The Whole Armor

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11

The devil’s goal is to deceive us. He wants to trick us into thinking, saying, and doing things that are contrary to God’s Word. There is a spiritual armor that we can employ to help us stand firm in our faith in spite of Satan’s opposition. We must have our “loins girt about with truth.” We can use the truth of scripture to protect us from the lies that the devil may use to question God’s Word. We need the “breastplate of righteousness” in both a positional and a practical sense. Once we are saved, we are counted righteous in Christ Jesus. As we put the truth of the Bible into practice in our lives, we build a layer of protection that gives us confidence in the face of evil attacks. We need to have our “feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” As we walk through this world, we need to be constantly ready to share our faith with others. The “shield of faith” is our belief in God’s love, providence, and power. The more we believe that God can and will enable us to handle whatever comes our way, the less effective the devil’s attempts at getting us to doubt the Lord will be. The “helmet of salvation” pictures the assurance of salvation, and it is essential if we want to be confident in the battle against sin. Our only offensive weapon is the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Jesus quoted scripture each time that He was tempted by the devil. Once we have our armor on, we are to be “praying always.” This is the most important job of the Christian, and putting on our armor enables us to do it.