Come and join me today in some musings about the armor of God and how you put it on.
I have been around a long time and have heard many things, but many Christians seem to lose more battles than they win in life. If so, do they really have on the full armor of God correctly? With the full armor on, we always win. What are we missing? The answer as usual can be found in the Word of God, the Bible. This is not a comprehensive study, just some thoughts.
Thoughts About the Whole Armor of God
Some people say you need to put the armor on every day. I have always thought it useless to go through the passage in Ephesians 6 and say the words about putting on each day. (Actually, it never useless to speak the Word of God over yourself. It is always alive and full of power.)
For example, if say you put on the belt of truth but believe a lie, you don’t have the belt of truth on.
Putting the armor of God on goes much deeper that just saying you put it on.
Belt of truth: You have to actually put the truth into your mind and heart.
The breastplate of righteousness: You are in right standing with God if you have received His salvation, but if you don’t know you are righteous or don’t keep your sins confessed, this piece of armor won’t be on correctly.
Shield of faith: If you don’t actively use your faith, you don’t have on the shield of faith.
Helmet of salvation: This has to do with your thoughts and mind. Your mind needs to be renewed to have this piece of armor in place.
The offensive weapon, the Word of God, needs to be known an spoken to be effective.
So putting on the armor is not done just by saying you put it on. It is put on daily.? Could it be that you put on throughout your life as you grow in and apply the knowledge of God.
How do you actually put on the armor?
Ephesians 6:10-13 (Amplified) – In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides]. Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil. For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere. Therefore, put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].
- Union with God, walking in His strength rather than your own is the foundation of the armor of God.
- WE do need to put it on. Though He has provided the armor, He doesn’t put it on for us.
- With the full armor on, we always win. We are always able to resist and stand our ground – even in the most evil days.
- If you are not able to successfully stand up to all of the strategies and deceits of the devil, you probably don’t have on the armor of God regardless of how many times you say Ephesians 6 over yourself.
- The battle is not against flesh and blood but against the principalities and powers ruling in the heavenly realm (where we sit in authority and from where we reign and rule with Christ – 1:20-23; 2:6-7).
I wonder if praying the prayer in Ephesians 1:17-23 has anything to do with putting on the full armor of God.
- Having a spirit of wisdom and revelation into the deep and true knowledge of God.
- Having the eyes of your hear flooded with light so that you can understand the hope to which He has called you and how rich is His glorious inheritances in the saints.
- Knowing and understanding the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe. (If God be for us – and He is – who can stand against us – Romans 8:31-32).
Ephesians 4:22-24 (Amplified) – Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion and be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude] and put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.
Put on the new man How? By being constantly renewed in the spirit of our mind, having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.
This is something we need to do daily and even many times throughout each day. We are to be constantly renewed in the spirit of our mind.
I have always thought putting on the armor of God has a connection to the renewing of the mind. The more we think like God, the more of the armor we are wearing and the more victory we walk in. The more place the Word of God and the thoughts of God have in our life, the less place the devil has.
Renewing the mind is a process and needs to be done daily – but is isn’t just speaking Ephesians 6 over yourself.
This connects with another passage concerning warfare regarding pulling down strongholds and bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. This sounds much like being constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind, having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (Amplified) – For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One),
Here are other things we are told to put on.
Romans 13:12-14 – The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore, let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
This passage connects laying aside the deeds of darkness with putting on the armor of light. So putting on the armor of God isn’t just saying the words of Ephesians 6 over yourself. It actually has something to do with your actions and behavior.
Putting on the full armor of light is putting on the Lord Jesus Christ and not walking in the flesh.
Galatians 3:26-27 – For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
When we belong to the Lord, we have put on Christ.
Colossians 3:8-10 (Amplified) – But now put away and rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, bad feeling toward others, curses and slander, and foulmouthed abuse and shameful utterances from your lips! Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old (unregenerate) self with its evil practices and have clothed yourselves with the new [spiritual self], which is [ever in the process of being] renewed and remolded into [fuller and more perfect knowledge upon] knowledge after the image (the likeness) of Him Who created it.
Put aside and rid yourself of things like anger, bad feelings toward others, curses and slander, lying – because you have stripped of the old self WITH ITS PRACTICES and have put on the new self – which is ever in the process of being renewed and remolded in the image of Christ.
Though we put on Christ when we come to Him and give our lives to Him, there is room for growth. We are ever in the process of being renewed. This is like in Ephesians 4:24 where we are to be constantly renewed. It is a daily process to put off the old and put on the new..
Colossians 3:12-14 (Amplified) – So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
Put off old things like anger, negative speaking, and bad feelings toward others and put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, bearing with one another and forgiving each other. And above all, put on love. I wonder if this has anything to do with putting on the full armor of God.
1 Thessalonians 5:8-9 (Amplified) – But we belong to the day; therefore, let us be sober and put on the breastplate (corslet) of faith and love and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not appointed us to [incur His] wrath [He did not select us to condemn us], but [that we might] obtain [His] salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)
Put on faith, love and hope. Why? God has not appointed us to wrath but for salvation.
Thanks for joining me on my thoughts and ramblings on putting on the armor of God. Hope I have given you some food for thought.
Could it be that the level of victory you live in has something to do with how fully you have put on the armor of God? And could how fully you have put on the armor of God have something to do with how thoroughly you have renewed your mind?
