Armor of God

We are fighting an ongoing battle, one that has been raging since the beginning of time. It is a supernatural battle being fought on several different planes. The most important arena, however, is that of our minds. As it says in II Cor 10:3-5:

³For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

⁴(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

⁵Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Joyce Meyer has written an entire book on the subject, called Battlefield of the Mind, which I strongly recommend you pick up and read. However, all things must be rooted in scripture as well. The armor we are to equip ourselves with is written down in Eph 6:13-17:

¹³Wherefore 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.

¹⁴Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

¹⁵And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

¹⁶Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

So let's break each of these down briefly to understand exactly what each piece is for.

Helmet of Salvation - You get this just by being saved. This protects the mind.

Breastplate of Righteousness - This means that you are standing uprightly. Righteousness is light, which dispels the darkness. Righteousness merits an entire study on its own, which I am currently working on. A hint to get you started on your own study: Notice the "Right" in Righteousness. Just as we have a Bill of Rights as Americans, when we become a part of the Body of Christ, we have a new set of rights to claim.

Loins Girded by Truth - Refers to your spiritual loins. Loins are the reproductive system. Spiritual loins produce spiritual things.

Shod with Preparation of Peace - This refers to your walk.

Shield of Faith - Protects you from the wicked darts of the adversary. Back in ancient times, when the Romans fought with sword and shield, the shields would often be covered with a thick leather hide and doused with water before a battle. This would nullify the fiery darts of the enemy, dispelling the flames as they struck the shield.

Faith is a huge subject with many aspects, another which I am working on. For now, refer to Heb 11:1, Rom 10:17, and II Cor 5:7 for a quick idea of how Faith might be defined.

Sword of the Spirit - Sword of God. The Word is the Spirit. If you're going to use it, it needs to be bathed in the Holy Ghost (spirit filled - ref. Mat 3:11). You also need to learn how to effectively wield it. Someone could hand me a sword today and tell me to go fight someone. I could jab the thing out there uselessly, but a weapon is useless unless it is sharp and you are well trained in its use.

Hopefully this gives you an idea of what it is you need to build on for each area that needs protection.