Part 10: The Armor of God

THE CONCLUSION

So, I am curious. I ask you, the reader, several questions: Did you enjoy the series on The Armor of God? What did you learn? Did you gain any insight that you had never thought of before? Feel free to let me know your thoughts on this series, and perhaps I can share those thoughts with the other readers in an entry of its own.

I wanted to spend just a moment in tying together everything in our series. Some people have said that the armor of God is something they consciously put on every day. They pray each morning, naming each piece of armor, asking God to help them use it. Others say they contemplate a particular piece of armor depending upon what they happen to be facing on a given day. So is it possible to sum things up, to find a commonality to make it easier to use the armor of God? Yes there is, and everything we have studied can be summed up in one word: JESUS.

You may be saying, “Great cop-out, Preacher. You’ll say everything can be summed up like that.” Well, perhaps (he says with a chuckle and a wink). Well, let’s go over the armor one last time (including the prior verses):

• Strong in the Lord and in the power of His might


• We do not wrestle against flesh and blood …


• That you may be able to withstand


• Gird your waist with truth


• Breastplate of righteousness


• Shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace


• Shield of faith


• Helmet of salvation


• Sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God)


• That …I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

All of these pieces of armor, like any pieces, must be attached to the body using some sort of strap (in today’s army, Velcro would probably suffice). Jesus not only embodies these things, but without Him, the individual pieces of armor cannot be properly used by or stay attached to us.

Allow me to explain. I’ll go over the first three items on the above list, as well as the last on the list, then I will go over each piece and show you how Jesus ties them all together.

• Strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. All of us will acknowledge that we need more strength than we have within ourselves. If you don’t believe that, there will come a time when you will find your own strength lacking. Since we are so weak, each and every one of us, we must acknowledge that our strength must come from another source, a higher source. To be strong means to admit your own inherent weakness and seek the very strength and power of Jesus.


• We do not wrestle against flesh and blood … There are situations, circumstances, and people who challenge us and stretch our abilities and patience to the limits. Yet at the base of all this, we should see that there is another power behind it. Satan will do everything he can do to destroy us, to ruin our happiness, tarnish our testimony and weaken our faith. But God is still in control, and He allows these things to come into our life in order to build our faith and trust in Him. We can barely overcome the challenges of flesh and blood, but it is certain that we can’t overcome principalities, powers, etc. Again, Jesus is the only answer, and the only hope of success.


• That you may be able to withstand. We have already mentioned this, but repetition is sometimes used in Scripture to stress the importance of an idea. It was not said explicitly, but the theme was there in what was discussed. Therefore the restatement of the truth of our weakness and the need for Jesus to help us withstand merely underscores the thought.


• That … I might speak boldly, as I ought to speak. This phrase gives us a glimpse in the faultiness of humanity, in that there are things we know we ought to do, things we should say, that we simply don’t do or say. We allow apprehension, fear, doubt, and a thousand other excuses hinder us. So again, the only way to do and say what we ought, is to seek the power of Jesus.


• Gird your waist with truth. The waist is the middle of the body, it kind of holds everything else together. The truth, also, holds everything together.


• Breastplate of righteousness. The heart that is right with Jesus and at peace with God is the heart that is filled with righteousness. Remember that our righteousness is compared to filthy rags, but the righteousness of the Lord protects our heart, as well as everything else.


• Shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. The gospel message of Jesus will carry you wherever you want to go, and it is not a message of condemnation, but of repentance. It is not a message of hatred, but of forgiveness. It is not a message of despair, but of hope, and our duty is to live in that message, letting it transform us, then carry that message everywhere our feet take us.


• Shield of faith. Faith protects us, just as a shield does. The shield is typically carried in front of the body, but as the bearer sees the fiery darts flying toward him or her, the shield can be moved to intercept the incoming missile. No matter what form the attack of the devil might take, whether it is a person or a situation or anything else, allow your faith to confront and deflect the attack. Don’t be afraid to use it, because failure to use your shield of faith will lead to injury.


• Helmet of salvation. Live confident in your salvation. Satan will try to plant the seeds of doubt in your mind, and from there, it takes root and penetrates every part of you. Know in your mind (and heart) that Jesus died for you sins, ALL of them, and when you ask for forgiveness with a truly repentant soul, that gift of salvation becomes yours. There is no greater weapon with which to stand against the devil than the knowledge that Jesus lives within you.


• The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Get in God’s Word, find out what it has to say. Approach the Bible with a seeking and inquisitive mind, but don’t stop there. Ask the Holy Spirit to open the mysteries and magnificence of God’s Word to your mind and heart, that you can learn and grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. Only the Holy Spirit can do this for you, and the more of God’s Word you know, the better able you are to use this sword in your own and in other’s defense. Let the Word of God defend you, but remember it’s only as effective as the effort you put into it.

Okay, with this review behind us, I want to say again that all these things are tied together by Jesus. And truth be told, THEY ARE ALL JESUS. Yes, that’s right. Jesus IS the armor of God. How can I say this? Well, how is Jesus described in the Bible? What are the names or characteristics by which Jesus is known? Here’s a small list:

• Truth


• Righteousness


• Peace


• Faith


• Salvation


• Sword


• And The Word of God

So you see, when you put on the armor of God, you are actually putting on Jesus Himself. This is why the admonition to put on the whole armor of God is so important. We cannot afford to leave even the smallest part of Jesus out of our lives. We cannot afford to have the smallest vulnerability that can be exploited by Satan. Jesus is all these things, but we need to make sure all His characteristics are being put to use in our lives, making us stronger, making us better that what we are, enabling us to fight our individual battles, as well as pressing forward the kingdom of God.

This has been a very enjoyable series for me to put together, and I hope you have enjoyed it. Please don’t hesitate to let me know what you thought of the series, any insights you gained through it or your own studies. I hope you will continue to join me in the future as we explore other topics. Perhaps there will be an additional series or two waiting out there for us. No matter what, please know that I appreciate your readership of this blog, and look forward to exploring life’s challenges together with you. God bless!

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