Put on the whole armor of God,
that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
Ephesians 6:11
The Apostle Paul was in prison in Rome, guarded by Roman soldiers, when he wrote to the believers in Ephesus. In his letter the Apostle Paul used the armor that the Roman soldiers wore in battle to illustrate how a believer of Jesus should be prepared to live each and every day in the spirit realm, as they war against the unseen fallen angelic being, known as Satan.
Satan is the enemy of the human race, the fallen angelic beings that followed him are also enemies of the human race. Satan sends them out on assignment to attack the minds of the human race with the spirits of fear, doubt, and unbelief; these are just a few of his deceptions.
In the spirit realm of faith in God, we obey the laws of God. We obey the teachings of Jesus. We listen and obey Holy Spirit, as He leads and guides us in all truth.
In our obedience to God the Father, we are warring against the enemy of our souls, which is why we must put on the whole armor of God. We must fight the good fight of faith. In doing so we are always victorious.
The Spiritual Armor of God Prophesied
The prophet Isaiah puts in writing what we should know about the spiritual armor of God.
As it is written:
Isaiah 5:11
11 Righteousness will be his belt, and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
As it is written:
Isaiah 59:17
17He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; He put on the garment of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.
The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the church of the Ephesians in Ephesus. In his letter to the believers, the Apostle Paul told them how they were to live and operate in the spiritual realm, and that was by putting on the whole armor of God.
Putting on the whole armor of God in the Apostle Paul's day, still applies to every born-again believer all over the world today. The armor of God is our spiritual defense against Satan and the fallen angels that obey his commands.
As it is written:
2 Corinthians 10:3
3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to 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.
The Apostle Paul's Instructions on Putting on the Whole Armor of God
As it is written:
Ephesians 6:10-18
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
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 realm.
13 Therefore, 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.
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15 And with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
The whole Armor of God
1. The Belt of Truth
2. The Breastplate of Righteousness
3. The Shoes of Peace
4. The Shield of Faith
5. The Helmet of Salvation
6. The Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God
THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD EXPLAINED
1. The Belt of Truth - the belt of truth is that which is right. God is truth!
As it is written:
John 4:24
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.
As it is written:
John 14:6
6 Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
As it is written:
John 16:13
13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.
As it is written:
John 17:17
17 Sanctify them by the truth; your Word is truth. Jesus spoke these words to His Father while in prayer.
2. The Breastplate of Righteousness - righteousness is that which God says is right; that which make's His people right in His eyes.
As it is written:
Isaiah 53:11
11 He shall see the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities.
As it is written:
2 Corinthians 5:21
21 For He has made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
As it is written:
Isaiah 32:17
17 The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.
As it is written:
1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
3. The Shoes of Peace- Feet Shod with the Gospel, (good news) of the kingdom of God.
In other words, having the Word of God living in you so that you will be able to walk in the light, as Jesus walked in the light. That gospel being the books of the New Testament.
As it is written:
Isaiah 26:3
3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
As it is written:
1 John 1:7
7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
4. The Shield of Faith - faith is believing and trusting in the living God and His Word. Our faith is our shield of protection from the enemy, Satan, and all the fallen angelic beings that obey him.
We come against him with the Word of God, which he has to obey. We come against him with the authority that God has given to us over him. See: Luke 10:19.
As it is written:
Hebrews 11:1
1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
As it is written:
Romans 5:1-2
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
As it is written:
1 John 5:4
4 For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that overcome the world, even our faith.
5. The Helmet of Salvation - the helmet of salvation is being saved. Salvation is deliverance, by God's grace, from sin and being raised to newness of life in Christ Jesus. Salvation is having authority over all the powers of Satan.
As it is written:
Luke 10:19
19 Behold, I give to you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
6. The Sword of the Spirit - the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. The Word of God is our defense against Satan. Satan is well versed in the Word of God which is why he was able to deceive Eve in the garden of Eden.
7. The Spirit of God - the Spirit of God is Holy Spirit. God's Holy Spirit is the one that draw's us to Jesus. Holy Spirit is the one that lives in us. Holy Spirit is the one that teaches and raises us up to be the children that God wants us to be. God's Holy Spirit is the one that heals us. Holy Spirit is the one that intercedes for us in a language we don't understand. Holy Spirit is our earthly intercessor. Holy Spirit is omnipresent. Praise God!
But the Lord is faithful,
and He will strengthen you
and protect you from the evil one.
2 Thessalonians 3:3
And it is so, in the name of Jesus