between truth and error (Ephesians 4:14, James 1:6).
And last in verse 17 is the sword of the Spirit. This is the only offensive weapon unlike the rest of the pieces which are defensive by nature. This weapon is the Word of God. It speaks power, wisdom, holiness, truth, understanding, and love. It pierces through sinful thoughts and behaviors and rebukes the enemy. When handled correctly, it also becomes an effective defense weapon against sin and temptation. We cultivate and bring nourishment to our faith when we constantly meditate on His Word, measuring everything we see, hear, and think with the Word itself. It is impossible to do so without the Holy Spirit.
In addition to wearing the full armor of God, verse 18 says that we are to pray in the Spirit at all times. Prayer helps us to draw strength from God through dependence on Him. Without depending on God, we become weaker and ineffective against the onslaught of spiritual warfare. Have you ever stopped reading your bible and praying for a while and noticeably you get lethargic, apathetic, or moody? It’s so important that we pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:7) Our efforts will be extremely dry and futile if we don’t. If you’re serious about reigning victorious against the enemy and his clever schemes, well what are you waiting for? Suit up and get ready. Don’t let your guard down, because when you do, he is ready to pounce and devour you at a split second. (1 Peter 5:8)
Here are some helpful tips to put God’s protective armor to good use.
- Start the day reading/studying God’s Word and pray for God to help you and give you His strength and wisdom throughout the day.
- Make notecards to memorize Scripture to repeat out loud to yourself. Start off with one or two verses a day.
- Sing worship through hymns, Psalms, songs, and musical instruments to let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. (Colossians 3:16)
- Rehearse the Gospel and your Christ-won identity to yourself daily.
- Record past victories over sin and the devil to remind you of God’s grace and power and to stand firm in the faith.
- Thank God regularly for His abundant love and mercy for you on the cross.
- Make a generic prayer list to pray for edification of all the saints, salvation for unbelievers, close family and friends, world leaders, missionaries, false teachers, your church, pastor, and tuck it in your Bible to look over daily.
- Brainstorm ways to share the Gospel and minister to others through encouragement and serving whether it’s giving someone a cup of water, food, a helping hand, a hug, etc. Ask God to reveal opportunities.
- Analyze thoughts and activities that bring you closer to God and try to include them when you’re able. Avoid thoughts and activities that harm your faith and push you further away from God.
- Find a good support system in your church, campus ministry, or wherever to seek accountability and cultivate friendships to sharpen each other’s faith.
- Check out other posts in this blog lol.
- Go to various resources by others to help motivate and encourage your faith (YouTube videos, blogs, articles, books, audio sermons, podcasts, social media communities)
If you have other ideas, post them in the comments 🙂
Walking With God 