We continue today in with our examination of our weapons of warfare. We have already looked at the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness and feet fitted with readiness. To read about those please visit Weapons of Warfare (Part 2). If you have not read Weapons of Warfare (Part 1) please feel free to read that as well.
“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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. 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, 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. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:11-18
4. The shield of faith
In Biblical times the Roman shield was a pretty large piece of equipment. It stood about 3.5 feet tall, 16 inches across and weighted about 22 pounds. The purpose of the shield was to protect any area that was exposed after all the other armor was strapped into placed as well as pushing back the enemy in face to face combat.
The physical purpose of the shield has direct application to our spiritual lives today. Not only can our faith “extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one,” (Ephesians 6:16) but our faith can literally push our enemy out of the way. The beauty of taking up the shield of faith is just what Jesus tells us about faith… “if you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:20) We do not need to have piles of faith to see satan running for his life. All we need to do is put on just the tiniest bit of faith and watch satan flee! How awesome is that!
The issue lies in this, we choose not to pick up faith, rather we choose to pick up doubt, fear and unbelief when faith should have been our shield all along! (Related post: Time to Wage War.) Trust God at His word! When He says He will do something He will do it! That’s faith. Believing that God is going to do what He said He would do. Faith is summed up by simply believing that God is going to stay true to His character not matter how bad our circumstances appear. ( Related posts: Facing Our Giants, Faith That Impresses Christ, Believe And Not Doubt). So, pick up the shield of faith and watch satan flee. James 4:7 tells us to resist the devil and he will flee, not he might flee, not maybe he will flee. No! He WILL flee! Resist with the shield of faith.
5. The helmet of salvation
The helmet is protective armor for our heads, more importantly our minds. In warfare the enemy will try to attack the opponent's head, because if they can damaged the mind they take the soldier out of the fight. Satan is no different with us. How many thoughts a day do we have that are not godly? I know for me personally, it’s more than I can count. I would say it’s because most of the time I walk around without my helmet, which gets me into trouble. (Related posts: Time to Wage War, Being on Guard Duty, 5 Words that Hijack Our Faith, Unchecked Emotions And God's Faithfulness) Do you ever walk around with your mind as an open target for the enemy?
How do we begin to take authority over our thought life? I believe the first step is recognizing weather or not a particular thought is of God or not. The best way to do this is to measure it against scripture. Do the Philippians 4:8 test. I shared this in test in a post entitled “Being On Guard Duty.” So, if you are unfrmilulare with this test, go back and read that post. Once you have established the source of the thought, then it is a matter of lining that thought up with God’s word if it’s not already. Quoting scripture and rehearsing thankfulness are great ways to redirect ungodly thoughts.
6. Sword of the spirit
Thus far, all our discussion has been on items of armor, items in which we put on for our protection. We have yet to discuss any items in which we can use to do actual damage to the enemy. The sword is a weapon that was designed to destroy and kill. Our sword of the spirit is the word of God, and Hebrews tells us just how destructive the word of God can be.
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
When we battle with the word we send satan away wounded. (Related post: My Battle Verses) The best part of battling with the word is not just the effects it has on the enemy, but it is the effect is has on our own hearts and minds. When we make a practice of hiding God’s word in our hearts it begins to change our thought life, our actions and our words. This is yet another reason why Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the word can penetrate soul, spirit, joint and marrow. It gets inside of us and transforms us. I can think of no better weapon to fight with. Not only does it send satan away like a dog with his tail between his legs, but it strengthens our souls. There is your double edge! (One that wounds, one that builds up and strengthens).
7. Prayer
The last thing that Paul presents us with in this list of spiritual armor In Ephesians 6 is prayer. Prayer is the yet another weapon God has placed in our hands to do some serious damage in the heavenly realms.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6
“Pray continually.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” Luke 18:1
We are called to be consistent in prayer. How often do we get about ten minutes into our prayer and either get distracted or frustrated that we haven’t seen God do anything amazing and earth shattering? So often we get impatient with God. We are called to pray continually, pray without ceasing, and pray and not give up. God is not raising up a bunch of spiritual sissies here. He wants people who are going to fight for the kingdom! Prayer is one of the most powerful weapons we have in spiritual warfare, and when we pray the scriptures, satan doesn’t even have a chance.
Prayer is a conversation we have with the Lord. If we keep that conversation ongoing throughout the day then satan has less of a chance to interject his two cents. Because prayer is a conversation we must give the Lord time to speak. How many of us want to be in a conversation with a friend that we never are given the chance to talk because all they want to do is tell you everything that is going on in their life and the lives of those around them? Prayer really is designed to be a two way relationship and an ongoing conversation. There is no magic words we have to say, or special way in which we should say them. God knows our hearts, but bear in mind He desires for us to know His heart as well, and the only way that is going to happen is if we give Him time to speak.
For more on prayer visit: Prayer, Challenge # 10 - Pursuing Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us the armor to use in warfare. Give us the strength we need to take up the shield of faith to protect us against the fiery darts of the enemy. Help us to remember to always wear our helmet of salvation so our minds can be protected against the schemes of the enemy. Grant us the the desire to take up the sword of the spirit and do some damage in the heavenly realms. We know that prayer is how we build our relationship with you. Help us to remember that it is not just a one way conversation, but that you desire to share your heart with us as well. Help us to make the time to stop talking and just listen. Thank you for placing weapons in our hands and not just leaving us unarmed. Give us the strength we need to actually use these weapons each and every day. We ask these things in the precious name of Jesus Christ.
If you have not read Weapons of Warfare (Part 1) please fee free to read that first. It lays the foundation to this post.
What are these weapons?
God’s word gives us so many weapons we should wage war with. Please bear with me because I am going to cover many of these weapons, but note that by no means is this an all inclusive list. Please search the scriptures for yourselves to find out exactly what weapons God is calling you to fight with in your particular battle. Not all battles will require the same weapons, nor are those weapons going to be used in the same manner in every battle we face. Spend some time seeking God’s direction on what weapons you need to be fighting with and how you are to fight with them.
“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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. 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, 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. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:11-18
The most logical place to start examining our weapons is in Ephesians 6. This section of scripture introduces us to the armor of God. We will be looking at each individual piece of armor and the significance behind wearing it. Please note that some of the pieces we will discuss are for our protection while other pieces are for us to physically battle with. Each piece is important in our battle against the evil forces in the heavenly realms.
I want to mention quickly that verse 11 tells us to put on the full armor of God so that we can stand against the devil’s schemes. I don’t know any soldier who would go into battle and not wear ALL of their protective gear. I guess if you wanted to lose, become injured or die, you might consider going to war with parts of your armor missing, but in reality, who really wants any of those things to happen? Yet, this is what we do on a daily basis as Christians. We leave our homes for work, school, play dates, errands, and even church without getting dressed in our full armor. By not getting battle ready we are basically inviting satan to wreak havoc in our lives.
1. Belt of truth
In thinking about the belt of truth my mind immediately takes me to one place, the next generation. The belt is a garment worn around the waist. The body parts in and around that area deal with the reproductive organs. I truly think there is a reason why scripture talks about covering our waists with truth. My understanding of this is that we should be covering our children, both physical children and spiritual children with the knowledge of God’s truth.
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” 3 John 1:4
Our children can never walk in a truth they have never heard. It is our responsibility to put on truth and in turn pass that along to the next generation as well. In doing so we will reap a beautiful harvest. One major aspect of waging war means sharing the knowledge of God’s truth to anyone who will listen.
2. Breastplate of rightness
The breastplate is used to protect vital organs such as our lungs and heart. I truly believe the key protection area is our heart. It is crucial that we protect our heart with righteousness. Please bear in mind that we can not produce the type of righteousness that has the capability of protecting our heart from the evil schemes that satan is skillfully planning. Isaiah 64:6 tells us that “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” So in other words,the righteousness we need only comes from the Heavenly Father Himself.
“...For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Luke 6:45 When we allow the Lord to fill our heart with His righteousness, our mouths then become a vehicle for God’s righteousness to be spread to those around us. Protecting our hearts begins with allowing God’s righteousness to fill us and then allowing His righteousness to flow from us.
3. Your feet fitted with readiness
What good is it to get dressed for work in the morning if you never actually go to work? God not only desires us to put on the full armor, but to actually go and use it. Ephesians says that our feet should be fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. We can never be fitted for readiness if we don’t daily delve into God’s word. We should be so involved with the word of God that it affects the way we walk, the manner in which we carry ourselves, our demeanor, our mindset, our speech and our interactions with others. Our Heavenly Father desires for us to come to such an intimate place in our walk with Him that every aspect of our being reflects the character of Christ. We can not arrive at such a place without putting on the gospel of peace each and every day. I truly believe that the reason God desires us to ready our feet is so that we don’t keep Christ for ourselves. When our feet our equipped for readiness, we have a burning and urgent passion inside to share the things of God with others. It’s time to put on our running shoes saints. We are facing a lost and dying generation that needs to hear the gospel more than ever before.
To continue this series please read: Weapons of Warfare (Part 3).
Heavenly Father, please help us to put on the belt of truth so we can share your truth with the next generation with a sense of urgency. May we faithfully put on the breastplate of righteousness so that our hearts can be protected because we know that when our heart is guarded our mouths will speak forth the godliness that we have stored up inside. Fill us with diligence to lace up our shoes of readiness so that we may go wherever you are sending us and share with whomever you place in our path. Overwhelm us with an urgency to do battle in the heavenly realms.
In my last post, I challenged us with the thought of waging war with our sin nature. This truly is a big responsibility and one that should not be taken lightly. But, what exactly are we fighting against? How do we wage war? What weapons has God already placed in our hands to wage war with? And, where do we even begin?
What are we fighting against?
“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.”
Ephesians 6:12
So many of the challenges we face in this life are not just because we are merely human and make mistakes, or because things “just happen.” There is a much greater force at work than simply the little lives we live. Our Heavenly Father has plans and purposes for each and every life on this earth (Jeremiah 29:11). However, satan has plans too! The heavenlies are waging war against us, our families and our friends. Satan wants to annihilate all traces of God’s plans and purposes for us, and if he can’t completely knock God out of the picture he at least wants to keep us distracted enough so that God’s plans are no longer our priority. And satan will stop at nothing to see God’s plans derailed in our lives. We get ourselves into trouble when we don’t acknowledge the fact that there is a war raging in the heavenly realms. I have heard well-meaning Christians say “I don’t want to make this out to be a spiritual battle.” What is it inside of us that makes us think that the struggles we find ourselves in are not spiritual attacks? I can only assume that this concept of the heavenlies waging war for our souls is a topic that makes people extremely uncomfortable. It is an area we as humans do not understand nor are we able to have complete control over. And quite frankly it’s a scary concept to think about. It is this very entrapment of discomfort that satan is so eager to keep us entangled in, because living in fear of the unknown will, in fact, paralyze us from ever waging war. All the while, the situations we are facing are continuing to wage war with us. Can you see the dangers of not acknowledging the spiritual forces of evil working in the heavenly realms? They will wage war whether or not we acknowledge their existence. We might as well trust God when He tells us that there are spiritual forces of evil at work in the heavenly realms.
How do we wage war?
“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 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. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-6
Since God’s word tells us there are spiritual forces of evil that we must wage war against, the question remains of how do we wage war? According to 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 God has given us weapons with divine power. These weapons are used to demolish strongholds, arguments (speculations), and pretension (a lofty thing) that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. In other words, anything contrary to the word of God or the character of Christ we are to wage war against using the divine weapons that God has given us.
To continue this series please read: Weapons Of Warfare (Part 2), Weapons Of Warfare (Part 3)
Father, help us to believe you at your word when you tell us there is a spiritual battle going on in the heavenly realms for our souls. Give us the courage we need to wage war, to not back down, and to fight the good fight of faith. Heap upon us the fortitude that we need to use the weapons you have already placed in our hands to demolish strongholds, arguments and any lofty thing that sets itself up against the knowledge of you. Fill us with the tenacity we need to wage war in the heavenlies! We ask these things in the precious name of Jesus Christ.
