Putting on the Full Armor of God

You've heard it before... "put on the full armor of God". But, what does that really mean?  Are you supposed to dress up like a knight and walk around in a suit full of metal? Today, we're going to break down Ephesians 6:10-18 and talk about what it really means to put on that armor of God each and every day.

Ephesians 6:10-18
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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.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. 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.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."

Well, that might be a lot to take in.... so let's take it verse by verse. 

Ephesians 6:10 

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power."

Here, we are seeing the most basic (but often the most difficult) of requests: be strong in the Lord. Don't let the devil come and take over, yet stand on the rock. When you are lost and don't know where to go to, turn to JESUS. Lean on Him and know He will care for you.

Ephesians 6:11

"Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes."

He is now preparing you for what is coming in the next passages. Put on the armor of God. Not half of it, not one toe, not one finger- the whole armor of God. By doing this, we can stand against the devil and his wicked ways because we are armed and ready to fight. 

Ephesians 6:12
"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."

Okay, so "our struggles are not against flesh and blood". What does this mean? This means that, while you think your struggles and temptations are just human nature, that might not be entirely true. The devil has control of us- or, at least he's trying to get it. Our main struggles are good vs. evil. Although we may think the person who is anti-life is our main enemy, or the murderer is our enemy, it is not the case. It is the wicked and evil powers that this person has fallen for. It is important to realize that these powers are strong, conniving and powerful. Instead of judging or hating these people we see as our enemies, we should pray for them and be the light they need to bring them to Jesus.

Ephesians 6:13
"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."

Because we just learned that it is not flesh and blood that is our enemy but evil powers, we need to also learn how to fight against these things. This verse gives us all the reason we need to put on the armor of God. When the day of evil comes, putting on the armor of God will allow you to stand your ground. If you have on the armor you can fight the evil. Just like in war, when he jabs you with his sword, you will have the protection there to prevent it from breaking your skin and hurting you.

Ephesians 6:14
"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,"

Now, we are starting to talk about what the armor of God entails. In this verse, we see two pieces: the belt and the breastplate. The belt of truth: Listen to the one and only truth- that of which is written in the Bible. Do not compare yourself to the lies of the world but rather the truths of our God. The breastplate of righteousness: have a good heart- be humble, caring, nice and thoughtful in all your actions. Do not be cold or mean to others. Stand up for what you believe in.

Ephesians 6:15
"and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace."

The Bible is so detailed, that it even tells us what to put on our feet. Isn't that amazing?! Put on your feet readiness.. this means being ready to do what God calls you to do (yes, we all have a calling/purpose). If He convicts your heart to go one way, go. Be ready to up and leave at any moment. 

Ephesians 6:16
"In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one."

In battle, the shield might be one of the most important items you could have. (but, remember, the armor is not complete unless you have everything) First off, what is "faith"? Faith is the knowing and belief that God will keep His promises and do what He says He will do. Faith is having confidence and trust in God. Therefore, the shield of faith deters the devil. You know that The Lord has promised to care for you and will protect you. When you feel sin and temptation creeping in, hold up your shield of faith and stand firm against it. 

Ephesians 6:17
"Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

The helmet is also a hugely important piece of the armor. The helmet of salvation is knowing and remembering that Jesus Christ died for your sins. With that knowledge, you can defeat anything. 

Ephesians 6:18
"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."

This is the final piece of armor: prayer. The Lord is asking us to constantly be in prayer for ourselves and others. He wants to have a relationship with us, but how can He if we don't talk to Him? He also wants us to pray for others. There is power in prayer and we must acknowledge this. 

Every morning you get up, you must put on the armor of God. We will be tempted each and every day by sin. We must do what we can to fight it. This means staying in faith, being humble, praying for ourselves and others, believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins, being happy and content during the storm and trusting that God will fulfill his promises to us.

So, when you wake up, whether it be by praying, reading your Bible or listening to 5 hours of sermons, don't forget God because He didn't forget you. 

p.s. We're on Twitter- go follow us by clicking here. 

Follow Us on Bloglovin'

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Proverbs 31: 25-26

"Strength and honour are her clothing and she shall rejoice in the time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of kindness." Proverbs 31: 25-26

These two verses are among my favorite. They are what I strive to be. In two sentences, it sums up what a strive for my life. Let's break it down.

"Strength and honour are her clothing"

In today's society, this can be hard to hear. But this is saying it doesn't matter how you are dressed. You can have on the oldest, most worn clothing but that doesn't matter. It's about your strength and honour and confidence that should spew out. Who needs the newest clothes when you have God? I believe this verse also plays on being modest. Never should we show off what God has given us ladies in an immodest way. This is an unpopular idea today, but a woman should be properly clothed in modest clothing. Everything about us should be God like- even our clothing.

"She shall rejoice in the time to come"

Why be worried or sad about tomorrow when you have an amazing God on your side? He cares for you and loves you- He holds your future. Nothing you can do or say will change what the future holds- so be happy about it and know that whatever happens is God's will. 

"She openeth her mouth with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of kindness"

Above all, don't speak ill of people. Be smart. Have common sense. Be kind. When you open your mouth, think of what God would want you to say. Uplift others, don't bring them down. Do and say to others what you would like to be done and said to you!