Thursday, November 20, 2025
Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason, take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. Ephesians 6:11-18
Dress Yourself for Battle
From Pastor Jim’s sermon this past Sunday we know that, as believers, we are in the middle of a spiritual battle every day. We must know and understand our enemy, Satan. We need to know how to guard ourselves against the attacks he throws our way.
In Ephesians chapter 6 Paul tells us about something that we should put on every single day to help guard and protect ourselves against evil – The Full Armor of Guard. What is the armor of God and how does it protect us from evil?
Dress for Spiritual Success – The Full Armor of God:
God gives us a full set of equipment, specially designed by him, providing everything we need for battle. Therefore, to protect ourselves from evil is to wear what God has given us to be victorious in battle.
The Belt of Truth …Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist … Ephesians 6:14a Wearing a belt of truth around your waist means to be firmly established in the word of God. God’s truth is the foundation our faith is built on. Reading the bible and meditating on the word allows it to become a part of your mind set. Saturate your being with God’s truth and make it a fortress to keep out the lies of Satan. God’s word is truth and therefore makes it foundational to all other pieces of armor.
The Armor Plate of Righteousness …righteousness like armor on your chest... Ephesians 6:14b - When a man is clothed in righteousness, he is impenetrable. The life we live either fortifies us against Satan’s attacks or makes it easier for him to defeat us. Satan is the accuser, but he cannot accuse the believer who is living a godly life in the power of the Spirit. When Satan attacks the Christian, it is the righteousness of Christ that assures the believer of his salvation. But our positional righteousness in Christ, without practical righteousness in the daily life, only gives Satan opportunity to attack us. Be aware and stand guard. Allow Christ to work His life and will in you. Allow His Holy Spirit to give you the power to live above sin. Do this and you wear the breastplate of righteousness.
Shoes of Peace - …feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace… Ephesians 6:15 - Just as a Roman soldier’s shoes protected his feet and helped him to firmly stand, peace from the Lord provides us with emotional and spiritual stability. If we are going to “stand” and “withstand” attacks from Satan, then we need the shoes of the Gospel.
Shield of Faith …shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one… The shields of the soldiers at that time were not the small round one, but the large, oblong shield that could protect the whole body. Enemies would shoot fiery darts in great numbers at the beginning of an attack. Satan hurls fiery darts at us, but with our shield of faith they ricochet off and bounce back to him.
Helmet of Salvation – Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. Satan loves for us to get discouraged. The truth we know from the Bible protects our minds – maybe the most vulnerable part of our whole being.
Sword of the Spirit - The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: God provides a sword for us, and that sword is the word of God. The Bible is full of wisdom, knowledge, and truth that we need to stand on in the battlefield.
Prayer - Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request Prayer is our number one line of defense for all things. Pray for protection from Satan and his antics for yourself, your family, friends, and other Christians. Pray continually, even when it is hard and feels like your prayers are going nowhere. He is always there. He always sees. He is always with us.
God has equipped us for battle, and he goes with us into battle. Putting on the armor of God will help us stand firm and protected against the fiery darts Satan shoots our way.
