Have you read about the Armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-18? Ever wonder how to implement these six armor pieces into your life? In this post, we will explain each piece of armor and share how we can use them in our life starting today.
Where is the full armor of God in the Bible? Ephesians 6:10-18
10 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, 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 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. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
What are the 7 pieces of armor?
1. Belt of truth
2. Breastplate of righteousness
3. Shoes of peace
4. Shield of faith
5. Helmet of Salvation
6. Sword of the Spirit
7. Prayer
The first piece of this armor is “the belt of truth.” This belt was not the kind of belt that holds up your pants. A Roman soldier was always prepared for battle. The belt surrounded him and held the sword (his most obvious defense and weapon with which to attack). Without the belt to hold the sword, the soldier would be unable to attack. His sword would have no resting place in the armor. So it is with the truth of God in the Christian life. All of our fighting ability must rest on the WORD of GOD. How well does your belt fit? Does it firmly and safely hold your sword?
The second piece of the armor is the breastplate of righteousness. A breastplate covers the heart. Righteousness is God’s way of doing and being right. We know how to do what is right because God’s WORD tells us. We know how to be right because God’s Word is the standard of what is right to do and how we are to do it. Our heart is the place that is covered by the breastplate of righteousness because sometimes our hearts can deceive us. This is only possible when we are not using our breastplate, God’s instruction for Righteousness as our standard of righteousness.
Armor accessory number three is the shoes of peace. When our feet are fitted with the readiness that comes from the Gospel of peace, we can follow God’s plan and are always ready to bring HIS peace wherever HE sends us. Jesus told us to go into all the world and preach HIS Gospel to every creature. We need the shoes of peace to accomplish this goal. We are prepared to follow HIM, allow HIM to send us, and take HIS Gospel wherever HE says. Are your shoes fitting properly? Is the Gospel of Peace accessible to you? Is readiness present with a heart to speak of the Gospel to anyone whom you may meet on the journey who needs to hear it?
Our fourth piece of armor is the shield of Faith. A Roman battle shield was big enough to cover the soldier and it was made of material that would catch projectile weapons. The Word of God tells us, take unto yourself the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the arrows of the evil one. You only need to extinguish arrows that are on fire. The shield protected the soldier from not only the flame but also the piercing of the arrow. The shield was also a potential protection for the entire army. Our faith is the weapon we use against the evil one because when the enemy strikes with lies, false accusations, betrayal, etc. Our faith will absorb the pain and remind us Who has us protected and covered. How is your shield holding up?
The Helmet of Salvation is number five of the seven. It covers your head. You think, plan, consider and ponder with your head. When it is covered with the helmet of Salvation, your thoughts, plans, considerations, and ponderings are all below the Word of God. The gift of Salvation is the focus of this helmet. We do well to always think about, plan for, consider, and ponder the vital importance of our Salvation. We owe it all to Jesus. He needs to be the covering of our minds. Our thoughts, plans, considerations, and ponderings of HIM will keep us humble and ready to think Holy thoughts regarding our part in God’s plan and our Kingdom citizenship. We never want to forget we are adopted and now belong to HIS family. Is your helmet working?
Weapon number six is The sword of the Spirit. The scripture tells us it is the Word of God. We fight with the Word of God each time we are confronted with a lie of the enemy and speak God’s Word. Jesus fought with the Word of God when HE was tempted by the devil in the wilderness. He had been fasting for forty days when the devil assaulted HIM. HE responded each time the enemy gave him a scenario that would be a sin for him, with the Word of God. Is your sword as large and strong as it needs to be? Do you keep it sharp?
Our final weapon in the arsenal of Christendom is prayer. We are to, “ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” An army is not a single individual, but many. Prayers of all kinds are needed to fight in different arenas with the words needed to get the desired results. Our Leader, Jesus Christ, heard from God and said what his word said to obtain victory over the enemy. What kind of words are you using? Do you ask the Holy Spirit to help you pray? Do you pray scripture? Are your prayers always successful?
We fight from a place of victory! We have the most powerful, effective, lethal weapon in the Word of God we need. We must be determined, convinced, and committed to keeping the Word of God before us, with us, in us, and at the forefront of our minds. The truth of HIS Word is the foundation for all we do and say. Our commitment to truth, the Word of God, and the commitment we have to obey HIM make us victorious!
This is a great work of two people with one goal, sharing the importance of the truth of God!