Putting on the whole Armor of God is important for any
Christian that has given their lives to Christ and are following His teachings. An armor is a garment made up of metallic pieces or other resistant material that are used to protect the body of the combatant.
The armor of God represents the defense that Christians must take in their
spiritual lives. As the Bible informs us, we (Christians) are at war with the
devil, Satan, who wants to destroy the children of God. As Ephesians 6:10-18
tells us that for Christians to be able to stand against the wiles of the
devil, they should be fully armed with the whole Armor of God.
Christians battle against rulers and authorities in their daily lives, that is, the powerful evil forces of fallen angels who are headed by Satan a vicious fighter. 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." This is a perfect scripture showing us the importance of wearing the full Armor of God to fight spiritual warfare rather than fighting them with natural weapons.
Christians face spiritual warfare in thier lives because God put it in their stories for a reason. This spiritual warfare can only be fought by putting on the full armor of God than the natural weapons.
Some of the reasons Christians face spiritual warfare are:
- To keep us humble. Paul learned this truth when God allowed the enemy to attack him through an intense “thorn in the flesh.” Whatever the thorn was, it weakened Paul – and God refused to remove it (2 Cor. 12:7-10). In his ongoing spiritual struggle, Paul learned to avoid conceit.
- It led to the cross. This enmity hit its peak on Calvary, where the demons surely thought they had won. Not so, though- for God had from eternity planned to disarm the powers through the death of His Son (Col. 2:15).
- To push us to pray. Spiritual conflict forces us to see our need, and God’s gracious care and protection in the battle. Prayer is the right response in the battle.
- To magnify His name among the nations. When God grants a victory we can achieve only through Him, He alone gets the glory. In Exodus 14 we see him leading and helping the Israelites to cross the Red Sea.
For Christians to withstand their attacks, they must depend on God's strength and use every piece of the armor of God. The whole body needs to be armed. When you battle against the powers of this dark world, make sure you fight in the strength of the church whose power comes from the Holy Spirit. We fight a powerful army whose goal is to defeat the church of Christ and we therefore need supernatural powers to defeat Satan.
God's weapons to help Christians fight satan are the:
- Belt of truth.
- Breastplate of righteousness.
- Gospel of peace.
- Shield of faith.
- Helmet of salvation.
- Sword of spirit, which is the word of God.
These are the "weapons of our warfare" that can pull down strongholds in the spirit world.
2 Corinthians 10:3-4 says: "For though we walk on the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds."
Ephesians 6:10-18 clearly explains to us the importance of wearing the full armor of God.
Just like a soldier going to war needs a belt, Christians also need the Belt of Truth. This is the first armor of God. The belt of truth holds up our spiritual pants so that we are not exposed and vulnerable.
The second armor of God which is the Breastplate of Righteousness guards our hearts just like the soldier's physical breastplate that guides and shields him from weapons directly coming to his or her body. God sees us as sinless because He gave us His only begotten son, Jesus, to die for us on the cross. Christians should accept their Christ-given righteousness and let it protect and cover them from the devil and his wicked ways.
Thirdly, the Gospel of Peace is our protection, reminding us that it is by God's grace that our souls are saved. Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
The fourth armor of God is the Shield of Faith. Satan makes us doubt God in situations that God does not act immediately or visibly. Christians should have unshakable faith and not be moved. We should keep our shield held up high knowing that God protects, provides and is faithful to us as His children.
The second last armor of God is the Helmet of Salvation. A helmet protects the head from getting damaged. The truth of salvation through Jesus Christ does set us free. John 8:31-32 tells us: "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." The Helmet of Salvation is to protect our thoughts and minds as it is a crucial piece of armor, hence cannot survive without it.
Finally, the Sword of the Spirit. This is the only offensive weapon in the armor of God as with this we can strike against Satan. This weapon represents the Word of God, the Bible. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." This vividly explains how the word of God is alive and active.
Since Satan has not changed his tactics of tempting us, the sword of the Spirit is still our best defense.
How Christians can apply the full armor of God in their lives.
- Pursue the truth in a specific topic. Do not just study parts but go deeper when studying the word of God.
- Pray with God's word. Use the word of truth to guide you while praying to God.
- Surround yourself with Scripture.
- Obey and follow the instructions of God.
- Ask a trusted person to pray with and for you if you happen to be struggling with obedience and following God's teachings.
- Lastly, memorize the truth. Cover your world with scripture and always remember the word of God in the spiritual battle.
I have definitely learnt alot from this π
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sparing timeππΌπ€
Deleteππdope, informative
ReplyDeleteI appreciate π€
DeleteGreat message here mum... I am blessed keep it up dearest
ReplyDeleteThank you so much mumπ€❤️
DeleteMy best piece yet!
ReplyDeleteThank you!ππ½
Delete