God’s Word tells me that I’m in a spiritual war. The devil is out there like a roaring lion seeking whoever he can devour. Any soldier knows the value of protecting oneself when they go into battle. The average American Soldier Carries between 60 – 100 pounds of protective body armor and gear with them into battle. Soldiers in God’s Army also have spiritual armor that they are to put on. The Apostle Paul wrote about our need to “Put on the whole armor of God” in Ephesians 6:10-18. The idea of going into battle without the proper gear seems ridiculous! I’m writing this to encourage you that if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you should consider the spiritual war that you are in and the armor that God’s Word tells us to utilize. We need to remember that we are at war spiritually! The truth is, humanity is involved in spiritual warfare whether we like it or not. Every human being is either on God’s side or the devil’s side. It does no good to ignore it. Dr. David Jeremiah has said, “I never thought I’d see the day when Christians wouldn’t know they were in a war!” With this quote in mind, please take this question seriously, “Are you dressed for the war you’re in?”
“I never thought I’d see the day when Christians wouldn’t know they were in a war!” ~ Dr. David Jeremiah
Here’s the passage in the Bible that talks about this spiritual armor:
“10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. 19 And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. 20 I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.”
Ephesians 6:10-20 (NLT).
I believe it is important that we be intentional about using the spiritual armor God has given us! Notice first that we must rely on God’s power and not our own.
“Spiritual warfare is about the believer recognizing his or her weakness, depending upon God and God’s power, saturating their lives in the word of God and prayer, taking to themselves, appropriating all that they are and all that they have in Christ, and then walking in Christ-likeness.” ~ Paul Washer
God helps us and empowers us by giving us His Holy Spirit when we believe in Jesus as our Savior. The Apostle Paul is using a vivid illustration to describe a spiritual armor that followers of Jesus Christ have for their use. He calls it the Armor of God! Notice: In Verse 13 he says we must put on EVERY piece of armor. Can you imagine going into battle with just a helmet for example? Think how ridiculous that would be!
Also notice that the devil has evil schemes against you! The purpose of this armor is that we might stand against these evil schemes of the devil. Verse 12 sends chills down my spine if I really think about what it’s saying. This war is much bigger than the part we see! We are caught up in the midst of spiritual warfare so great that it would make our hair stand on end if we could see the half of it!
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”
~ 1 Peter 5:8-9
I love this quote from Max Lucado, “Alertness is needed, panic is not. The serpent still wiggles and intimidates, but he has no poison. He is defeated, and he knows it!”
The great news is that we can and must claim the victory through Jesus Christ! Revelation 12:12 tells us the devil knows his time is short! And so, the devil and his demons attack us in many ways. Our job is to stand firm using our spiritual armor. The word “STAND” is used several times in verses 11-14. The Greek word translated “Stand” here was a word used to signify holding a significant, key military position. That key position we are standing in is a position of victory! Bible Teacher Kyle Winkler says, “the armor is meant to help us to stand in the victory of the One (Jesus) who defeated the devil.”
Our job is to stand firm against the devil. The devil is not looking for someone who will stand against him, he’s looking for someone who’s an easy target. He’s looking for someone who doesn’t consider the armor they have… he’s looking for someone to devour. James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” We must use the whole armor of God in order to resist the devil.