The battle lines have been drawn in America. So much unrest and fear on many sides and coming from every direction. Our human tendency is to want to assign blame and attack those we feel are responsible for our problems. It would serve us as Christians to read again Ephesians 6:10-20.

We are reminded in Ephesians 6:10 to be strong in the Lord and in His power. Does this mean to take up body building exercises? I think not, as it doesn’t depend on our personal strength. Psalm 46:1 says “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Our focus must be on God if our armor is to be effective.

Ephesians 6:11 tells us to put on the full armor of God so we can take our stand. That isn’t a position of attack, but of holding ground. Verse 12 tells us who the real enemy is, not a person, but rulers, authorities, and powers of darkness, the spiritual forces of evil that are warring in the heavenly realms.

We need the armor of God (verse 13) for protection and for preparedness against the day of evil. God gives us six pieces of armor to prepare us to stand and hold our ground.

1. Belt of truth. We are instructed to buckle the belt of truth around our waist. We must never settle for less. In our upside-down world today we certainly need God’s discernment for understanding truth. We have God’s word, and we have His promise given to us in James 1:5 to give us wisdom if we will ask Him for it and not doubt. We must seek out truth with diligence as it will keep us from wavering.
2. Breastplate of righteousness. God honors those who are righteous, holy, and pure in His eyes. Our wholehearted effort to remain righteous is certainly a form of protection in itself as it helps us to avoid evil. James 5:16 reminds us to confess our sins to one another and pray for each other as “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
3. Feet fitted with readiness of the gospel of peace. “Readiness” implies both preparedness and willingness to go and carry what? The gospel of peace! Does this sound like battle? Like war? Our armor is for bringing peace, and our feet should be ready and willing to serve that purpose.
4. Shield of faith. It is solid faith in Christ Jesus that keeps us from wavering and keeps us standing. This shield protects us from Satan’s fiery darts. Hebrews 12:1-2 reminds us to keep our eyes on Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith.
5. Helmet of salvation. Much like the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation keeps us steady. We know who holds us in the hollow of His hand. Psalm 27 says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?” When we understand the hope of eternity with Jesus, and can cling to it with all our hearts, we can survive anything that comes our way.
6. Sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. Dig deep in the Word, my friends. This is your ammunition, your sword. It is imperative that you read it, digest it, and fill your heart and mind with God’s word. If you have it in you, the Spirit can bring it out whenever it is needed. Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (NIV) Another similar verse is 2 Timothy 3:16 which tells us that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” This understanding does not give us permission to beat people over the heads with our pet verses, however. Don’t bypass the command we read earlier to stand, and the goal of sharing the gospel of peace. We must always apply what we understand of God’s word with love.

And what are we instructed to do next after we put on all this armor? We are instructed to pray in the Spirit in all situations we find ourselves in, with every kind of prayer, and always alert. Review the verses we started out with in Ephesians 6:10-20. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against all kinds of spiritual enemies, and these enemies are defeated when we war against them in prayer, fully protected, when we are wearing the whole armor of God. Stand your ground, Christian soldiers, as the enemy is on the prowl.

This morning I listened to Dutch Sheets’ message for today and found I must edit it into my post. It is exactly what I needed to finish what I was trying to say. Our task at hand is to pray down those strongholds in the heavenly realms.

Image credit and more, as this link will take you to a picture presentation of the armor of God that you can share with children:
https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/anv-christian-armour/

Post written by Janice D. Green