Armor of God
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand (Ephesians 6:13)
As the body of Christ, Jesus has given to us His armor, which is why it is called the armor of God. This defensive mechanism is very essential in order to live our day-to-day lives and protect ourselves from the attacks of the enemy. According to Ephesians 6, God reveals through the Apostle Paul, the different pieces of armor and how each piece functions in our daily Christian walk.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:14-18)
“…Having girded your waist with truth…” To gird means to fasten or to put tightly and fasten truth to your waist. Just as Pilot asked Jesus in John 18:37, “What is truth?” According to John 14:6, Jesus says that He is the way the TRUTH, and the life. The belt is the foundation of the whole armor, without it, everything else doesn’t fit right. Even though the other pieces may not be attached, such as the helmet, sword, shield and the sandals, without the belt, your breastplate and other pieces are very lose, which will make very imbalanced. In the same way, without Jesus being your firm foundation in life, everything will fall apart for you and you will become vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy.
“Having put on the breastplate of righteousness…” The breastplate is a piece of armor that covers from the neck to the middle, as well as the back. Righteousness is the quality or state of being just. In order for us to be just before God, Jesus said that our righteousness had to exceed that of the Pharisees. Otherwise, we have to take on His righteousness by accepting Him into our lives as our personal Lord and Savior. Then only can we be just before God and man. When we truly accept Him into our lives, we put on this piece of armor and though we fall many times, we keep trying everyday to live the just lifestyle that Jesus Himself lived when He was here on earth. According to Proverbs, it says that a righteous man falls seven times and gets back up.
“… And having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace…” This portion is saying to bind your feet with the preparation of the reward for good tidings of the Messiah’s peace. This is the transliteration of this verse in its original text. We stand firm with the teachings of Jesus and His gospel that was about peace and there can only be this peace that is mentioned if we walk in the love that Jesus calls us to walk in. Matthew 5 is an example of how to live a peaceful life. When we hold fast to this gospel, the snares of the enemy cannot penetrate our walk with God. In the armor worn by the Roman soldiers in that day, the sandals that were worn was strapped to the soldier knee high and the bottom of it was made out of metal, so that spikes that were hidden in the ground could not disable the soldier from moving forward.
“… Taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. The way the roman shields were built was not only to defend you from any “normal” attack from the enemy. In the front of these shields was doused with a certain chemical substance, that whenever a fiery arrow was shot at them, the shield was able to put it out as it deflected the arrow. In the same way, your faith in God and His Word is your shield that not only deflects any weapon that is formed against you, it completely takes it out.
The helmet of Salvation, like all the other pieces, is also vital in protecting yourself from the attacks of the enemy. When you accept Jesus Christ into your life, you are saved and that helmet is placed to protect your mind from the enemy and that’s why it says to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. In order for us to activate this weapon, we have to be speaking the Word of God into existence into our lives and that is how we combat the enemy. When God created man, He created us in His exact image and likeness. When He created us, he breathed His Holy Spirit into us, which gave us life. Also, it is scientifically proven that it is impossible to speak without breathing and in Proverbs 18:21, it says that death and life are in the power of the tongue. So, the Holy Spirit of God is carrying out every word you speak into existence. “For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). So, when you speak the Word of God into existence, it is just as Hebrews says, you have the ultimate weapon. You are speaking into existence the very words of the living God.