hope

Whole Armor of God

~ Deb ~ Leave a comment

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. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand inthe evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

Ephesians 6:10-20

I just love this passage. It is a great and comprehensive list of what we need as we walk out our faith:

  • Belt = truth
  • Breastplate = righteousness (being right with God)
  • Shoes = gospel of peace
  • Shield = faith
  • Helmet = the hope of our salvation
  • Sword = the Holy Spirit, the Word of God

Parallels:

  • Belt = holds our pants and our dignity up
  • Breastplate = protects our heart and vital organs
  • Shoes = protects our feet, enables us to walk great distances
  • Shield = keeps bad stuff out
  • Helmet = protects our brain, our minds
  • Sword = offensive weapon to cut down our enemy

I’ve worked through a marvelous study called “Your Strong Suit” by Donna Pyle. I highly recommend it! Reading this passage again makes me want to go back and do Donna’s study again. It’s now a DVD too!