The Armour of God – Part 1
“Put on the whole armour
of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness
of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of
God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to
stand. Stand therefore, having your
loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all,
taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery
darts of the wicked. And take the helmet
of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”. Ephesians 6:11-17
The
importance of the armour of God, according to Paul, is to be able to “stand
against the wiles of the devil” – that is the deceitful trickery that Satan
uses to entice us. If there was ever a
time in Christendom that Christians need to “do all” to stand against Satan and
his devices, it is now. The armor of God enables us to do just that – “Stand”!
The components of the full armor of God include 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. Let’s study each of these parts of the armour.
The Belt of
Truth – The belt of the armour was to hold everything else in place. It also aided the soldier in strength and body
support (much like a weight lifter still uses). Interestingly, Paul compares the belt to the
truth. The truth, like the belt, holds
everything else together and strengthens those that embrace it. Without
the truth, nothing else matters. If we
as Christians are not men and women of integrity the world will not listen to
us – nor should they. Jesus prayed for
all Christians in John 17:17 “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth”. Jesus also declared, “I am the way, the truth,
and the life: no man cometh unto the
Father, but by me”. John 14:6
Friend,
it is my prayer and desire, as Paul stated: “for all men to be saved, and to
come unto the knowledge of the truth”. 1 Timothy 2:4. The only way for you to
know the truth is to accept the truth of God’s word and be saved. Jesus said in John 8:32, “And ye shall know
the truth, and the truth shall make you free”.
Elder Tim White
Ider, Alabama
