How to Put on the Armor of God
I used to not really take the whole "armor of God" thing seriously... I mean, it’s not like there’s actual armor that I can put on after getting dressed in the morning and all of a sudden I feel completely ready for whatever might come my way. “Coffee spilled all over my white shirt... no problem! A girl is super rude to me at work... atta girl! My husband is short to me while I’m cooking dinner... bless you!” No, this just simply isn’t the case. I tend to feel more unprepared throughout my day and can easily get frustrated or discouraged by all the unpredictable inconveniences along the way.
But when we see the armor of God not as invisible sheets of metal that we pretended to put on as a kid, but rather as decisions we make in our heart at the start of each day as to how we’re going to live and act, then we truly begin to prepare ourselves to live peaceful and powerful lives.
So what is the armor of God and why is it so important to begin with? I think Ephesians 6 in the Passion translation shows us exactly why this armor is so essential to the Christian life.
“Put on God’s complete set of armor provided for us, so that you will be protected as you fight against the evil strategies of the accuser! Your hand-to-hand combat is not with human beings, but with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly realms. For they are a powerful class of demon-gods and evil spirits that hold this dark world in bondage. Because of this, you must wear all the armor that God provides so you’re protected as you confront the slanderer, for you are destined for all things and will rise victorious.”
"Against the evil strategies of the accuser..." The enemy has a strategy! He has a plan and a carefully crafted idea of how to get inside your head and wreak havoc on your life. That is why we must have a strategy for protecting ourselves against the deceptions of the enemy because we are "destined for all things and will rise victorious!"
So let's go over this sacred armor, forged in the fires of heaven and prepared for Daughters without rival, to truly understand what it means to "put on" what our Father gave to us.
“Put on truth as a belt to strengthen you to stand in triumph... ”
Make a decision that truth is what will guide you, your decisions and your emotions as you go about your day. No matter what things look like in the natural, truth will stand adamant in your heart and mind. Keep it before you and let it lead you.
“Put on holiness as the protective armor that covers your heart...”
Pursue His holiness by pursuing the person of Jesus. He is your holiness, your perfection and your perfecter, who is making all things new in your life. The enemy wants you to compromise in anything, but Jesus is your strength to not only avoid sin, but a refuge to turn to when we've failed. That's what the enemy hates more than anything - confidence not in ourselves or our own holiness, but in the holiness and righterousness of Jesus.
“Stand on your feet alert, then you’ll always be ready to share the blessings of peace...”
Decide that whatever comes your way today, you are going to be a carrier of God's perfect peace. You can't make this decision once the troubles of the day start to paint your mind with dimly lit thoughts and cloudy emotions. But this must be a decision of your heart at the start of the day. No matter what happens in your life, you can bring peace and life forth. Choose to be a carrier of His light and purpose on this earth.
“In every battle, take faith as your wrap-around shield, for it is able to extinguish the blazing arrows coming at you from the Evil One...”
What are the blazing arrows? The deception of the enemy. This is truly the only power he has over our lives if we yeild our minds over to him. But when we choose to act in faith, regardless of how we feel or what negative thoughts pop up in our minds, then we wrap the shield of faith around our minds, protecting them from falling into the deception of the enemy.
“Embrace the power of salvation’s full deliverance, like a helmet to protect your thoughts from lies. And take the mighty razor-sharp Spirit-sword of the spoken Word of God...”
I wrote a whole post on this topic here and I could go on for days about the importance of your thoughts and words. Keep your mind fixed on Jesus and what He did for you, your identity as a Royal Daughter of the Most Hight God, and always speak the Word into your life and the lives of others. Most of the time when we're struggling, we're not actively doing these things and because of that, we leave our minds and hearts unprotected.
Too often we wait till trouble is on the horizon (or we’re right smack dab in the hot mess) to turn to God’s word, looking for some quick fix to the boiling anger we feel rising up in our soul. We’re short, rude and snappy with people. We take offense and harbor the faults of others in our hearts. We get discouraged and quickly take our eyes off of Jesus and look to the waves around us, searching for an answer.
But our answer is always the same... Jesus is our answer, our protection and our power to reign in life. Take some time at the beginning of your day to go through the armor of God and make a bold declaration that the enemy cannot have your peace, joy or purpose set for that day. But you will walk in faith, carry peace, extend mercy, and wield the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God.
A new day is dawning and God is calling His Daughters to rise up in the power, purpose and splendor that He has called us to. Now is not the time to be passive. Now is not the time to place blame or point fingers at anyone else for the state of our lives and the reach of our influence. We are more than what the world expects of us and yet we settle for so much less than we are. It's time we rise, shine and lift others up along the way. It's time we love fearlessly, live purposefully and fight our battles well.
Get your armor on girl! It’s a new day.
Jess
Want to dive more into what God says about fighting your battles well?
Check out the Fight Well Online Bible Study and let's go on a journey together to learn the battle strategies
of a Royal Daughter.
