The Bible very clearly states that we are in a spiritual war against evil beings without bodies. Although it’s a spiritual war, the consequences pour out into the physical. All the good and evil in the world has origins in the spiritual realm. If we really want to make a difference in the world, it would greatly benefit for us to learn the ways God tells us to fight. In this post, I’m going to talk a bit about the armor of God found in Ephesians Chapter 6.

All scriptures are taken from the NKJV unless otherwise noted.

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

– Ephesians 6:10-13

Waist Of Truth

“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth…”

– Ephesians 6:14

When God tells us to walk in the waist of truth, it means we are to be open and honest. We are to be sincere with others. This is not what we always see in the church. Oftentimes, people stick to religious cliches that sound nice. Yet, we don’t really mean them. How many times does one say to another, “I’ll be praying for you.” Then, they forget to pray for the person.

This is an example of someone saying something they really don’t mean. We should do what we say and not say those things we have no intentions of doing.

The world views the church as hypocrites and sometimes, for good reason. Too many times Christians talk more than they act. If we really want to walk in the armor of God, we must put on honesty and continue to walk in it.

Truth is not easy to speak. It can cause rifts in relationships or even damage them. However, we are not living for humans. We are living for God. The truth hurts, but it’s the only real thing that can save the world. Jesus said He is the truth. Don’t allow the fear of others stop you from being honest.

Also, the enemy operates in lies. The only thing that can defeat a lie is the truth. Operate in the truth and the enemy’s lies won’t be able to penetrate your mind.

Breastplate Of Righteousness

“…having put on the breastplate of righteousness…”

– Ephesians 6:14

The breastplate protects our hearts. Proverbs 4:23 states, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”

The Bible tells us to keep our hearts safe with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Our own righteousness is not and will never be enough to get to heaven. However, Jesus Christ implanted His own righteousness in us when we believed in Him. By believing in the power of the love of Jesus Christ, we can keep our heart protected from the evil one.

The enemy is referred to as the accuser of the brethren. He wants us to feel like we’re not good enough. He wants us to lose hope. When we place our trust and hope in Jesus, we will always win. We will know we’re good enough on the days we feel inadequate. God’s love for us is not dependent upon our good works but on the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

The love of God protects us from fear, unforgiveness, despair, hopelessness, discouragement, bitterness, and resentment. It’s no wonder God tells us to protect our hearts with the power of His love! It automatically defeats many wiles of the devil.

Have Feet Shodded With The Preparation Of The Gospel Of Peace

“…and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace…”

– Ephesians 6:15

If we are to have on our feet the preparation of the gospel, then that means we are to be ready. We should be available for wherever God would send us with the truth of God’s word. I believe Christians should have an intelligent understanding of God’s word. It’s not effective for us or the kingdom of God is we cannot intelligently tell another person how we were saved or how they can be saved also.

In order to prepare, I believe we should study God’s word and memorize scripture. When someone asks about our faith, we should be able to communicate it in a way that implants peace in the other person when they hear and understand it.

Also, we cannot give away that which we do not have. How can we give others the peace of God if we do not have it ourselves? Therefore, we should spend time with God daily by worshiping Him and seeking His face until His peace rests upon us.

The hope we have in Jesus Christ can give us peace during the worst of times. It’s a type of peace that transcends all understanding. (Philippians 4:7) That means that even if we don’t understand everything that is happening, we can still live in a real sense of peace because we have trust and faith in God.

Then, when we see someone throughout the day who needs the peace of God we should be ready to share it with them.

“A person finds joy in giving an apt reply—
    and how good is a timely word!”

– Proverbs 15:23 NIV

Shield Of Faith

“…above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”

– Ephesians 6:16

If you start doing damage to the kingdom of Satan, you can be sure he will attack you back. However, an enemy cannot hit you where you aren’t exposed. He’ll try to go after your heart, body, mind, and finances. Yet, if you’re fully covered in those areas he won’t be able to.

The next thing he’ll try to do is attack those who you love. Therefore, you must be sure to have your loved ones covered too. Your spouse and family should be protected from the enemy because he will try to eliminate them in a way to slow down your mission.

Don’t try to go after the enemy exposed or you may get seriously attacked. Be sure to cover everything in your life at all times. The Bible says he’s like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8) If you expose any area in your life, he will pounce. Be aware and don’t let him!

Helmet Of Salvation

“And take the helmet of salvation…”

– Ephesians 6:17

While faith is what protects our hearts, the hope of Jesus is what protects our minds. 1 Thessalonians 5:8 says, “But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.” (emphasis added)

The enemy loves to attack the mind because it’s the easiest way to get someone to destroy themselves. Think about it. If he can get someone to be chronically depressed, they’ll barely want to get out of bed in the morning. Without hope, evil can easily capture one’s mind.

Have you ever met an alcoholic? What about a drug abuser? They have fun while they’re under the influence, but as soon as the feeling wears off they’re looking for more. Many people seek ways to numb the pain of life not knowing that Jesus can heal us from the pain we experience due to the hardships of life. Hope can completely change someone’s life.

Hope is necessary if you want to successfully carry out God’s purpose for your life.

So what is hope? Hope is a constant expectation of good that’s based on the promises found in God’s Word.

The Sword Of The Spirit

“… and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…”

– Ephesians 6:17

In Matthew chapter four, we come to a time in Jesus’ life when Satan decided to tempt Him. The enemy used scripture in an effort to confuse Jesus. Yet, each and every time Jesus overcame Him with the scriptures applied correctly. This means that there will be times when the enemy (and people) will use scripture against us in an effort to get us to disobey God. We must have a deep understanding of scripture and must know how to apply it to deal with the devil.

In this list, the Word of God is the only offensive weapon He gives us. That means it must be efficient for fighting off the devil.

Also, a closed Bible will not do anything to scare off the devil. It’s only when we speak God’s Word that it becomes effective. It’s a sword which means we have to wield it and use energy to attack with it.

Conclusion

Before completely closing out of this subject, I want to point out that our back is exposed. God gives us armor for everywhere except our back. This may means quite a few things. First, never turn your back on the devil. Never say, “I give up.” If you try to back away, he will only attack you more viciously.

Secondly, if you’re fighting with a group of people you can protect the backs of one another. Don’t be a lone ranger. Keep yourself plugged into the body of Christ to help protect each other.

Unfortunately, the enemy can infiltrate and use Christians to stab one another in the back. That’s why you must always test the spirits who are coming to you and weed out those who are imposters.

In this post we went over the six pieces of the armor of God found in Ephesians chapter six. These are the:

• Waist of truth
• Breastplate of righteousness
• Shoes of the peace gospel
• Shield of faith
• Helmet of salvation
• Sword of the Spirit

I pray you found this article about the armor of God helpful. If so, please share this content. Also, feel free to leave a comment below. As always, thanks for reading!

Thanks for sharing!