Armor of God: Part Two

Paul was writing to the Christians in Ephesus to strengthen them in their faith and encourage them as they lived life in the body of Christ. the church. He warned them that there would be a constant battle with the forces of darkness and that they should know and use every weapon that God so graciously provides for His children as they fight this earthly battle. We need supernatural power to defeat Satan and that comes only through Christ and His provision. Last week we were told to STAND and looked at the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness. This week we will see benefits of the shoes of peace, shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit- the Word of God.

Women are often accused of hording shoes while men often only have need of a single pair of shoes for a particular job. Tennis shoes for running, boots for hiking or other jobs, dress shoes for church and slippers to lounge around the house- that's all a man needs. As Christians, one of the most important things we can do is to make sure that the shoes that we wear protect us and prepare us from the obstructive things that Satan places in our path. Sweet sister, the peace that comes through a prepared, reframed heart of repentance of sin brings peace with God, peace within ourselves, and peace with one another. When the peace of knowing that God is in complete control protects us against fear, becoming easily provoked and quarrelsome; it allows us to show gentleness, mercy, and longsuffering to those that most need the gospel around us.

In addition to the three defensive armor pieces that we have already discussed, Paul goes on in verse 16 to say that, " In all circumstances (above all) take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one". Let's stop right where we are to look at the first part of this verse. In ALL circumstances! Not just when it feels like we are in battle, not just when we are at work or at school. No, not just when dealing with those sandpaper people that God puts in our path to smooth our flaws but in ALL circumstances. That's huge to me friend. Every minute of every day we should be holding up our shield of our faith so that no matter where we turn, no matter what angle fiery, poisonous darts are fired at us by the devil, we can defeat him. Faith is a shield of God's promises. Faith is the evidence of things not seen and the substance of things hoped for. Faith in our wonderful Savior provides a blanket of protection help up by His children to be used in times of attack and doubt reminding us that Jesus has redeemed us and as our Heavenly Father He holds us in the palm of His hands in every circumstance. What a powerful visual as well as lesson for us.

The final two pieces of armor that we will look at today are found in Ephesians 6:17. They are the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit (the word of God). Sister, one of the last things that a soldier puts on before battle is his helmet. Oh how precious is the protection of our brain- our mind! If our mind is damaged, the rest of the armor will be of little use. Understanding that our salvation is assured in Christ is at the very foundation of our relationship with Him. Satan has no hold on God's children as we keep our minds focused on Christ and His word. It's when we take our helmet off, allowing the lies of the devil to penetrate our minds that sin gains victory. Through this helmet of salvation we can, "take every thought captive to obey Christ"(2 Cor. 10:5).

As we finish the final piece of armor, Paul tells us to "take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God". Think about the battle that Jesus had with Satan. What weapon did Jesus use? Yes- the word of God! In Matt. 4:4,7,10 we see Jesus quoting Old Testament scripture to Satan as he withstands three temptations from the devil. After responding with scripture from the Old Testament, in verse 11 we see that "Then the devil left him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to him". Sweet sister, the best way to fight Satan is with scripture. God's word is "living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword" as seen in Heb. 4:12. Start today adding more scripture to memory so that you will be ready when those darts are thrown by Satan.

Finally, we would be amiss if we did not conclude with verse 18 of Ephesians 6. Paul says, "praying at all times with all prayer and petition in the Spirit, and to this end, being on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints". Friend, your prayer life is such an important aspect of walking with and going into battle Christ. Those short, brief prayers during your daily routines as well as saturated quite time and prayer alone are so important. Give thanks in prayer for protection when driving, for a great day at work, pray for those who you will come in contact with, pray for your child as they are taking a test in school. There is not a single minute of your day that God isn't interested in! Talk to Him about it. Share your heart with Him. Pray also for other believers in Christ. Missionaries, ladies in your church, young married couples and teens all need a Godly woman interceding for them. Step up and step out as God allows you to gear up in your armor in defeat of Satan! What an awesome opportunity to be used by God. Do you have your armor on, ready for battle this week?

Scripture to Ponder: Ephesians 6:10-18; I John 5:4; John 14:27; Romans 12:1-2; Isaiah 26:3; Philippians 4:8

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