“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” Ephesians 6:13-18, KJV.
As we understand that we are not wrestling against people, instead against spiritual wickedness, our fight does not come without gear. God has provided us with the necessary tools to overcome. He made provisions on our behalf because He knew that we would need them.
Ponder the scripture above. Paul provides a literal description of what we are to do while we are in the body. “Having your loins girt about with truth…” Truth is a theme throughout the entire Bible. Remember back in the book of Proverbs when there were six things named that God hates? Lying fell in two of those categories. The truth is what makes us free. Think about it. When something is held back from another, how liberating is it when that secret information is released? Many will say, “Whew, I’m glad I got that off of my chest.” There’s a reason for that. It is so important to be honest with one another; it creates a healthier way of living.
“Having on the breastplate of righteousness…” What does it mean to be righteous? The definition is stated as adhering to moral principles, the principles of right and wrong. So many are lacking morality, yet desire to be treated right by others. The problem is that there is a lack of conviction to reciprocate. Righteousness does not start with the next person, it begins with us.
“And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace…” Notice here that it states feet, not stomach, not arms, but feet. This means that we are to carry that Gospel of peace around with us, prepared at all times. It’s not to be left on our shelves when we leave home. It’s not to only come out when convenient, it’s a lifestyle that we are to carry around with us at all times, especially outside of the church walls. I say this because we are being fed in the house of God (which we should be feeding ourselves at home too), but the remainder of the week is for us to share what we’ve learned with others. The Word is not to be placed in a hiding place, particularly since we live in America, “the land of the free.” Listen to what Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16, KJV.
“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked…” It takes faith to fight the enemy. When he comes at us with words that are contrary to God’s Word, we have to extend our shield of faith which embodies complete confidence in Christ. This means that no matter what the circumstance, we have to surrender all to Him. Not confidence in our families, although they may love us, but in our Lord who is able to deliver us from any situation. Think about it, your sister, brother, mother, or father may want to help you out if your stranded in a another state or even a different country, but they are only human. You may need someone right then and there. Who would you call upon? For it is impossible to please God without faith. This is particularly important to take notice of because the word impossible and God are almost never used together.
“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…” Salvation that gift offered to us by God which seals our fate in Him. And Paul uses the term helmet, a covering for the head. This means to protect your mind. The battle begins in the mind. We are to keep our minds stayed on Thee. We are to take the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God that has power in it to defeat our enemy. We cannot win in our own strength because we are not fighting human beings, but we must adorn ourselves with the weapons of spiritual warfare.
“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints…” Our prayer life should be on every occasion, giving God His proper place in our lives. I remember telling a friend that saying “Jesus,” is the shortest prayer I know. This could be for me or for another person. Are there times when you are caught off guard? You may find yourself faced with an impending accident. Do you have time to say a prayer? If I call out, “Jesus!” or even think of calling Him, but can’t. He knows why and that I am calling Him…I have a spiritual connection with Him. He is everywhere. I believe I’ve reached Him in the Spirit because His Spirit lives within me.
References: Hebrews 11:6, Timothy 4:9-11, Hebrews 4:12
