Does Your Armor Still Fit? · Christianity For Today

Photo Credit: M Zacharezewski, Warsaw, Poland

When was the last time you checked your suit of armor? Does it still fit, or is it too small? Have you kept it in good condition - smooth and shining; or is it rusted and pitted?

"What suit of armor?" you ask. "I don't have an old, antique, medieval, sheet metal shell at the top of my stairs like in the movies!" While few of us have the medieval version in our homes, we all have access to a spiritual suit of armor needed in our ongoing, daily battle against Satan. Paul describes this protective armor in the sixth chapter of his letter to the church at Ephesus. He encourages the young Ephesian Christians to "Put on the full armor of God," and in verse 10, to "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power." (NIV)

Paul does not leave his audience wondering how to be strong and to utilize this mighty power. He describes in detail the suit of armor that God provides His children to "stand against the devil's schemes." (v.11) The armor he describes consists of a girdle, or belt of truth, a breastplate of righteousness, a helmet of salvation, a shield of faith, and feet fitted with readiness generated by the gospel of peace. These are the defensive weapons at our disposal to protect ourselves in our daily battles "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." (v.12)

As we check over the array of protective armor, we note that all of the vital parts of the body are protected. The girdle of truth protects the loin area. The loin is traditionally "regarded as the seat of physical strength and generative power." The breastplate of righteousness protects the heart, "the center of total personality, especially with reference to intuition, feeling, and emotion." The helmet of salvation protects the head, the center of intellect, and the feet enjoy non-slip, secure footing provided by the gospel of peace. The shield of faith provides additional protection to any or all of these vital areas as deployed.

So we see that the Creator has provided protection from Satan's fiery arsenal to man's physical, emotional, and intellectual being. The only part of the body left unprotected by the armor of God is our back. If we are trusting God each day and are standing "strong in the Lord and in His mighty power" as Paul instructed the Ephesians, there is no need for additional armor on our back because we will always be facing the enemy!

But God has not created us to be cupie dolls in a shooting gallery deflecting an unrelenting barrage of missiles yet unable and unequipped to take the offensive against an aggressor. Rather, God has provided the ultimate offensive weapon - the sword of the Spirit; the Word of God. Hebrews 4:12 teaches that 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 of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." What a weapon. How can we lose?

The trouble with many Christians is that they do not know how to use the one weapon that God has given to assure victory. It's not enough to study the Bible; we have to know how to use it in "combat." When I was a private in the Marine Corps boot camp at Parris Island, I had to learn how to disassemble and reassemble my M-16 rifle in the dark. But it wasn't until we got to the rifle range that I learned how to use the weapon and to see its capability. Practice on the range earned me an expert marksman award. The Word of God is a powerful sword, but we must put it into practice for it to be an effective weapon for us.

How should we use this sword? Let's look at how Jesus used the Word when tempted by Satan in the wilderness after 40 days and nights of fasting. (Luke 4) Satan tempted Jesus' physical strength (Command these stones be made into bread), His emotional strength (Worship me and this shall be yours), and His intellectual strength (If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down). In each case, Jesus drew His sharp, two-edged sword and swung! "It is written…It is written…It is written…" He overcame each temptation by using the sword of the Word. We need to memorize Scripture in order to hone the blade of our sword. Satan fears the Word of God. He knows its overcoming power.

Some Christians don't realize that prayer is their second offensive weapon. They get all dressed up in their armor, grab their sword and head for battle. Ephesians 6:18 instructs, "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit…" Just as the Marine needs to stay in contact with his chain of command to ensure he has adequate food, ammunition, air support, etc., so the Christian must be in communication with his Commander-in-Chief. Before we go to the battlefield, we should go to our knees.

John 15:7 says, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you." Each of us can claim the victory over Satan, if we wear our defensive armor and learn how to effectively use our offensive weapons, the Word of God and prayer.

Photo Credit: M Zacharezewski, Warsaw, Poland