Ephesians 6:11 "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."
Ephesians 6:14-17 "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; (15) And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (16) Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. (17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God"
Let me start by saying that if we do not put on the full armour, we will find
ourselves falling down or constantly running away. Satan is constantly
"... as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."
Therefore we must be on guard and aware of our surroundings. We hear much today
about strengthening the core of our body, or the middle part of our body. Most
of our strength originates from that area, so Paul first tells us to have
"our loins girt about with truth." Sometimes we hear it said, "You
just have to tighten up your belt and keep on going." We remain tight by
holding truth to be the very motivation of our actions. We are to put on the
"breastplate of righteousness." By that, we are to guard our hearts
to make sure our focus remains upon that which is true. We must nurture our
love for Jesus Christ through prayer and staying in the Word of God. We are to
have our "feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." We
must watch our actions and the direction in which our lives are going. If we
are not careful, we can be as that prodigal and find ourselves in a "far
country" where we become isolated.
Satan is constantly throwing fiery darts our way; therefore, we must walk in a
manner that our faith guards and defends us. Our faith has to be grounded in
the power, wisdom, glory, mercy, and grace of our Lord. We know that we can do
all things through Christ which strengthens us. We know that our God provides
all of our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. We know that
all things work together for good for them who love God and are the called
according to His purpose. We must never lay down our shields. We must never go
into battle without "the helmet of salvation and the sword of the
Spirit." The helmet protects our minds which are the battlefield in which
Satan attacks. If he can cause fear or doubt or lack of commitment, then he has
us pretty much where he wants us. The helmet of salvation begins with an
attitude of gratitude and entering the door to the throne of grace by prayer.
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace
of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7) Our only weapon of offense is
the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Yes, I say it again... we
MUST be constant in our reading and studying the Word of God.
Am I a soldier of the Cross—
A follower of the Lamb?
And shall I fear to own His cause,
Or blush to speak His name?
Since I must fight if I would reign,
Increase my courage, Lord!
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy Word.