The Full Armor Of God
From My Notes by Pastor Ron Campbell
As Christians we battle against the powerful evil forces of fallen angels headed by the devil, who is a vicious fighter. We must depend on God’s strength to withstand their attacks and use every piece of his armor.
What is the Full Armor of God?
It is quite clear that when we follow all the instructions faithfully that Paul gave us in Ephesian, we will be able to stand, and we will have victory regardless of Satan’s strategy.
The first element of our armor is the belt of truth. Deception is high on the list of things God considers to be an abomination. We are therefore to put on the belt of truth for our own sanctification and deliverance, as well as for the benefit of those to whom we witness.
Next, we are told to put on the breastplate of righteousness. A breastplate shielded a warrior’s vital organs from blows that would otherwise be fatal. This is the righteousness of Christ, given by God and received by faith, which guards our hearts against the accusations of Satan and secures our being from his attacks.
We need prepare our feet for spiritual conflict with the gospel of peace as footwear. Sometimes an enemy puts dangerous obstacles in the path of advancing soldiers. We will need to advance into Satan’s territory, aware that Satan has many traps and obstacles placed in the path to halt the propagation of the gospel, with the message of God’s grace so essential to winning souls to Christ.
The shield of faith makes Satan’s sowing of doubt about the faithfulness of God and His Word ineffective. Our faith in Christ, is like a solid shield, precious, and substantial.
The helmet of salvation is protection for the head. The head is the gateway of the mind, and when it has grasped the true gospel of hope and eternal life, will not receive false doctrine or give way to Satan’s temptations. The unsaved person has no hope of warding off the blows of false doctrine because he is without the helmet of salvation and his mind is incapable of discerning between spiritual truth and spiritual deception.
The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. While all the other pieces of spiritual armor are defensive in nature, the sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon in the armor of God. A greater spiritual weapon is not conceivable. In the desert, Jesus always used the Word of God as His overpowering response to Satan. What a blessing that the same Word is available to us!
As you do battle against “the powers of this dark world,” the whole body needs to be armed. We fight in the strength of the church, whose power comes from the Holy Spirit. These evil forces are not flesh and blood, but are demons over whom the devil has control. They are not mere fantasies; they are very real. We face a powerful army whose goal is to defeat Christ’s church. As believers in Jesus Christ, these beings become our enemies, and they try everything to turn us away from Him and back to sin. Although we are assured of victory, we must engage in the struggle until Christ returns. We need supernatural power to defeat Satan, because Satan is constantly battling against us. However, God provides his Holy Spirit within us and his armor surrounding us. So, follow what Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:11, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”
Along with putting on God’s full armor we need to pray continually about everything. How can you pray about everything? Make brief prayers your habitual response to every situation you meet throughout the day and order your life around God’s desires and teachings so that your very life becomes a prayer.
Make prayer your life and your life a prayer while living in a world that needs God’s powerful influence. Pray for all believers in Jesus Christ and for the church around the world.
Remember, God can use us in any circumstance to do his will. Even as we pray for a change in our circumstances, we should also pray that God will accomplish his plan through us right where we are. Knowing God’s eternal purpose for us will help us through the difficult times.
So… If you’re feeling discouraged put on the Full Armor of God and remember Jesus’ words to Peter: “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” Matthew 16:18
