In this article I am not talking about how we should be clothed in our everyday physical lives, how we dress when we wake up in the morning and don our clothes to meet the need of the day!
No, I am going to talk about how we should be spiritually clothed as born-again Christians, as children of God and most importantly, as soldiers in God’s army. Because, whether we like it or not, when we become born-again, we not only become children of God, but soldiers in His army and as such we need to be dressed appropriately in order to overcome the enemy who is constantly fighting against us!
Now, why do I say this? Why are we constantly at war?
Let’s take a look at the scriptures that tell us we are constantly at war with Satan!
Genesis 3:14-15 (NIV)
14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring[seed] and hers; he will crush[strike] your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Now, looking at the above two verses, we see that as a consequence of sin (the fall of mankind through Adam and Eve) God put enmity between man and the Devil. This enmity is still very much a force today and will be so until Satan is consigned to The Lake of Fire permanently. We are constantly at war with Satan and his sole purpose is to destroy mankind and everything that God has sets up and created!
John 10:10a (AMP)
The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy.
We, the Church, are constantly at war with Satan, this is something the early Church was very much aware of but in today’s Church many of us seem to have forgotten this and have become increasingly complacent about fulfilling our roles as soldiers in God’s army.
2 Timothy 2:3-4 (NKJV)
3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
We have let our guard down and many of us are being wounded and many destroyed! We have forgotten how to fight the enemy who is not flesh and blood and most importantly we have forgotten how to clothe ourselves for the battle!
Let’s read what the Apostle Paul says about our daily fight with the Devil and his troops!
In the verse above Paul is noticeably clear about telling us who the enemy is, it is Satan as he is the prince of this fallen world in which we live. Paul teaches us to be aware of just who the enemy is and he realises that in order to engage the enemy successfully we need to be clothed appropriately in order for us to be fully protected. He goes on to tell us exactly how we must clothe ourselves!
This is a key passage of scripture that is essential for all born again believers to know and implement in order to be a relevant and effective spiritual warrior in the Kingdom of God. It is important for us to examine the verses in some detail. We need to be dressed in the full armour of God so that we can be fully spiritually protected and fully able to not only fight the good fight but to defend ourselves from the enemy's constant attack, especially as the days become more and more evil!!
Let’s read what the Apostle Paul says about our daily fight with the Devil and his troops!
Eph 6:12 (AMP)
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.
In the verse above Paul is noticeably clear about telling us who the enemy is, it is Satan as he is the prince of this fallen world in which we live. Paul teaches us to be aware of just who the enemy is and he realises that in order to engage the enemy successfully we need to be clothed appropriately in order for us to be fully protected. He goes on to tell us exactly how we must clothe ourselves!
Eph 6:13-18 (AMP)
13 Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious]. 14 So stand firm and hold your ground, having tightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (an upright heart), 15 and having strapped on your feet the gospel of peace in preparation [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news]. 16 Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
18 With all prayer and petition pray [with specific requests] at all times [on every occasion and in every season] in the Spirit, and with this in view, stay alert with all perseverance and petition [interceding in prayer] for all God’s people.
This is a key passage of scripture that is essential for all born again believers to know and implement in order to be a relevant and effective spiritual warrior in the Kingdom of God. It is important for us to examine the verses in some detail. We need to be dressed in the full armour of God so that we can be fully spiritually protected and fully able to not only fight the good fight but to defend ourselves from the enemy's constant attack, especially as the days become more and more evil!!
1 Timothy 6:11-12 (NKJV)
11 But you, O man of God, flee these things (see verses 3-10) and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
In his writing of these verses in Ephesians 6 above, I think we need to understand that Paul's analogy of the full armour of God, he would have been very familiar with the Roman soldier dressed in full battle armour, after all he was escorted by Roman soldiers on more than a few occasions.
He also knew that no Roman soldier would ever dream of going into battle without putting on his full battle armour. The Roman soldier was probably the best protected and equipped soldier of the time and his armour was designed to be effective against the enemy’s weapons of the time, both in defense and in attack!
In the table below we can examine each part of the Armour of God that Paul mentions from Ephesians 6:
Verse(s) (NIV) – 10 - 13
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Commentary:
In these four verses Paul is giving us a pre-battle pep talk. He knows what battles we’re going to face in our daily walk because he’s been there and done it. He’s been whipped, stoned, left for dead, bitten by a poisonous snake and for good measure, whipped some more.
He knows we’re facing a spiritual battle and he tells us to be prepared and make sure that we clothe ourselves in God’s protection – the Armour of God. When we do this, we will be able to stand firm and strong in the Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit. We will then be fully equipped to defeat the enemy in our daily walk!
Verse 14 (KJV)
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
Commentary
On a Roman soldier it is the belt that holds the other pieces of body armour in place and it is on the belt that the sword is hung. When a Roman soldier had finished putting on his body armour, he would gird his loins with a belt as described above. This is how the Roman soldier would be able to stand firm in the battle.
This meant that he was now ready for service and to go into battle. So what Paul is saying here is that we need to gird ourselves to do battle with the belt of truth which is our integrity and right standing (being born again) in Christ Jesus and our walking in the Spirit. This means that we, as soldiers of Christ, are to be led by the Holy Spirit in everything we do!
The breastplate of a soldier’s armour does as it says, it covers the breast; the area between the waist and the shoulders. It protects the soldier’s vital organs and most significantly it protects the heart. For the soldier of the flesh the breastplate is made of iron. For us, the spiritual soldier, our breastplate is made of our righteousness in Christ Jesus, our right standing with God in Christ Jesus protects our hearts and minds from the attack of the evil one!
We all know that the Devil constantly attacks our hearts and minds with lies, accusations and reminders of our past sin. If we do not clothe ourselves with the breastplate of righteousness the Devil’s lying arrows will penetrate our hearts and render us null and void. Be aware of who you are in Christ Jesus and come boldly into His presence and he will fill you with his Holy Spirit who will cement your righteousness in Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)
So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Don’t try and take on the enemy without first praying and then being led by the Holy Spirit with all your armour on!
Verse 15
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
Commentary
Now, keeping the Roman soldier in mind, what did he wear on his feet when marching and going into battle? He wore heavy duty, hobnailed boots called Caligae – no Roman soldier marched or went into battle without them on! They were the strongest footwear going – military Doc Martens!
For the battle shoes of the Church, the spiritual soldier, we need to put on the peace that comes from the Good News of the Gospel in Christ Jesus so that you will be fully prepared. Our spiritual shoes (our peace in Christ Jesus) allow us to step freely and without fear while we turn our full attention to the battle at hand.
The peace God gives us will propel us onward to proclaim the true peace, which is available only in Christ Jesus, to the world.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
The peace that surpasses all understanding. We need to prepare ourselves to follow the Lord no matter what. Pray continually, rejoice always!
1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 (NKJV)
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
Verse 16
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Commentary
The shield not only defends the Roman soldier’s whole body but also his other armour – his breastplate. The shield of faith has a very specific function, which the Bible makes abundantly clear: it will quench all the fiery darts of the evil one and all his wicked followers. Not some, not most but all of them.
The shield moves with the attack no matter what direction it is coming from. This is the kind of faith that Moses had when he confronted Pharaoh to let Israel go. It is the kind of faith that Elijah had when he confronted the prophets of Baal, the faith David had when he fought Goliath, the kind of faith Jesus has and that he gives to us today through the Holy Spirit! Without faith it is impossible to please God!
Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Verse 17
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Commentary
The Roman soldier’s helmet was made of iron and was strong enough to withstand several hefty sword or spiked battle club blows. It covered the whole head and the back of the neck with just slits for the eyes and for the mouth. It even had an iron piece to protect the bridge of the nose and the cheeks.
Satan's favourite target is our mind. We have often heard it said that our minds are the devil’s playground. Satan's weapons are lies and false accusations. The enemy wants to make us doubt God and our salvation.
The helmet of salvation protects our minds from doubting the truth of God's saving work in us.
1 Thessalonians 5:8 (NIV)
But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
The Roman soldier’s sword was light and short and ideal for hand-to-hand combat where short, stabbing motions were required. It was not only a weapon of offence but was also ideal for defence as well.
The believer as a spiritual soldier needs to be prepared to go head-to-head and toe-to-toe with the devil at all times.
The sword of the Spirit – the Bible, the Word of God, is not only a weapon of offense in the armour, but also a tool for defence. Strongholds, arguments and thoughts are all weapons the enemy uses against us. With the Sword of the Spirit, God's word, the Church is equipped to deal with them all. We need to trust in the truth of God's Word.
Have confidence in the value of God's word and develop a hunger and desire to know it and study it. When Jesus went head-to-head with the devil in the dessert – Mattew 4:10-11, He used the Word to defeat him and resist temptation. We need to be prepared to battle the enemy in the same way. By the Word of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 4:10-11 (NIV)
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Heb 4:12 (KJV)
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Verse 18
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Commentary
And last but not by any means least, prayer! Every believer individually and the Church corporately, needs to be constantly in prayer. Praying in the Spirit in tongues and praying in the Spirit in our understanding.
Praying the Word into our lives and into the lives of others, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, Ephesians 6:12, and so we always need to be in the Spirit – walking in the Spirit. The battle is won in the heavenly realms. Prayer is an integral part of our worship of God – it should never be neglected. Praying in the Spirit in our understanding and praying in the Spirit in tongues always!
Paul encourages to be alert, to know what is going on around us. To recognise the signs of the times and join with our fellow Christian soldiers in battle!
Matt 18:18 (KJV)
Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Prayer:
Abba Father in the power of your Holy Spirit I pray that you would help me to always be clothed in the full Armour of God and to never take it off. Help me always to realise that my battle us not against flesh and blood but against the evil spirit that Satan is and against the evil spirits that he commands. Thank you, Father for Jesus who has overcome the world and in Him I can do the same, for in Christ Jesus I have the victory. Amen.
To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and
praise!
Jesus, the Name above all names!
Remember: Reading this blog is no substitute for you reading and studying the Bible for yourself. My words are fallible, the Word of God is not!
Last updated: 4 February 2024.
