Put on the Armor of God

As children of God, we are reminded to put on the armor of God daily. The battle is not our battle alone. It is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, authorities, and spiritual forces of evil—principalities (Ephesians 6:10–12).

 For 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.

I don’t know about you, but when I first started reading about spiritual battles and principalities, I didn’t fully grasp what that really meant. Quite frankly, I still don’t fully grasp it. But what I do know is this: the battle is already won. Jesus has already triumphed over sin, death, and the powers of darkness

(Colossians 2:15 -  And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. and ; John 19:30 -  When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.; and 1 Corinthians 15:57 - But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.). And God has given us His armor to put on daily (Ephesians 6:13–18).

His armor is Jesus Christ Himself—His truth, His righteousness, His peace, His salvation, His Word.

The Belt of Truth is the truth of Jesus Christ being the Son of God—the truth that Jesus Christ is the way (John 14:6). When the enemy accuses, twists, and confuses, we tighten our hearts and minds with what God has said is true (Ephesians 6:14).

The Breastplate of Righteousness is the righteousness of Jesus. When we repent and believe, we become adopted children of God—and in that, we gain the righteousness of Jesus Christ, not because we are righteous or because we did anything to earn that, but because we inherit righteousness as heirs in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 8:1 ( Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus); Galatians 2:16).

The Shield of Faith is protection as we trust God—guarding us from the flaming arrows of the enemy: fear, condemnation, temptation, and lies (Ephesians 6:16). Faith holds onto what God has promised even when the battle feels loud (Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see" ) and 1 John 5:4 "for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith."

The Sandals of Readiness represent stability and a firm foundation for believers. We stand and walk with the footsteps of the peace of Jesus—ready to resist spiritual attacks and move forward without being shaken (Ephesians 6:15; Isaiah 52:7; Philippians 4:7). "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

We also put on the Helmet of Salvation—knowing and believing in God’s truth and promise. This protects our minds from falling for traps and lies of the enemy. We can be confident in God’s saving work and His ongoing deliverance as He renews us (Ephesians 6:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:8; Romans 12:2).

And finally, the Sword of the Spirit- which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). This is the ultimate offensive and defensive weapon. It is the Word of God that demolishes strongholds of the enemy—cutting through deception and anchoring us in truth (Hebrews 4:12; 2 Corinthians 10:4–5) "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

So, when starting out as a child of God, sometimes it seems like we may fumble around to figure out how to wear and make use of the armor of God. It is a daily practice. The more you are in the word, you will discover important meaningful scripture verses that stand out to you. Write them down and apply them.

Some of my favorites include:

Isaiah 54:17

Romans 8:31

Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

So we put on the armor daily—not in fear, but in faith—because we don’t fight for victory. We fight from victory, standing firm in Christ.