Are You Clothed with the Armor of God?

In our meditations over the past few days, we have been reflecting on the spiritual warfare believers in Christ face, with some experiencing more and others less. To engage in this spiritual battle, we must wear spiritual defensive armor. The armor we discuss is a provision from the Master, who has called all believers to stand firm.

Let’s put it another way. If the nation you live in called you to fight a war, one of the first things you would do is go to the quartermaster stores to get your uniform. You don't buy it; you don't earn it. It is given to you by the One for whom you are fighting. You don't tell the quartermaster what kind of armor you want. He has already thought it through and designed it to His specifications, so you can face and defeat the enemy He’s called you to fight. Battles are often won or lost based on the strength of armor or weaponry. It's called the Armor of God for a reason; it’s not the armor of self. I don’t want to trust a helmet I made myself, because it might not protect me when I get hit on the head. I don't want a shield of faith based on my willpower; I need a kind of faith that only God can give. To fight a spiritual enemy, we must have spiritual armor.

When Paul wrote his letter to the church at Ephesus, he was under house arrest with a Roman soldier watching over him to prevent any escape. As Paul wrote, it is believed he looked at the Roman soldier to illustrate the equipment the Lord provides for our spiritual fight. With those thoughts in mind, let us now examine what Paul the Apostle said about the armor of God.

¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. ¹²For 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. ¹³Therefore 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. ¹⁴Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, (Ephesians 6:10-14).

(1) The Belt of Truth

The first part of the armor is the belt of truth (v. 14). The Roman soldier's belt kept everything secure. Ancient combat was mainly hand-to-hand fighting, so loose clothing was a liability. Before a battle, the Roman soldier would tuck in his clothes and tighten his belt. In Paul's view, the truth holds everything together in the Christian warrior's life.

Paul understood that truth is a vital part of spiritual warfare. There are three things that Paul could have been referring to when he spoke about truth. The first is knowing the person of Christ, who is the truth. Jesus said, “I am the Way, and the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, emphasis added). Jesus embodies the truth. When we come into a relationship with Him, we are set free in our spirit by knowing the person of truth (John 8:32).

The second thing Paul could have had on his mind was that we are to buckle ourselves with a worldview that comes from Scripture. Paul the Apostle, when he was saying goodbye to the elders of Ephesus, said, ²⁶“Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. ²⁷For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God” (Acts 20:26-27). When we get to grips with knowing the whole truth about who Jesus is and what He has done, Satan has fewer lies and fiery darts to throw at us. The mature Christian can shrug off the deceptive lying tactics of demons.

The third aspect Paul might have been referring to regarding truth as a belt is the lack of deceit among believers. We are called to be honest in what we say, living with integrity and aligning ourselves with the truth of God’s Word. We invite condemnation from demons when we deliberately engage in deceit. Intentionally choosing to lie allows the enemy to catch us in a falsehood before unbelievers and damages our witness of God’s power. If you find yourself in such a situation, quickly align yourself with God's Word. The enemy will lose his grip on you, and there is no condemnation for those who accept God's gift of forgiveness! To keep this brief, we’ll explore more of the armor of God tomorrow. Keith Thomas

This meditation is a shortened version of the more in-depth study: God’s POWERFUL Armor Protects You.