"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 firm." Galatians 6:13
Every Christian has in their possession the armor of God. The question becomes, will we take up the armor or go it alone in our spiritual battles? God's armor provides us with everything we need to do battle as long as we practically apply all we possess from being in Christ.
Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth Ephesians 6:14a
Since a significant part of ancient combat was hand-to-hand, a loose tunic was a hindrance and even a danger. Before the battle, the tunic carefully cinched and tucked into the heavy leather belt that girded (restrained) the soldier’s loins. God’s belt of truth ties it all together, demonstrating that the believer is ready for battle.
Since Satan is a liar (John 8:44), your belt of truth is always under attack in one or more forms:
1. Lies about the character of God.
2. Deception about who you are in Christ.
3. Lies promoting fear about life’s future direction.
4. The deception of temptation to sin.
We must live in the truth of a close relationship and dependence on the person of truth – Jesus Christ (John 14:6).
1. Read, study, meditate, and apply the Scriptures, letting the Word of truth sanctify your life daily (2 Corinthians 6:7, John 17:15).
2. Submit to the Holy Spirit's leading and teaching – the Spirit of truth (John 14:17, 16:13).
3. Resist the enemy by choosing, knowing, and standing in the truth.
Put on the breastplate of righteousness Ephesians 6:14b
The breastplate protects my most vulnerable area – my heart, the home of my feelings and emotions. The mind and emotions are two areas where Satan most fiercely attacks believers.
Three Ways That Satan Attacks
• Accusations (Revelation 12:10) Despair comes from believing what Satan says rather than what God says about my righteousness in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).
• Condemnation (Romans 8:1) Satan condemns me to keep me from coming to God.
• Spiritual Pride by trusting in my righteousness rooted in pride.
Three Ways to Stand against Satan
• Confess all sin. Apply the principle of confession by acknowledging sin and receiving the forgiveness Christ provides. (I John 1:9).
• Stand with Christ’s righteousness. Satan has nothing to accuse us of because we are made righteous in Christ (Romans 8:33, 1 Corinthians 1:30, Philippians 3:8,9).
• Keep a clear conscience before God and man (Acts 24:16).
As shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the Gospel of peace Ephesians 6:15
I share with counselees the great news that Christ is victorious over sin and Satan! In Colossians, 2:13-15 Paul the Apostle tells us that God made us alive in Christ, and Jesus forgave all our sins! He canceled the record of the charges against us—past, present, and future. He took that record of our sin and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s cross. God disarmed the evil rulers and authorities.
There can be no accusation made against God’s elect. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Because of the good news of the Gospel, we are at peace with God, and we stand in the confidence of God’s forgiveness!
In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one Ephesians 6:16
The Apostle Paul tells us that putting on the full armor of God is taking up the shield of faith. When the spiritual warfare becomes heated with flying arrows, the Christian takes up the shield of faith, “…wherewith [he] shall be able to quench (extinguish) all the fiery darts of the wicked.” (Ephesians 6:16). The Roman shield was made with linen that could be dipped in water. When the fiery darts hit it, they were extinguished.
We can enlarge and strengthen our shield of faith by spending daily time in the Word of God. As you pick up the shield of faith, you can stop the evil one's flaming arrows and stand firm in spiritual battles.
Take the helmet of salvation Ephesians 6:17a
This helmet is another piece of armor for spiritual victory. The Roman’s helmet would protect the head from arrows (fiery darts), but its primary function was to ward off blows from a very destructive weapon called a broadsword. The enemy soldier lifted it over his head and brought it down on his opponent’s head. God’s helmet of salvation protects us from Satan’s deathblow.
The word salvation in the context of Ephesians 6:17 emphasizes the ongoing deliverance, which our salvation brings. Here, Paul is not concerned with Satan taking away our salvation. He is referring to our hope of liberation in times of spiritual battle. Paul is referencing Isaiah 59:17, “For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.” By appropriating this salvation as our helmet, we have every reason to remain confident in Christ's victory.
Take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God Ephesians 6:17b
We do not put on God's armor to wait for the enemy to attack, but instead, we are to join with Christ in an offensive battle in which we take up the Word of God. In Ephesians 6:17, Paul expresses what is needed for the believer to overcome Satan and his hosts when he says to take “the sword of the Spirit, which is God's word.”
As Christians, we cannot be passive in utilizing the sixth piece of the armor of God. When we are not applying Biblical truth in our lives, we are easy prey to evil forces. In our culture today, we have an excess of self-help books for solving problems that replace the study and application of God’s Word. Hebrews 4:12 teaches: “For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Standing Against Evil