Armor Up!

“We need to put on the armor of God!”

How many times have you heard this? or maybe have even said it?

I have.

Then what happens? We pray through putting on the helmet of salvation, belt of truth, and so on. I even went on a mission trip where we prayed every morning, “I put on….” because of the spiritual heaviness of the geographical area we were in.

However, the more I was in situations that required the armor that Paul saw on a soldier many times, I began to realize that Paul wasn’t talking about praying, he was talking about doing. He used the phrases “stand firm”, “take up”, and “you will” to describe actions.

Putting on the armor of God is not a a prayer but lifestyle.

The helmet of salvation is about lining my thoughts with God’s aka transforming the mind.

The belt of truth is about strengthening my core by finding the lies I believe and replacing them with truth from God.

The breastplate of righteousness is about keeping my heart pure.

Having the Gospel of peace on my feet means that I am a peace-maker and peace-keeper everywhere I go because I carry the Good News. The Ark of the Covenant is no longer carried by consecrated and holy priests – it is carried by the feet of holy believers.

The shield of faith is something that I always hang onto – Faith in GOD! (I hate to hear – “you just need to have faith!” Faith in what?!) I need the faith that God fills me with because that is what I do warfare with.

The sword of the Spirit is having Scripture inside of me because I read and chew on it all the time.

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.  Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Paul the Apostle of Jesus Christ