Every war, every battle requires weapons, armour, and when it comes to spiritual warfare, nothing comes close to the full Armour of God.
Notice I said the full, meaning the complete set, armour of God, meaning only the weapons God has assigned to us to use, works.
And He has provided us with the weapons of our warfare. No, it’s not knives, guns, or any other kind or type of man-made arms, your razor-sharp tongue, or if-looks-could-kill glares.
The Armour of God is a complete state of being: Stand or standing, Truth, Righteousness, Readiness to share the gospel of peace, Faith, Salvation, Prayer.
But be careful, you cannot use any of these weapons if you don’t first believe that they will or can work. To believe that they work means you must first believe in the One who forged them: God.
Therefore take up the whole Armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
EPHESIANS 6:13-20 NKJV (emphasis mine)
Your Defensive Weapons Against Spiritual Warfare
Everything we put on protects us from the environment and from others: clothes, shoes, hats, sunglasses, and so on, are our defences against nakedness (maybe ridicule?), and the elements. We sometimes veer through another path and use objects, things, stuff to protect us: our possessions, talismans, or idols, perhaps?
Now, honestly, before you knew about or knew enough of the Armour of God, did you use anything, any object as protection? Something that you held while praying, to ward off evil, as it were?
God gives us something far greater and better than any weapons that any ‘ministry of defence’ could ever imagine or conjure up. Weapons, a full set of armour He forged Himself. Read the full chapter 6 of the apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and reacquaint yourself with the full armour of God:
- Belt of Truth – God’s truth, and the truth of God
- Breastplate of Righteousness – Christ’s Righteousness, never yours
- Shoes of the preparation of the Gospel of Peace – ministry and peace
- Shield of Faith – believe in the LORD God
- Helmet of Salvation – knowing and believing that you are saved
- Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God
There’s more to the short notes and explanations I’ve put beside each piece of armour above. You will find a lot of study and sermons on the book of Ephesians, and the Armour of God online, either on websites, blogs or YouTube. I recommend the teachings of the late Derek Prince and the late Chuck Missler of Koinonia House.
Below are just two of the many recorded teachings available on the Book of Ephesians and the Armour of God; I recommend you begin with these two teachings of by the late Derek Prince, and below that by the late Chuck Missler.
I, for one, am grateful to God for keeping the teachings of these two teachers and preachers available today, because I prefer their steady, calm-voiced teachings over those who tend to yell and prance about the stage. I think their style suits us introverts.
But more importantly, they go in-depth into any Bible subject or biblical topic they teach on, and provide context from other books of the Bible to help us understand the whole picture.
If you haven’t heard any teachings on Ephesians or on the Armour of God, I strongly insist that you listen to the above teachings. Do it now so that you can get immediately equipped.
What is Your Part in the Fight Against Spiritual Warfare?
Watch, stand, and pray, and read God’s Word. Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, commands His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, and us, to watch and pray lest we give in to temptation. Paul repeats Christ’s commands here, telling the Ephesians, and us, to stand and pray.
Watch and Stand
Stand, be steady, remain faithful and true; watch the changing of the times – this is vital in our lives today, with the many ideas and interpretations of truth and what truth is, or what is true. Watch out for the changes in your own life; watch out and be careful of your new acquaintances, of how your co-workers can frustrate you, and how you can lose your faith in God through the many trying circumstances of life.
Pray
We both know that prayer is essential to us, for it is our daily, and moment by moment conversation and communion with God.
Establish your prayer routine so that you get into the habit of praying as soon as you awake in the morning, keep a prayerful attitude throughout the day, and pray before you sleep at night.
Pray for those who don’t believe in God, for the enemies of the faith, for your family and friends. Pray to God and ask Him to steady you and keep you in Him, and to show you what He wants you to pray about.
Couple your prayer with fasting to help you grow spiritually. God will see your faith and will strengthen it. He will take you into deeper places of prayer where you recognise the voice of our Lord and the direction of the Holy Spirit.
Read the Bible
It’s easy to use the Bible, or your favourite verse, only when you’re in trouble. Just spout it to ease your mind, and then put it away until the next time you need it.
It’s easy to forget, with the plethora of biblical resources available to us today, to use devotionals, or study booklets, watch videos about the Bible, rather than read the Bible itself.
The Bible is one of the only two offensive weapons in the full Armour of God, and that is because it is God’s Word, containing all the truths of God and not just the knowledge of God.
Prayer
“Father God, You are Holy and worthy to be praised! Thank you for protecting my family and me. Thank you for giving us your full set of armour to get through spiritual warfare, and for strengthening us to keep watch, stand, and pray, and know Your Word. In Jesus’ name, I pray this. Amen!”
Writing Prompts
Gather your materials: Your Bible, either a physical copy or a digital one; your journal, diary or notebook; favourite pens, highlighters, etc.
Read through the verses again, pray, and write down what the Holy Spirit shows you about what you’ve read.
Bless someone by sharing your thoughts on the Armour of God and spiritual warfare in the comments section below
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