Put on the Armor of God
Minister Joaquin Chavez
Ephesians 6:13-20
13 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. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 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, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
Belt of truth- truth is regarded as the quality that will protect the most vulnerable part of the body and will keep believers upright and enable them to “stand.” Or, to put it the other way around, without truth believers will be vulnerable to the schemes of the devil- the father of lies. Falsehood is a chink in believers’ armor, so to speak, that if exposed can enable the enemy to penetrate the most vital regions of the anatomy.
Ephesians 1:13-14 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 4:25-27 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.
Breastplate of righteousness- Because of its background in Isaiah, righteousness here most likely refers to ethical righteousness rather than forensic, in the sense of righteous conduct, thought, speech, and general ethical outlook. Being a righteous person protects the believer from corruption of the heart- after all, if the heart goes bad, all is lost. The enemy must not be allowed to corrupt a believer’s sense of right and wrong, or to mislead them into unrighteous conduct. That is a certain path to ultimate spiritual destruction, so the believer must protect their own heart at all costs.
Ephesians 2:1-3 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
Shoes ready for the Gospel of Peace
Language signifies sandals that are laced up and ready for battle. Roman soldiers had a variety of shoes to match the battlefield conditions they would face. We are to maintain readiness to fight whatever battle comes our way. Peace is not something achieved by just sitting back and waiting. Peacemakers go out and act in ways to bring peace. Jesus came down from heaven to go to battle for us and took action. His actions were to go to the cross for us in is the reason we have peace. We should look to act in the same way. We must seek God’s direction to seek the peace that he knows is right for every situation.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Ephesians 4:1-3 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace
Take up the shield of faith- The imagery of the shield also resonates with the protective stance of the Lord, who promised Abraham, “I am your shield” (Gen 15:1). For Israel, “He is the shield that protects you” (Deut 33:29), just as David calls him “my shield, the horn of my salvation,” and “shield to all who take refuge in him” (2 Sam 22:3, 31). Protection from attack is an expression of the Lord’s love and care for his people. Faith, trust, or confidence in God’s loving care is the effective defensive protection that will keep believers safe from attack.
Ephesians 3:14-19 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Helmet of salvation- the association between helmet and salvation infers that knowledge of God’s salvation protects the believer’s mind from attack. In this vicious spiritual battle, it is possible that believers may lose hope of victory, succumbing to pessimism. But the mind, with its attitudes and convictions, is protected from such traps by the knowledge that God’s salvation is certain. He is himself victorious in battle against his enemies, which in turn ensures that believers are on the winning side of this warfare.
Ephesians 2:4-8 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
Sword of the Spirit- the word here refers to a short sword used for hand-to-hand close combat. Preachers, teachers, evangelists, and all who proclaim the word of God are involved in frontline fighting in this treacherous spiritual warfare. The enemy is up close and personal and is therefore an imminent threat. Those who teach and share the word of God are at immediate risk in this battle and must, therefore, be properly prepared to fight with the full armor of God.
If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man’s life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Hebrews 4:12 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Praying at all times in the Spirit
Ephesians 1:15-19 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might
Applications:
1. Rank your readiness with each piece of armor to see which areas you need to work on the most.
2. Make a plan to work on one area at a time. Solidify one piece and then move on to the next on the list until you have completed every piece.
3. Commit to starting the day thanking God for the wake up and the strength to live out the day with his strength, love, and direction. End the night thanking God for being with you all day. Take any fears, anxieties, doubts, questions to him, and open your heart to him. Pray that he will give you good rest and will work on the problems when you sleep.
4. Make time to sabbath/rest/spend time with God to ensure your armor/faith/love/mercy/hope is being restored and strengthened.
5. Compare notes with fellow leaders and believers who are fighting their own battles and looking to God for strength and direction.
Questions:
1. What area do you think you need God’s protection most? (Head, Heart, Courage to do, Living in Truth, Faith to do anything, God’s word written on your heart)
2. Why do we not try to build up our armor every day and only wait to do so when we are in trouble?
3. What do you plan to do to seek God’s armor more and live under his protection?