Ephesians 6 - 2.27.26
Scripture: Ephesians 6: 10-17
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 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. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Observation
Paul is writing a letter focusing on applying the gospel to daily life and equipping believers for spiritual warfare. We are to stand against spiritual deception using the “Armor of God”. Paul is calling believers to “be strong in the Lord”. The “Armor of God” (Belt of Truth, Breastplate of Righteousness, Gospel of Peace, Shield of Faith, Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.) is a metaphor, inspired by Roman soldiers, for protecting oneself against spiritual, not physical, attacks. (Google)
Application
We are to be ready everyday to battle the enemy. We need to wake up every morning, read our Bible, Pray and put on the “Armor of God”. The first thing Paul tells us to put on is the Belt of Truth. Jesus is “the Way, the Truth and the Life”. Truth is one of the most important things about being a Christian. The belt of Truth also holds the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. The Word of God is Truth.
When you put on your Breastplate of Righteousness, you allow God to protect your heart and soul from evil and deception. As we become more like Christ our choices become more righteous.
When we wear our “Peace Shoes” we are on the defensive and offensive. We must be confident in our position in Christ. We must stand firm in the truth of God’s Word, regardless of how bad our circumstances get. God also expects us to share our faith with everyone who asks us to give the reason for the hope that we have. Sharing our faith helps us to maintain our sure footing.
The Shield of Faith is one of the most important pieces for a soldier of God. It is our protection from the flaming arrows that are shot at us every day. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is one of the greatest gifts and it opens the door to a right relationship with God. Because we have faith we can walk through trials knowing we are victorious.
We need to keep our Helmet of Salvation buckled tight on our heads, because our mind is a battlefield. We need to take every thought captive and expose it to the light of the word. We must allow God’s truth to continually wash away the world’s filth, lies, and confusion from our minds and adopt God’s perspective.
When I was in high school, my mom would park a little bit away from the school and we would pray together and put on our armor before I left the car to enter the school grounds. I believe wearing my armor every day at school protected me from the devil’s schemes. I went into school as a soldier in God’s army and walked with love and confidence. I shared Jesus with a lot of my school mates and would bring some of them to church with me, so they could learn about Jesus. What a wonderful practice that my mom taught me from a young age.
Prayer
Dear Lord,
Help us to always remember to put on your full armor every day so we can live in the truth of your word. Help us to have a faith so strong that there is no room for doubt. Give us boldness to share Jesus with every one we meet and truly be the Light of the World.
- Michelle Craig
