Armour of God

1. Armour of God – 14th
May 2017
“Finally,bestrongin the Lord and in hismightypower. 11
Put on the full armor of God,sothat you can
take your stand againstthe devil’sschemes.” (Ephesians6:10-11)
The Armor of God,describedbythe Apostle Paul in Ephesians6:10-18, isour spiritual defense against
attacks by Satan. The Armor of God is referredtospiritual weaponsthatare invisible,butit'sjustas real,
and whenusedproperly,itprovidessolidprotectionagainstthe enemy'sonslaught.The armourof God
consistof sevenspiritual weaponsthatconsistof the Beltof truth, Breastplate of righteousness, Gospel
of peace,Shieldof faith,Helmetof salvation,the Swordof the spirit,and Powerof prayer.
The good newsisthat none of these thatconsiststhe full Armorof God require any poweronour part
like inthe care of otherweapons usedforthe purpose of destruction.AsChristianswe know that our
weaponisJesusChristwhohasalreadywonour victorythrough His sacrificial deathonthe cross at
Calvary.Inaddition tothisfree giftof salvation, He hasalso availedusthe Amourof God for our
protectionfromthe evil one,consistingof six spiritual weapons toputon as the armor inorderto win
the battle…andthisbattle is anongoingeachday entirelywithinourhearts. Inthis presentation, we list
belowastepby stepstudyof the Full Armorof God, so that youcan learnthe importance of wearing the
God given spiritual armorandhowit protectsagainstSatan's relentlessattacks. We can learnfrom 1
Peter 5:8, “Be alert and ofsober mind.Your enemy the devil prowlsaroundlike a roaringlionlooking
for someoneto devour.”
The Beltof Truth: Thisis the firstelementof the Full Armorof God.In the ancientworld,asoldier'sbelt
not onlykepthisarmor inplace,butit mightbe wide enough,asa girdle,toprotectvital organs. As
Christianswe knowthat the truth protectsus and for us thistruthis availedtous throughthe Bible.
Practicallyappliedtoustoday,the Beltof Truth holdsupour spiritual understandingsothatwe can be
protectedfrombeingledastraybythe great deceiver. JesusChristcalledSatanthe "fatherof lies."
Deceptionisone of the enemy'soldesttactics.We cansee throughSatan's liesbyholdingthemagainst
the truth of the Bible.The Bible helpsusdefeatthe liesof materialism, money,power,andpleasureas
the most importantthingsinlife.Thus,the truthof God's Wordshinesitslightof integrity intoourlives
and holdstogetherall of ourspiritual defenses. Jesustoldus "Iam the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me." (John14:6).
The Breastplate of Righteousness:We can learnwhere Apostle Paul statesin Ephesians 6:14 “Stand
firm then,with the belt of truth buckled aroundyour waist,with the breastplateof righteousnessin
place.” The Breastplate of Righteousnessguardsourheart.Inany battle a woundtothe chestcan be
fatal.That's whyancientsoldierswore abreastplate coveringtheirheartandlungs.Ourheart is
susceptibletothe wickednessof thisworld,butourprotectionisthe Breastplate of Righteousness,and
that righteousness comesfromJesusChrist.We cannotbecome righteousthroughourown goodworks.
WhenJesusdiedonthe cross, hisrighteousnesswascreditedtoall whobelieve in Him, through
justification.Itisonlythiswaythat God seesusas sinlessbecauseof the atoningsacrifice of Jesus…to
save humanityfroman eternityof suffering. We cannotachieve thisaccept throughrepentance forsins
throughour faithinJesusChristas one’ssaviour. Thiswaywe are availedthe possibilityof salvation
whichinturn is Christ-givenrighteousness forthe believerthatwill coverandprotectyou. Therefore the

2. Breastplate of Righteousness istokeepyourheartstrong and pure for God, against our enemythe devil
whois incessantlyprowlingaroundtodistance usfrom the presence of God.
The Gospel ofPeace:We can learnfrom Ephesians6:15, “…andwithyour feet fitted withthe readiness
that comes from the gospel of peace.” Here Paul talksabout fittingourfeetwiththe readinessthat
comesfromthe Gospel of Peace.The Gospel of Peace isour protection, asitremindsusthat itis by
grace that our souls are saved. The meaningof fittingourfeetwiththe readinessof the Gospel of Peace
iswell describedin 1Peter 3:15,"... alwaysbe ready to give a defense to everyone who asksyou a
reason for the hope that isin you,with meekness and fear ..."AsChristianswe needtobe readyto
clearlystate the reasonforour hope inChrist,wheneverwe can,toas manyas we can. Sharingthe
gospel of salvationultimatelybringspeace betweenGodand us. We have rebelledagainst God.
Beginningfromthe disobedienceof AdamandEve,and since thenwe have addedtoour sin throughour
ownactions,and hence we have progressivelydistancedourselvesfromGod.ButthroughFaith inJesus
and throughsalvation, we are “justified”andhence we are availedwiththe possibilityof being
identified asaChildof God. “Therefore, sincewe have been justifiedthroughfaith,we have peace
with Godthroughour Lord Jesus Christ”(Romans5:1).
ShieldofFaith: No defensive armorwasasimportantas a shield.Itfendedoff arrows,spears,and
swords.OurShieldof Faithguardsus againstone of Satan's deadliestweapons,doubt.Satan shoots
doubtat us whenGod doesnotact immediatelyorvisibly.Butour faithinGod's trustworthinesscomes
fromthe unassailable truthof the Bible.OurShieldof Faith protectsisfromSatan'sflamingarrows of
doubtby deflectingthemharmlesslytothe side.We keepourshieldheldhigh, thatisbeingconfident in
the knowledge thatGodprovides,Godprotects,andGodis faithful tohischildren.Ourshieldholds
strongthough the level of faith in, JesusChrist.
Helmetof Salvation: The Helmetof Salvationprotectsthe head,where all thoughtandknowledge
reside.JesusChristsaid, "Ifyouholdtomy teaching,you are really my disciples.Thenyou will know
the truth, and the truth will set youfree." (John8:31-32). The truth of salvationthroughChristdoes
indeedsetusfree.We are free fromvainsearching,free fromthe meaningless temptations of this
world,andfree fromthe condemnationof sin.Those whoreject God'splanof salvation battle Satan
unprotectedandsufferthe fatal blowof hell. The Helmetof Salvationtoprotectourthoughtsandminds
isa crucial piece of armor. We cannot survive withoutit.
Sword of the Spirit:The Swordof the Spiritisthe onlyoffensive weaponinthe Armorof God withwhich
we can strike againstSatan.This weaponrepresentsthe Wordof God,the Bible. We canlearnfrom
Hebrews 4:12, "Forthe word ofGod isalive andactive. Sharper than anydouble-edgedsword,it
penetrates even to dividingsoul andspirit,jointsandmarrow; it judgesthe thoughtsandattitudes of
the heart." WhenJesusChristwastemptedbySatan, He counteredwiththe truthof Scripture,setting
an example forus.Satan'stactics have notchanged,so the Swordof the Spirit,the Bible,isstillourbest
defense.Committhe Wordtoyour memoryandto your heart.
Power of Prayer: Paul adds the Powerof Prayerto the Full Armorof God: "Andpray in the Spiriton all
occasionswithall kinds ofprayers and requests. Withthis inmind,be alert andalwayskeep on
prayingfor all the Lord's people." (Ephesians6:18). Every good soldierknowstheymustkeepthe line
of communicationopen withtheirCommander.Godhas commandedHis ordersforus, through His
Word and the promptingsof the HolySpirit.Prayerisour communicationwithGodand Satanhatesit
whenwe pray.He knowsprayerstrengthensusandkeepsusalertto hisdeception andthatknowledge
protectsus frombeingledastray. Paul cautionsusto pray not onlyforoneself but forothersaswell.
Therefore asChristianswe needtobearinmindthatwiththe Full Armorof God, we can be ready for
whateverthe Enemythrowsatus.

4. Ephesians 6:12 clearly indicates that the conflict with Satan is spiritual, and
therefore no tangible weapons can be effectively employed against him and his
minions. We are not given a list of specific tactics Satan will use. However, the
passageis quite clear that when we follow all the instructions faithfully, we will be
able to stand, and we will have victory regardless of Satan’s strategy.
The first element of our armor is truth (verse14). This is easy to understand, since
Satan is said to be the “father of lies” (John 8:44). Deception is high on the list of
things God considers to be an abomination. A “lying tongue” is one of the things
He describes as “detestable to Him” (Proverbs 6:16-17). Wearetherefore
exhorted to put on truth for our own sanctification and deliverance, as well as for
the benefit of those to whomwe witness.
Also in verse14, we aretold to put on the breastplate of righteousness. A
breastplate shielded a warrior’s vitalorgans fromblows that would otherwisebe
fatal. This righteousness is not works of righteousness doneby men. Rather, this
is the righteousness of Christ, imputed by God and received by faith, which guards
our hearts againstthe accusations and charges of Satan and secures our
innermostbeing from his attacks.
Verse15 speaks of the preparation of the feet for spiritualconflict. In warfare,
sometimes an enemy places dangerous obstacles in the path of advancing
soldiers. The idea of the preparation of the gospelof peace as footwear suggests
what weneed to advance into Satan's territory, awarethat there will be traps,
with the messageof grace so essential to winning souls to Christ. Satan has many
obstacles placed in the path to halt the propagation of the gospel.
The shield of faith spoken of in verse16 makes Satan's sowing of doubt about the
faithfulness of God and His Word ineffective. Our faith—of which Christis “the
author and perfecter” (Hebrews 12:2)—is likea golden shield, precious, solid, and

5. substantial.
The helmet of salvation in verse17 is protection for the head, keeping viable a
critical partof the body. We could say that our way of thinking needs
preservation. The head is the seat of the mind, which, when it has laid hold of the
suregospel hope of 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 becausehe is without the helmet of salvation and his mind is
incapable of discerning between spiritual truth and spiritual deception.
Verse17 interprets itself as to the meaning of the sword of the Spirit—it is the
Word of God. While all the other pieces of spiritual armor aredefensive in nature,
the sword of the Spirit is the only offensiveweapon in the armor of God. Itspeaks
of the holiness and power of the Word of God. A greater spiritualweapon is not
conceivable. In Jesus'temptations in the desert, the Word of God was always His
overpowering responseto Satan. What a blessing that the same Word is available
to us!
In verse18, weare told to pray in the Spirit (that is, with the mind of Christ, with
His heart and His priorities) in addition to wearing the full armor of God. We
cannot neglect prayer, as it is the means by which we draw spiritualstrength from
God. Without prayer, without reliance upon God, our efforts at spiritualwarfare
are empty and futile. The full armor of God—truth, righteousness, thegospel,
faith, salvation, the Word of God, and prayer—arethe tools God has given us,
through which we can be spiritually victorious, overcoming Satan’s attacks and
temptations.
Belt of truth - This is the firstpiece of armour becausethe gospelis synonymous
with the truth - "In Him, you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation". (Ephesians 1:13) Thegospel declares we are made
righteous by faith in Christ, not by works. (Romans 1:17; Romans 4:1-4) Thebelt is
important becauseit holds the other pieces of armour, such as sword's scabbard

6. and pants, together. Itis difficult to fight the enemies when one's belt is loose,
with one hand holding the sword and the other hand holding up the pants - the
enemies may die laughing.
Breastplate of righteousness - The breastplate protects our heart. Itis important
to protect our heart fromcondemnation becausethe devil attacks our heart with
condemnation. "Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we haveconfidence
towards God." (1 John 3:21) The devil is the accuser of the brethren. (Revelations
12:9) Hence, we overcomeSatan by the blood of the Lamb, which was shed to
forgiveall our sins and to make us righteous in God's sight. (Romans 5:9) We need
to believe we are still the righteousness of God in Christ, especially when we fail
or makemistakes, because the devil will try to make our hearts feel condemned,
and causeus to think God is angry with us or rejects us. When we believe we are
righteous in Christ, we will also live righteously, for right believing will always lead
to right living.
Gospel of peace - We wear the gospelof peace like shoes, becausethe Bible says
"how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring
glad tidings of good things!" (Romans 10:15) Thegospel of peace is another name
for the gospelof grace in the new covenant. Paul always opened his epistles to
the church by saying "Graceto you and peace fromGod our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ". When we sharethe good news of grace and peace, weare also
sharing testimonies of our victory in Christ over sin, sickness, depression, lack and
unclean habits. That's how we overcome Satan too. (Revelations 12:11) Wearing
the shoes of peace also means we walk in peace. The devil cannot manage a
peaceful Christian. He can only tempt or trouble us when we are agitated.
Therefore, we need to remain in peace in times of adversity, and trustGod to turn
things around for our good. (Romans 8:28)
Shield of faith - This shield is meant to quench all the fiery darts of the spiritual
enemies. The fiery darts are thoughts of accusation and doubt that the enemies
may put in our minds, making us feel fearful. Therefore, faith is a shield to protect
us from fear. We need to believe we are the righteousness of God in Christ. We

7. need to believe all the promises of God are Yes and Amen in Christto the glory of
God through us. (2 Corinthians 1:20) We need to believe we are overcomers and
more than conquerors through Christwho loves us. Faith pleases God, and
whoever believes in Him will never be put to shame. (Hebrews 11:6; Romans
10:11)
Helmet of salvation - Paul referred to the helmet as the "hope of salvation" in 1
Thessalonians 5:8. Hope("elpis") is a positive or confident expectation of good.
Salvation ("soteria") includes healing, prosperity and well-being. We have
confident expectation of good because Jesus died to save us fromevery evil.
Christhas redeemed us from the curseof the law, that the blessing of Abraham
might come on us, which includes health, wholeness and prosperity in every area
of our life. (Galatians 3:13-14) Weneed to be assured of our salvation too. Once
we are saved by grace through faith in Christ, weare saved forever because Christ
is our new identity. 1 John 4:17 says that"as He is, so are we in this world". This is
how we can have boldness in the day of judgment. When God looks at us, He sees
us in all the beauties, all the glories, all the moralgrandeurs and all the
excellencies of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Sword of the Spirit - The sword is the Word of God. When Jesus was tempted in
the wilderness by the devil, He counter-attacked his temptations by quoting
relevant verses, "Itis written... Itis written... Itis written..." The devil will get the
point, and leave you alone when you quote verses againsthis temptations. For
example, when the devil makes you fearful, you can say under your breath, "For
God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound
mind." (2 Timothy 1:6) You need to speak out God's words, justlike whatJesus
did. God's words when spoken carry power, and His words willnot return to Him
void, but will accomplish the purposefor which it was sent. (Isaiah 55:11)
Finally, prayer. To pray in the Spirit is to pray in tongues. (1 Corinthians 14:14)
When you pray in the Spirit, you don't have to engage your mind because you are
speaking to God. (1 Corinthians 14:2) This is an advantagebecause the devil
doesn't know whatyou are praying too. When you pray in tongues, you will

8. always pray according to the will of God. (Romans 8:27) Prayer is a powerful
weapon, therefore Paul exhorted us to pray at all times in the Spirit. Praying in
tongues also build up yourself, notonly giving you revelations of God's words, but
also repairing your body, boosting your immune system. (1 Corinthians 14:4)
Itis important to put on the full armour of God before engaging in spiritual
warfarebecausewe are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against
spiritual enemies. We cannot fight them with natural weapons like reasoning and
logic or psychology or philosophy. Weneed the gospelof grace as our spiritual
weapon. Paul wrotethat he was not ashamed of the gospelof Christ, for it is the
power of God unto salvation (making us whole in every way) to everyonewho
believes. (Romans 1:16) When we keep believing and confessing weare the
righteousness of God in Christ, wewill reign in life over sin and death, defeat and
depression, Satan and condemnation, unclean habits and adversity, through the
One, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17)
"For the weapons of our warfarearenot carnalbut mighty in God for pulling
down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself
against the knowledgeof God, bringing every thought into captivity to the
obedience of Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)
This verseshows thebattle is taking place in our minds. We need to believe the
gospel, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Itdoesn't
say "the obedience to Christ" but "the obedience of Christ". Itis Jesus'obedience
at the cross that makes us righteous, not our obedience - "so also by one Man's
obedience many will be made righteous." (Romans 5:19) When webelieve we are
righteous in Christ, God calls it "obedience to the faith". (Romans 16:26) This is
new testament way of obedience. Right believing, once again, will produceright
living. :)
By the way, the imagery of the armour of God was taken from Isaiah 59:17-21.
Paul musthave taken reference fromthe passage, and it ends with the Word of
God and praying in the Spirit too.