Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. — Ephesians 6:10- 11 (ESV)
The armor of God section in Ephesians 6 has fueled the imagination and zeal of the Church for generations. But it is important that each of us learn to live in this armor instead of simply savoring it from a distance. It is one thing to gaze with fascination at the spiritual armor. It is quite another to put it on and live in it in the thick of our troubles!
What does it mean to live in the armor of God? It is to live on the strength of our Lord Jesus. It is to live, day by day, moment by moment, by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ instead of ourselves. Being strong in the Lord begins with the humble acknowledgment that in ourselves, that is, in our sinful “flesh” (Romans 7:18), we have no strength to oppose those infamous spiritual forces of evil named in Ephesians 6:12. We do not depend on our own wisdom in order to make sense of the world or our current circumstances. We do not rely on our own righteousness, which is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Instead, we look to Jesus our Lord and receive, in Him, the full array of armor that will defend us from the devil’s schemes.
Since Jesus is the giver of every piece of the spiritual armor, let us look to Him. First, Jesus is the truth that you wear as a belt (v. 14). In Him, you have been blessed with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3). In Him, your sins are forgiven (Ephesians 1:7), and you have been “made alive” (Ephesians 2:5) and brought near to God (Ephesians 2:13). With “the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation” (Ephesians 1:13) securely fastened around your waist, you feel a measure of confidence as you go about your life. This is not a confidence that comes from having everything figured out. Instead, this is a confidence rooted in God’s commitment to your good, demonstrated when He raised Jesus from the dead and you in Him (Ephesians 2:6).
Second, Jesus’s righteousness is your breastplate (v. 14; Isaiah 59:17), protecting the vital organs of your conscience, your sense of identity, and your relationship with God the Father. When the devil tries to leverage God’s law against you, reminding you of all the ways that you have fallen short of it, your Savior’s righteousness stops his venomous daggers from penetrating the core of your being.
Third, Jesus’s Good News of salvation makes you ready to proclaim it (v. 15). Now that you have received the wonderful truth of God’s salvation in Jesus, you want to let others know about it. You know that the Holy Spirit creates faith in others by the words of the Gospel (Romans 10:17). So, you want to be an instrument who will pass this Word along and watch the Holy Spirit set captives free.
Fourth, Jesus’s Good News of salvation also gives you faith as a shield (v. 16). This faith is not faith in yourself. It is certainly not faith in your own faith. The faith that defends your soul from the enemy’s fiery arrows is faith in Jesus — which is the product of the Good News landing in your ears, mind and heart. By trusting that Jesus’s death has forgiven your sins, that His resurrection has defeated your death and all your other sufferings, and that His ascension to the Father’s side has ushered you into God’s favorable presence, your heart and mind are defended from the enemy’s flaming arrows.
Fifth, Jesus’s Gospel of salvation also protects your mind (v. 17). As the Word of the Gospel fills your mind, acting like a helmet around your head, you deny the enemy a landing zone in your thoughts. You prevent him from poisoning your mind with false ideas about God (e.g., “How could He possibly love me?”) and thoughts of guilt, shame, discouragement, fear, lust, anger, bitterness, resentment, and a host of other sinful thoughts.
Sixth, Jesus’s Word of truth is the sword of the Spirit, your weapon against the enemy’s lies (v. 17). In reality, we deploy the sword of the Spirit when we, fully clothed in the Gospel, live courageously against the devil’s deceptions and accusations.
When we live with God’s truth firmly around our waists, Christ’s righteousness protecting our vital organs, the readiness of the Gospel around our feet, faith in Christ as our shield, and the Gospel of salvation dominating our thoughts, we are using the sword of the Spirit against the enemy. By this holy sword, we cut away the devil’s chains, freeing ourselves and others from his lies.
But we must also acknowledge that our ability to live in this armor for the long haul is not natural to us. We need the Spirit’s help. So, we pray “at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” (v. 18). Let us pray right now: “Holy Spirit, let me live always in the awareness that I am in Jesus!” He will answer that prayer. God is with you!
