DO YOU HAVE YOUR ARMOR ON?
The English language can be CONFUSING. Both words are spelled differently but mean the same thing. Probably had something to do with the British and English Accents. Anyway, do you have on your Armor? A soldier should never leave home without it. As a matter of fact, in ancient Rome, you never saw a centurion march or walk the streets without Armor. They never knew when they had to be ready. Well, if you conquered and forced nations to come under your rule, you had no choice but to be prepared.
This Armor, however, is not visible. The word of God tells us to put on the Whole Armor of God (Eph 6:11). When Paul was writing this, he was in a Roman prison and, by all accounts, probably staring at Roman soldier guards. So inspired by the Holy Spirit, he wrote, the same way the soldiers must be armed to fight off the enemy attack, we must also be armed to fight off our enemy, Satan.
The believer has battled daily, but this Armor deals with spiritual battles. These battles attack the mind first. Then they expand to the physical, influencing those around us to create chaos. God knew this and made protection available to us. The Full Armor of God comprises the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Gospel of Peace, the Shield of Faith, the Helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit.
All these pieces fight for a particular area in the believer's life. For instance, say we have a belief that is told by a non-believer that she is not loved, and she starts to believe this, which can yield to actions she takes that can be harmful to herself. Well, you pull out your sword, the word of God, and speak one of many verses that talk about God's love for his creation and how nothing can make Him stop loving us. This can change how she sees herself, defeating the spirit that sought to destroy her. Through God's word, we learn how to use the Armor.
We fight not against flesh and blood (Eph 6). Sometimes you think it's a person, but it's just the unseen enemy operating in that person. Therefore, you can't physically harm that person cause the enemy is still there, and if you try to kill that person, that spirit will fly to another host. One must fight through prayer, supplication, fasting, and speaking the word of God. Most of all, know that He is God, and he will fight your battles. The Armor is for everyone. God loves everyone and equips us with the tools to be victorious in a battle, no matter the situation. So remember your Armor. The enemy is lurking and searching for whom he can devour, but not today, devil! You are defeated! Swing your sword!
The Whole Armor of God, Never Leave Home without it!
