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Ephesians 6:10-18
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--
The Armor of God was given to Gods people as a method of defense. We were told the importance of defending ourselves against the wiles of the devil, but most people don not realize that the armor can be used to defend ourselves in battles against the satan, all of the principalities and powers, and all demons. The Holy Bible explains that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places, but people often do not arm themselves daily, nor do they fully understand the strength of their armor.
The key to wrestling with an unseen world is to realize that there things at work that we can not see, and that the armor of God was given to us to actually use against the satanic realm. It is important to fully understand each piece of armor, and its strength in order to make it work for you. When I put on my armor, I see it and say it. This is the prayer that I say,
In the name of Jesus Christ, I put on my Belt of Truth. I thank you Father God for my Belt of Truth.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I put on my Helmet of Salvation. I thank you Father God for my Helmet of Salvation.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I put on my Breastplate of Righteousness. I thank you Father God for my Breastplate of Righteousness.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I take my Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And I take up my Shield of Faith, which extinguishes the fiery darts of the enemy. I thank you Father God for my Sword of the Spirit, and for my Shield of Faith.
And I thank you Father God that my feet are always shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace.
The Belt of Truth is the truth that God is the Spirit of Truth. God is and always was Truth, while satan is the spirit of lies. God is always with us in battle, and we should never go through a battle, or even a whole day without him. Think of it as wrapping yourself in God, and He is very strong.
The Helmet of Salvation is my covering. If I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, then His prayers are with us, and Jesus is always interceding for us. My salvation sets me free from the slavery of satan, and gives me eternal life, because I will be able to enter Gods Heavenly realm when my life on this earth is over. My salvation sets me apart from the rest of the world. God is now with me and acing on my behalf in battle.
The Breastplate of Righteousness is the righteousness of our daily actions. It is only through righteousness that God can be justified to act on our behalves. We must strive to live a life of righteousness, without sin, in order to give our Breastplate of Righteousness the strength. Every sin or wrong doing is another layer of division between us and God.
The Sword of the Spirit is the word of God. The Word of God is a living testament to Gods love and His sacrifice for us. The Sword of the Spirit is Gods Word on one level, and it is Gods light on another level. The Sword of the Spirit is real and is strengthened as we ourselves grow in Christ Jesus, and our relationship with Almighty God.
The Shield of Faith is my faith in Father God and in Jesus Christ, and in the power of His Love for us. It is the faith in His desire to defend us from all harm. It is the faith in knowing that God is always with me, even though I do not see him, and even though things seem desperate. Faith is difficult at first for some, especially if they are not accustomed to dealing with an unseen world. We must remember that God is our strength and our fortress. My faith is seen in my manner and my stride. It exudes from every pore of my being. The spirit realm sees this and is less likely to fight us.
The fact that my feet are always shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace speaks to the birth of Jesus Christ and His walk with God, the teachings of Jesus, and His death on the Cross. Without Jesus, there is no peace. Because of Jesus, we have salvation. Jesus Christ prepared the way for us, set the example to live by, and the death of Jesus Christ, and His resurrection enabled Jesus to steal the keys to death, hell, and the grave; and this enables us to have peace.
Prayer and supplication is important to keep us well armed, and to keep our armor well fitted to ourselves, for our use. Pray without ceasing, remembering to praise Father God, the Lord God Almighty. Supplication is submitting ourselves to God, and living within the will of God. Reading the Holy Bible daily, maintaining our intimacy with God, and learning His ways, and His desires for our life.
The use of the Armor of God takes practice, and should be remembered as you prepare to begin each day. And during difficult periods of your life, you should even arm yourself before going to bed each night.
If you are under attack, battling can be very difficult in the beginning, but after a period of time, your armor will get stronger, your faith will grow, and your battles will then become fewer, and fewer over time.
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