“Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:10–11, NLT)
Ephesians 6:12–18 presents one of the most powerful truths in the Bible: we have the ability to protect ourselves against the attacks of Satan.
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. (NLT)
This passage identifies the various pieces of armor that will protect us from Satan’s attacks: belt of truth, body armor of God’s righteousness, shoes of peace that come from the Good News, shield of faith, helmet of salvation. All of these represent defensive armor. When we are under attack, we often don’t think about using God’s truth, righteousness, peace, Good News, faith, or salvation. These words seem to lack power. But we need to remember they are not words; they are tools in the hands of the Holy Spirit to empower us.
There is one offensive item listed in this passage, and that is the Word of God. Paul calls it the “sword of the Spirit.” It is the weapon used to aggressively counter the overtures of Satan as he attempts to ensnare us in his strategies of stealing, killing, and destroying. It is only when we soak our hearts in the Word of God, so much so that it actually becomes a part of our spiritual DNA that we will be able to use this weapon effectively. God has given us an incredible weapon that can and does thwart the enemy’s attacks. Therefore, we constantly need to be soaking our hearts and minds in the Word of God because it will work on our behalf when we allow it to be used as the sword of the Spirit.
Which piece of God’s armor do you need to specifically focus on today?
Son Power employs the weapons of the Holy Spirit for protection against Satan’s attacks.
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