“A final word: 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. 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.”
-Ephesians 6:10-18 (NLT)
The Apostle Paul, in his many epistles, used analogies to
convey God’s message to a particular church. Those analogies were intended
(and I believe, inspired by the Holy Spirit) to make it easy for the readers to
understand- much like we use illustrations today. So was the case with the
Ephesians. Ephesus was an ancient Greek city that was located in present-day
Turkey. In 129 B.C., it came under the control of the Roman Republic. As Paul
began to describe to them about the spiritual warfare that is ever taking place
against Christians, he used an analogy that they would most certainly
understand; he likened our spiritual weapons and protection to that of the
Roman soldier’s armor and weapons. So, as we begin this study, I ask the Holy
Spirit to reveal to us the importance and necessity of wearing the full armor
of God at all times; as well as keeping it maintained. For the weapons of our warfare
are not carnal, but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds (2
Corinthians 10:3-4).
We are facing spiritual wickedness every second. When we are
awake, and when we are asleep. I am reminded of a particular instance in which an
attack came against me while I was asleep one night. I felt like my life was
literally being pulled out of me. I could not breathe, I could not move, I
could not scream. I was literally paralyzed. My wife awakened and she began to
pray for me- in the Holy Spirit. At that moment, those demonic forces that had
gripped me had to release their grip.
In the natural, we cannot see what is taking place in the spirit
world. In the natural we cannot see what demonic forces are awaiting us: when
we awake every morning, when we send the kids off to school, when we leave our
homes to go to work, while we are at work, when we come home, and when we lay
down at night; and all places in between. Satan is our adversary who is going
throughout the earth to and fro as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1
Peter 5:8; Job 1:2), and he has his demonic army behind him. As Christians we
must be on alert always (Ephesians 6:18) and understand that we wrestle not
against flesh and blood but against those demonic powers that are unseen
(Ephesians 6:12).
In order to remain a victorious Christian and not a defeated
Christian, and to withstand every attack of our enemy, Paul tells us that we
must wear the full armor of God and stand in God’s mighty power. This armor is
something that we can’t see with our natural eye, but in the spirit realm it
gives us the protection we need against the weapons of our enemy. When we are
wearing the full armor of God, no weapon formed against us by our enemy shall
prosper (Isaiah 54:17).
So, join me as we work through the full armor of God and the
importance of each piece. Have a blessed week.
-Jason Johnson
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