“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” [Ephesians 6:13]
BE STRONG IN THE LORD
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Eph. 6:14-17.
The first preparatory command is that we should be continually strengthened in the Lord and in the boundless resources of His might. God's best soldiers are those who are conscious of their weakness and ineffectiveness, and who rely solely on Him.
The second instruction is concerned with the need for divine armor. The believer must put on the whole armor of God that he may be able to stand against the stratagems of the devil. It is necessary to be completely armed; one or two pieces will not do.
The devil has various stratagems--discouragement, frustration, confusion, moral failure, and doctrinal error. He knows our weakest point and aims for it. If he cannot disable us by one method, he will try for another.
The first piece of armor mentioned is the belt of truth. Certainly we must be faithful in holding the truth of God's word. The second piece is the breastplate of righteousness. Every believer is clothed with the righteousness of God, but he must also manifest integrity and uprightness in his personal life. The soldier must have his feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. We must be ready to go out with the good news of peace, and therefore an invasion into enemy territory. When we relax in our tents, we are in deadly peril.
In addition, the soldier must take the shield of faith so that when the fiery darts of the wicked one come at him, they will hit the shield and fall harmlessly to the ground. Faith here is firm confidence in the Lord and in His word. The helmet God provides is salvation. If God is for us, who can be against us?
Finally, the soldier takes the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The classic illustration of this is our Lord's use of this sword in His encounter with Satan. Three times He quoted the word of God--not just random verses but the appropriate verses which the Holy Spirit gave Him for that occasion.
With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying. May God give you strength to overcome the devil.
The first preparatory command is that we should be continually strengthened in the Lord and in the boundless resources of His might. God's best soldiers are those who are conscious of their weakness and ineffectiveness, and who rely solely on Him.
The second instruction is concerned with the need for divine armor. The believer must put on the whole armor of God that he may be able to stand against the stratagems of the devil. It is necessary to be completely armed; one or two pieces will not do.
The devil has various stratagems--discouragement, frustration, confusion, moral failure, and doctrinal error. He knows our weakest point and aims for it. If he cannot disable us by one method, he will try for another.
The first piece of armor mentioned is the belt of truth. Certainly we must be faithful in holding the truth of God's word. The second piece is the breastplate of righteousness. Every believer is clothed with the righteousness of God, but he must also manifest integrity and uprightness in his personal life. The soldier must have his feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. We must be ready to go out with the good news of peace, and therefore an invasion into enemy territory. When we relax in our tents, we are in deadly peril.
In addition, the soldier must take the shield of faith so that when the fiery darts of the wicked one come at him, they will hit the shield and fall harmlessly to the ground. Faith here is firm confidence in the Lord and in His word. The helmet God provides is salvation. If God is for us, who can be against us?
Finally, the soldier takes the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The classic illustration of this is our Lord's use of this sword in His encounter with Satan. Three times He quoted the word of God--not just random verses but the appropriate verses which the Holy Spirit gave Him for that occasion.
With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying. May God give you strength to overcome the devil.
FULL ARMOR OF GOD
“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” [Ephesians 6:11]
Roman Soldier
