The Whole Armor of God

Here is a copy of the lesson I wrote for the women in Maasai Land.  God led me here for a reason.  I don't think He's done yet.  More on that later....

The Whole Armor of God

Ephesians 6

My name is Carrie Nixon.  I am a wife and a mother of 2 beautiful girls who keep me hopping.  I am so excited to be here and share with you the power of God!

I will be teaching out of the book of Ephesians today, focusing on Ephesians 6:10-20.  But before we get there, we should get some background information.  First, we need to know that the Apostle Paul is writing this letter to the believers in Ephesus.  He is in jail, chained to a Roman soldier, writing to encourage the believers in Ephesus, and challenges them to be a living body of Christ on earth. 

In chapter 1 of Ephesians, Paul shows us all that we have in Christ.  As Christians, we have every spiritual blessing.  We are showered with God’s kindness (v 3-8), we were chosen for greatness (v. 9-12), marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit (v 13,14), and we are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit (v. 15-23).

Chapters 2 and 3 show us our position in Christ.  As Christians, we are freed from sin’s curse and bondage (ch 2, v. 1-10), brought near to God (ch. 2, v. 11-18), and we are part of God’s household.   We stand with the profits, apostles, Jews, Gentiles, and Christ Himself.  We are fellow citizens and members of the household of God.

Chapters 4-6 highlight our purpose as Christians.  We are to have a walk worthy of our call.   In other words, the way we live our life should show others that we are His.  We are to be humble and gentle, patient, bearing one another in love, walking in the unity of our commitment to Christ.  We are to have the highest moral standards, rejecting ungodly practices and living in mutual submission and love.

Ephesians 6:10-20

^"10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. ¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."

Paul’s final concern for believers was that in order to effectively carry out our purpose, we must be strong.  We need to be strong because the day we become a Christian marks the beginning of a great struggle with Satan and his forces.  We must be strong against his schemes.  As believers, we are enemies of Satan, and he will use all that he has to try and make us stumble. 

His schemes include giving us false doctrine, or beliefs; temptation to indulge in things of the flesh, things of our old walk (sexual sin, hatred of others or God, jealousy, addiction, pride).  He seeks to make us stumble and then he will trample on us after we fall.  He tries to make worse the sin that is already in us.  We must never underestimate the power of Satan.

But there is good news!  In John 16:33, Jesus tells us that in the world we will have tribulation.  We will have trials; we will have battle.  “But,” he says, “take heart; I have overcome the world.”  Jesus wins!

So how can we be strong?  Where does our strength come from?  Paul says that we must “ be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”  There is strength and power available beyond our own.  We’ve already established that as Christians we are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. 

• Eph 1;18,19 - “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe."
• Eph 3:16 - “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.”
• Eph 3:20 – “ Now unto him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine according to his power that is at work within us.”

This strength and power comes from the armor of God.  God supplies it, but we must put it on.  We don’t have it in and of ourselves.  Being strong in the Lord is the only way we can resist Satan and we must be equipped for the battle.  We don’t want to be an easy target for the devil and his tricks.  When we put on the whole armor of God, we are assured that we will not be defeated in our struggles. 

When we put on the full armor of God, we are actually putting on Christ.  Romans 13:12-14 says, “ The night is nearly over, the day is almost here.  So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.  Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.  Rather clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” 

Paul’s instruction for us to put on the full armor of God is a command.  It is not a suggestion, not a favor.  It is necessary for victory, an absolute must-do.  He is telling us that every Christian has been drafted to fight the war against Satan.  It is not a physical war, but a spiritual one.  The victory over Satan is in Christ and in the armor that he provides his saints, his believers.

So what does the armor of God look like?   Remember where Paul is when he is writing this letter to the church.  He is in prison, chained to a Roman soldier.  So as he writes, he likens God’s armor to the armor of a Roman soldier.

First, he tells us to buckle the belt of truth around our waists.  Romans soldiers wore a woolen one-piece tunic that came down to their knees.  It was shaped like a “T” with a hole at the top for the head.  Over this tunic, they placed the belt.  The belt would cinch up all the loose fabric from the tunic, making it easier to move and fight.  It also served as the foundation on which the sword, dagger and metal apron were attached.

This belt was foundational for battle.  It supported the weapons that allowed the soldier to fight.  The belt is a reminder that Jesus is the foundation for our spiritual battles.  He is the truth that stands against the lies and deception of Satan.  To win our spiritual battles our fight must be anchored to the truth found in Jesus alone.

Next, Paul says to have the breastplate of righteousness in place.  A roman soldier’s breastplate was made of overlapping bronze scales.  It was there to protect the soldier’s vital organs.  This soldier would never enter into battle without it.  It was essential to survival. 

If we start to believe that our own righteousness, efforts, or good works will be enough to earn God’s protection, we will fall to Satan’s attacks.  Our righteousness is worthless on its own.  We have to have our eyes on Christ and the provision of the cross and the righteousness found in our relationship with Him.

Third, we are to have our feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  The shoes that a Roman soldier would wear were like sandals.  They would have thick leather bottoms that had nails sticking out of the bottom.  These nails provided stability in combat.

Without his sandals, a soldier would not be prepared for the battle and would be easily defeated.  We are told here that our preparation for combat is the gospel, the good news, of Jesus’s life, death and resurrection.  The work of Jesus here on earth brought the believer peace with God and allows us to fight with boldness, confidence, perseverance, and peace.

We are told to take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  A Roman soldier’s shield would have been about 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide.  It was made of wood and covered by linen and leather.  They would soak it in oil so that it would be soaking wet, and it could extinguish the flaming arrows.

Faith is the bond between man and God.  It is the assurance of thing hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  Satan throws fiery darts at us.  They can come in forms of lies about who we are and what we are capable of.  They might be temptations or promises of pleasure.  Faith is believing that God can protect us from Satan’s tricks, believing that what God says about us is true, and that He will keep His promises.  This faith only comes from the Word of God.

Next, Paul talks about the helmet of salvation.   The Roman army helmet was designed to protect all sides of the face and head.  There was a piece on the back that would drop down and protect the neck from arrows that fell from above.  The helmet was essential for the survival of the soldier.

Our minds are always a major target for Satan.  But our salvation is the greatest of all gifts from God.  Hope in that salvation is what protects our minds from things like fear and despair, doubt and discouragement.  It is our deliverance from the pit of hell.  Our salvation gives us the freedom to believe in the gospel of Christ, to glorify God, and to live with righteousness and truth.

The sword of the Spirit is next.  A Roman soldier’s sword was large and double-edged.  It was the power behind the Roman army machine.  In close-quarter combat, it was a very effective weapon.

Our sword is the Word of God.  It is our only weapon, but it is the only weapon that we need.  When used at close range by a skilled soldier, this sword was deadly.  God’s word is a powerful weapon against our enemy when it’s used under the spirit’s power and direction.  It is infinitely more powerful that and of Satan’s weapons.  It teaches us, guides us, and shows us what is right and acceptable.

Finally, we are to pray in the Spirit on all occasions.  Prayer is how we stay alert and aware of what is going on around us.  In Matthew 26:41, Jesus taught us to “watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation”.  We must pray with all perseverance.  We must stay prayerful even when we do not feel and immediate response from God. 

And we must pray for each other.  Every Christian is in a battle of her own.  We need to lift our sisters in Christ up in prayer, that she will continue to fight the good fight.  Pray for Christians that you know, and Christians around the world.  Pray for all the saints.

So in conclusion, in order for us to be strong enough to fight the good fight of the faith, we must clothe ourselves with Christ.  He is our armor!  We much “Put on” truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, the hope of our salvation, the word of God.  And we must pray according to His will.

Then and only then will we be “strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”  Then, and only then, are we able to resist and stand firm against anything Satan might throw at us.

But clothing ourselves in this armor is a choice that we have to make.  We have to put on the whole armor of God.  We have to do it deliberately, on purpose. 

When we become Christians, our armor is ready and waiting for us.  But it is up to us.  We are in great danger when we think we can stand in our own strength, rather than in the strength God provides for us.

It is only in His strength that we can stand.  The victory is the Lord’s.  When we acknowledge our sin and trust in the victory that Jesus has already won on the cross, then we shall be saved and shall wage war for God.  The war is a matter of trusting and obeying our Lord. 

We have to make the decision to pray.  We have to make the decision to be faithful.  We have to make the decision to trust in the Lord and rest in His provision for victory.  We have to act!