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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
(Ephesians 6:13-17 NIV)
I pulled back on the trigger, waiting for the kickback. Pow! I had fired my first shot. My husband gathered up shells, “You did good for the first time.”
You might have fired a gun before, but earthly weapons don’t work for spiritual warfare.
God gives us His armor to protect us from enemy attack, but do we put it on? Let’s look at each piece of armor.
The devil has been a liar from the beginning, so we need the belt of truth. We think of a belt as a fashion accessory, but the belt of a Roman soldier held everything together: his tunic, sword, and breastplate.
God’s Word isn’t a buffet for us to choose what we want. We must believe the whole Word. Not your truth, my truth, but His truth as He meant it.
Christ has clothed us in His breastplate of righteousness. That’s known as positional righteousness, but what about our practical righteousness?
Practical righteousness is where we live. Sin in our lives can invite demonic activity, and we don’t want that.
How’s your footwear? Soldiers need stable shoes to stand firm against the enemy. When life feels like a ride on a slip and slide, it’s time to put on the shoes of peace.
The shield of faith protects us from the fiery darts of the evil one. Rather than allowing emotions and circumstances to dictate to us, trust in God.
Joshua must have felt ridiculous marching around Jericho daily, until the day the walls fell to the ground. Faith trumps feelings.
Keep that helmet handy to protect the fertile soil of our minds. Satan aims for our heads and our hearts.
The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, not the Bible itself, but the rhema wWq2ord. The utterance of God. The Spoken word that Jesus used in His temptation.
How do we get dressed? Through prayer, we receive the authority to wear this armor.
Are you dressed securely in God’s armor, or do you see a missing link? Friend, we need each piece to fight the enemy, so don’t neglect your armor. Dress in it every morning, and understand how to wear each piece. Now, you are ready to battle.
Heavenly Father, thank You for this armor. Help me always dress for success. Amen.
DIG DEEPER
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=eph.+6%3A10-18&version=NIV
HIKING THE TRAIL
How can you implement dressing in the armor of God into your daily life?
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Originally posted on May 2, 2022 @ 3:00 am
Have to put it on before getting out of bed daily. Forgetting even one thing will leave us open to attack. I am learning the hard way. And guess what? I have never held or shot a gun and have never wanted to. Just seeing one and being threatened by one in 3rd grade caused me to have zero desire to be near one. That is a story in my book I am writing.
Yes, we have to be intentional about each piece, like you said. I’m sorry you had that experience at such a young age.