What does the armor of God look like in your life? Ephesians 6:10-18 is a familiar passage of Scripture detailing the armor of God. Like many familiar passages, it can be easy to overlook and never take the time to apply it to your own life. Paul gave us a great gift when he outlined the weapons of our warfare. Though I have distant memories of a flannel-graph (remember those?) soldier in Sunday School, there is nothing childish about the depth of this passage.
Within these words are the strategic plans to counteract the attacks of the devil. To best make use of the armor and weapons, we should know what they look like in our own lives.
Let’s take a look at each piece of armor and see how we might apply them to our lives. I’ve given you some personal examples to help jump-start your own thinking.
Belt of Truth
To me, this must be a reversible belt because I see it as having a twofold meaning. On the one hand it speaks to our need of integrity. We should be people who speak only the truth. On the other side it is about allowing God’s character to hold up everything we are. He is the ultimate truth and it is when we stray from Him we become susceptible to the lies of the Devil.
Breastplate of Righteousness
The breastplate of righteousness magnifies our need for purity. If we haven’t been covered by the blood of Christ, our hearts are exposed to the forces of evil. Even when we have Jesus, we can deviate from His plan and walk in ways not pleasing to Him. Our righteousness is always and only found in Christ. I do think we can weaken our defenses in battle by allowing sin into our lives, so we need to keep our hearts pure.
Sandals to Spread the Gospel
We should always be ready to go wherever Christ leads us and be ever prepared to tell others about Him. Sandals are tools for spreading the gospel beyond where you live. For me, this blog is a way to put on my sandals and spread the truth of God’s love and character throughout the world.
Shield of Faith
Having unwavering confidence in Christ is a must when dealing with Satan because he will do everything he can to deceive you. The devil will try and convince you God doesn’t love you or have your best interests at heart. If we aren’t confident in our Creator, we will be easy targets for Satan.
The Helmet of Salvation
For me, this comes down to being constantly thankful for God’s mercy and grace. It is also a reminder I must be busy building the Kingdom of God, doing the work He designed me to do (Ephesians 2:8-10).
Sword of the Spirit
The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. To know His Word, we must walk extremely close to Him. We need to listen to what He says. And I believe we should know His written Word inside out. Jesus quoted Scripture to dismantle the attacks of the devil (Matthew 4:1-11). We would do well to follow what He modeled for us.
Conclusion
What does the armor of God look like in your own life? How might you personalize each item for yourself? What parts of your armor are in need of attention or repair? The armor of God is not just a nice story for children. It is vital to our survival in a world of dark spiritual forces warring around us. Get familiar with your armor. Learn how to use it. Be confident in battle knowing God will take care of the rest.