“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
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 firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,”
Ephesians 6:10-11, 13-18 ESV
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 firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,”
Ephesians 6:10-11, 13-18 ESV
That’s some tough stuff there. Heavy metal. But look beyond the creative, warlike imagery to see the real staying power behind each piece of battleground equipment:
Truth is God’s standard— the unchanging, objective benchmark of the Bible by which we govern and align our lives.
Righteousness means right living— the process by which we apply this truth to our lives and, by His Spirit, produce conduct honoring and pleasing to God.
Peace is the deep, inner, eternal stability the believer possesses by virtue of relationship with Jesus, a sense of balance that’s not subject to external circumstance. It’s also the quality that enables us to live harmoniously with others.
Faith is the application of what one believes— the process of putting feet to our beliefs and living in light of it . . . in practical terms.
Salvation is both our eternal security with Christ, as well as the full inheritance we’ve been given because of our relationship with Him. It includes our blessings, status, and identity—everything we’ve received that enables us to live victoriously for Him.
The Word of God is His present, relevant, personal Word to us for today. The Bible may be an old Book, but God’s Spirit makes it fresh, new, and alive for us.
When you resolve to use these weapons— weapons that are “not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction” of the enemy’s plots (2 Cor. 10: 4), you can cut him off at the pass and hit him where it hurts.
And again, the one weapon that ties this whole ensemble together, the one that activates and infuses our armor with the power of God Himself . . . is prayer. Prayer! “Pray at all times in the Spirit,” Paul said (Eph. 6: 18).
Priscilla Shirer
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