The Armor of God

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his great power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can fight against the devil’s evil tricks. Our fight is not against people on earth but against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness, against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world. That is why you need to put on God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing. So, stand strong, with the belt of truth tied around your waist and the protection of right living on your chest. On your feet wear the Good News of peace to help you stand strong. And also use the shield of faith with which you can stop all the burning arrows of the Evil One. Accept God’s salvation as your helmet and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times with all kinds of prayers, asking for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready and never give up. Always pray for all God’s people. Romans 6: 10-18

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Be strong in the Lord…
(close to him, continually seeking his heart, his will in all things)

And in His great power…
(not in our own power, but in His power, which is great and which dwells richly in us)

Put on the full armor of God so that you can fight against the devil’s evil tricks…
(we are to fight, not let the devil run roughshod over us, but to fight back, using God’s armor, which gives us the ability to expose and overcome the devil’s evil tricks.)

Our fight is not against people on earth…
(although, that’s who the devil most often uses to carry out his evil schemes because it distracts us from who we should be fighting…him.)

So, let’s take a look at this battle.
Who started the war? Satan
Why? He wanted to be God – to be the ruler – to be worshiped.

Because of this, he was cast out of Heaven and down to the Earth. This did not hinder his desire to be God, it heightened it. He still wants to be the ruler and to be worshiped; the ruler over all God’s creation and worshiped by those who were created to worship God…people.

Satan is not really fighting us. He’s in a war with God, but true-to-form, he fights dirty. He doesn’t attack his real enemy (God), he attacks those dearest to Him. People are just the pawns Satan uses to fight God.

Because we were created for relationship with God, our spirit’s constantly search for Him. Satan’s goal is to keep us from finding God and enjoying a close relationship with Him.

Satan fights to keep us from…
· coming to God, either for salvation or to God in prayer
· knowing the truth in any given situation – especially spiritual truth
· influencing others to follow Jesus or grow in Him once we find Him
· allowing Christ to use us to continue His work here on earth

Our fight is against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness – against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world.
(because we are now aware of this, we must be careful about being dragged into arguments with others and about being used to offend others)

That is why you need to put on God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil (when Satan attacks) you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing.
(We are not to give in to the attacks of the enemy…we are to stand strong and fight back…how?)

So stand strong, with the belt of truth tied around your waist
(when faced with a difficult situation…ask God, “What is the truth about this situation?”)

And the protection of right living on your chest.
(Living on the edges of sin leaves you defenseless and wide open for attack from the enemy. Right living provides protection from many of the temptations and plans of the enemy for your life.)

On your feet wear the Good News of peace to help you stand strong
(the Good News is that God has already defeated the devil. God sent Jesus, who brought peace between fallen man and God. The door is wide open for us to have a loving and eternal relationship with God. Satan’s goal is to keep us from walking through that door, or in the event he isn’t able to do that, he wants to keep our lives in such an uproar that there is no peace. Fortunately, he does not really have the authority to do that anymore. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize that after coming into a relationship with Jesus, Satan has no authority in our lives. That doesn’t keep him from trying, which is why we must be ready to stand firm in the armor of God and fight him.)

And also use the shield of faith with which you can stop all the burning arrows of the Evil One.
(We can’t stop him from trying, but we can use our faith to keep believing in God and His great power to protect us and to help us to overcome the things that Satan throws at us.)

Accept God’s salvation as your helmet
(a helmet protects our head…our mind. When the enemy attacks, it’s often in our mind. Keep the truth of your salvation always in the forefront of your mind to protect against his attacks. When you are tempted to doubt your salvation or God’s love for you…remind the enemy of your salvation, which makes you a child of God)

And take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God
(God’s word is your most powerful weapon against the enemy and all his lies, however if you are not familiar with it, you will find yourself in the middle of the battle without your most powerful weapon…READ YOUR BIBLE, study it, memorize it so that you will be prepared for battle.)

Pray in the Spirit at all times with all kinds of prayers, asking for everything you need.
(Stay in constant communication with God. Let him into every nook and cranny of your thought life. Tell him what hurdles you are facing, what you need (not necessarily what you want). He dwells inside of you. He is your constant companion. He wants to step in and help you through all of the ups and downs of life - all he needs is an invitation from you.)

To do this (win the fight against the enemy) you must always be ready and never give up.
(Be prepared - ready, because you never know when an attack might come, and when it comes, be determined to never give up fighting him, never give in to his temptations, never believe his lies, never turn away from God, your richest source of strength.)

Always pray for all God’s people.
(We are all under attack. People who don’t know God are under attack to keep them from coming to Him. People who do know God are under attack to keep them from enjoying a great relationship with him, allowing Him to work through them to reaching others. Keep praying for others…they are in the battle with you and need your support.)

Knowing the enemy and recognizing that you are in a battle is half the winning. Knowing what weapons you have, how to use them and knowing who you serve under is the other half.

Be alert…the enemy roams throughout the earth looking for someone to devour…don’t let that someone be you!

(Copyright © 2009 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)