Would you go be willing to go fight in a war without wearing the proper armor? Would you be able to fight an enemy who wanted to destroy you just wearing something out of your closet? Of course not! If you were going to fight in a war against a vicious enemy, you would want the proper armor for offence and defense. You would need protection. This is obvious.
It is the same with the spirit realm. Whether you realize it or not, we are in a battle. We are in a spiritual war. We are daily fighting an enemy who wants to destroy us and will stop at nothing to do so. He is always looking for those who are not wearing any armor, or who are missing parts of the armor. God has given us all the armor we need to fight this enemy with. Each piece is vital and none can be ignored. All this armor should be worn every day.
Our loins (or middle) should be completely surrounded by truth. Jesus said, "I am the way, the Truth and the Life". He is truth. His Word is truth. So this truth must be the center of our lives.
We should also have on the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate was designed to protect the chest and the heart. Our heart needs to be righteous at all times. God sees the heart; man cannot. God knows the intent of our heart; man does not. If our heart is pure, our deeds are pure. If our heart is evil, our deeds are evil. It's that simple. Our daily prayer should be "purify my heart, change my heart, search my heart, cleanse my heart". "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." (Proverbs 4:23).
Our feet should be equipped with the peace of God. Everywhere we go, every step we take, every move we make, we should be sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and the peace He brings. Only He brings peace. Only Jesus satisfies and we should be quick to go and tell others. This defeats the enemy when we tell others. When we guard our steps, the enemy loses. If we trust the Lord to order our steps, the enemy loses control.
The shield of faith is to quench the firey darts that the enemy throws at us. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Without faith, it is impossible to be saved. Without faith, it is impossible to serve the Lord. The enemy wants us to doubt and not believe God. When we doubt, it causes us to become weak and we are then an easy target for the enemy. Faith enables us to move the mountains that are in our way and prevent the enemy from gaining access to us.
The helmet of salvation protects our mind. People often say, "it's ok to think it as long as I don't say it." This is not true. We are to guard our thoughts. We are told in Philippians 4:8 what to think on. We are to think on the things of God and to meditate on His Word. When we do this, we are guarding our mind from the seeds the enemy tries to plant that will destroy us. It's often been said, "Watch your thoughts, because thoughts create words, words turn into actions, actions become habits, habits become character, and character will determine the destiny.......it all started with a single thought." Our thoughts are very important and should be protected. We are to cast down any thought that is not of God. Protect those thoughts that the enemy puts in your mind. If the thought is not from God, disregard it, rebuke it and cast it down.
The sword is the Word of God. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He used the Word of God to send the enemy away. He didn't plead and beg and whine and moan. He simply said, "It is written." (Matthew 4:1-10). The Word is powerful and so important. We must not only read, but study it daily. We cannot use it as the sword of the spirit, if we do not know it. We cannot live by it if we do not know it. Read and study daily. Meditate day and night upon the Word so when the enemy comes after you, you will be equipped with the proper armor to defeat him.
Finally, we are instructed to pray. All the armor does us no good if we do not have a consistent prayer life. God is looking for people who are faithful to have a lifestyle of prayer. Yes, it should be a lifestyle. All day, every day should be filled with prayer. Pray without ceasing. No matter what is going on. If we are without prayer, we are without power.
This armor should be worn every day and every night. It should be a part of our lives always. All the armor must be worn at all times in order to remain strong and victorious in battle. Put on your armor today, and don't let anyone or anything take it off. It's the only chance you have against this enemy who wants to destroy you. God wants to give you life and power. Put on His armor. You will not be sorry.
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