SPIRITUAL ARMOR Part 1

8 9 12 Spiritual Armor Part 1 Eph 6 10 14 

Scripture:  Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 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. 13 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.

• 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,
• 14b with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
• 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
• 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
• 17 Take the helmet of salvation
• 17b and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
• 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

Note: Why is this particular passage of Scripture so important that Paul would make it his final words in his letter to the church at Ephesus? The apostle Paul knew that a true disciple of Christ, one who was living out his faith and being faithful to the call of God upon his life would come under the attack of Satan and Satan’s followers. Paul knew we would need all the help we could get. He identifies our true enemy and gives us the resources we need to not only fight but to be victorious in our spiritual battles.

When a person becomes a follower of Jesus Christ, they become a part of God’s army. They become a part of the work that Jesus Christ came to complete. That work is to redeem fallen man, usher in the kingdom of God through the work of the church; a church empowered and led by the Holy Spirit. Paul knew if the church is to be successful in waging spiritual warfare and be victorious over the enemy of God, it would have to pay close attention to the battle plans and weapons of warfare available to them. As verse 12 of our text reveals, our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces in the heavenlies, forces that possess unbelievable power. Therefore we are to fight the fight in the power of the Holy Spirit and take advantage of the weapons and equipment available to us, the full armor of God.

As you can see in our text above, I have separated the seven things that we are to symbolically and intentionally put on to be victorious in our battle against Satan and his ungodly forces. I think it would be good for us to take a look at each one of them individually and see the protection that is ours in the spiritual armor available to us; armor that enables us to fight the spiritual battles of life that are being waged within us and around us. The battle is not about the world but a battle that is being waged for the hearts of mankind.

For the next two days we will deal with this scripture. Today we will look at the belt of truth.

• 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist. The belt of truth is the truth which Jesus Christ revealed to the world. His truth is the Word of God, the Bible, and Jesus, himself, who is the Word that “became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (Jn 1:14). Jesus claimed to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life; he did not claim to be a way, a truth, or a life; he is the legitimate article, the One and only Way, Truth and Life! Because he is truth, we must allow his truth to be our truth. When confronting ungodliness and evil behavior we battle against it by speaking with authority. When we speak the truth in the power of the Holy Spirit Satan cannot stand against it.

The Christian life is a struggle of good against evil. It requires perseverance and hardship. Living our lives faithfully is the best defense against those who distort the truth and call the Bible into question. We are not only to deliver the truth; we are to live the truth. Living the truth is evidence of our personal relationship with Christ.

Word from the Lord: “Child of God put on the armor of God. You can never stand victoriously against the attacks of Satan unless you are clothed in the whole armor of God.”

Did the Lord speak to you today?  Why not write it down and claim it for His Glory. 

Prayer:  What do you need to pray to the Lord today? Listen to your heart. He loves you!