When you become born again, you enter spiritual warfare, whether you want to or not. If you don’t acknowledge the spiritual warfare and be passive or you don’t know how to fight in the spiritual warfare and don’t walk in the spiritual armor of God, then it won’t be long before you’ll be taken captive and become a prisoner of the enemy; the devil. When this happens, your spirit may be saved, but you will live in bondage of the devil and your body and soul will be tormented by the devil and his minions (demons). Therefore you should arise and put on the whole armor of God so that you will be able to stand in the evil day. What does the Bible say about the armor of God and how do you put on the armor of God?
The spiritual warfare and the armor of God
When you become born again in Christ and are transferred from the darkness into the Kingdom of Light, you become an enemy of the devil and all those, who belong to the darkness. You shall no longer walk in darkness, but you shall walk in the Light.
As a new creation, it’s important that you know your place in Christ, stay in Him (the Word), and be a soldier of Jesus and the Kingdom of God.
As you go into the war zone, you want to be protected in the best way possible. You want to have the best protection and the best weapons to overcome the enemy and to be victorious.
You don’t want an armor that has holes in it, NO! You want the best armor there is. You want an armor, that provides full protection so that nothing and no one can touch you.
The only armor that fully protects you in spiritual warfare is the armor of God.
When you put on the whole armor of God and use His two-edged sword, instead of your own blunt sword, then you will become invincible.
How sharp is your sword?
The first thing that is required is to discipline and train yourself. So that in the spiritual battle, you are always prepared, protected, strong, and ready for battle.
God said, that you should meditate on His Word, day and night, and that His Word should not depart from your mouth (a.o. Joshua 1:8).
You will be on the battlefield all the time, 24 hours a day, for as long as you live. Therefore, you cannot take off your armor of God before you go to bed and put it back on in the morning. NO! Because that means, that the devil (your enemy) can attack you during the night.
The armor of God should always be on, day and night.
What is the spiritual armor of God?
Why is it called the spiritual armor of God? It is called the spiritual armor of God because the armor of God is not meant for the natural man (the carnal man), but for the spiritual man. Your warfare takes place in the spiritual realm and not in the natural realm.
You must know, that the devil is already defeated by Jesus, by His blood and His redemptive work. Jesus took away his authority, his legal right. However, the devil still has the ability, until the day that the devil is thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone forever. (Read also: Has Jesus bound the strong one or do you have to bind the strong one?).
What is your task and mission? Your task and mission is to stand in the Truth and remind the devil of the victory of Jesus Christ and the devil’s defeat and that he has no legal authority anymore, and to tell him to go away.
In Christ, you have received all power over the whole army of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you, as long you stay in Christ.
You are called to preach the truth of God and reconcile the people to God. You are called to deliver people from the power of darkness and set them free from any bondage of the devil and to bring them into the Kingdom of God.
In Ephesians 6:10-20, Paul wrote about the spiritual armor of God.
Be strong in the Lord Jesus Christ and in the power of His might
Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth. As long as you are seated in Jesus Christ and stay in Him, you also have all authority, all power. But you have to stay in Him; the Word, and not leave Him. Because if you leave Him, you lose your spiritual authority and become powerless. How do you stay in Christ? Jesus said:
He that eats My flesh and drinks My blood, dwells in Me and I in him. As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father: so he that eats Me, even he shall live by Me (John 6:56,57)
How to put on the whole armor of God?
Why do you have to put on the whole armor of God? So that, you can stand against the wiles of the devil in the evil day. Because you don’t wrestle against flesh and blood; against people. But you wrestle against spiritual powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
They are God’s enemies and because you are born again in Christ, they have become your enemies too.
When you put on the whole armor of God, you will be able to stand and fulfill your task and mission.
What does the Bible say about the armor of God?
What does the Bible say about the spiritual armor of God? The spiritual armor of God is as follows:
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the truth. Therefore it’s important to walk in the truth of the Word of God. As soon as you deviate from the Bible and go your own way, you don’t walk in the truth anymore, but in the lie.
You serve the Almighty God of truth. In Him is no lie. Before your repentance, you were a child of the devil, who is called the father of lies. But you are no longer a child of the devil, who speaks lies. You are a child of the living God, who speaks the truth.
You have received God’s nature through the resurrection of your spirit from the dead and the abiding of the Holy Spirit. You will speak the truth and walk in the truth of the Word, instead of speaking lies and walking in the lies of the world.
No more lies, also means, no more lies, not even a little white lie since this little white lie is a lie. You shall also keep your promise(s) because if you don’t do as you say, you will lie. Therefore be careful what you say and promise to others. It’s better to not promise anything than to make a promise and don’t keep it (Read also: Do you keep your promise?).
But it’s not only about speaking the truth, but also walking in the truth. This means that you walk after the Spirit according to the Word of God in the truth of God.
You don’t walk after the flesh and what the world says anymore. Because if you do, you shall depart from the truth of God’s Word. Only when you walk in the truth, your loins will be girded and you will not stumble and fall. (Read also: ‘What does it mean the loins girt about with truth?’).
having on the breastplate of righteousness
You have been made righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ. This means you are no longer a sinner and you don’t live under the law of sin and death anymore. Because when you became born again in Christ, you have crucified your flesh in which the sin nature dwells (Read also: What does it mean to live under the law?).
You have not become righteous by your own works but through faith in Jesus Christ and by His sacrifice and blood. By faith and regeneration in Jesus Christ, you have been made righteous in Him. You can’t get there, because you are already there.
The devil shall do his best to convince you and make you believe that you are not righteous and holy, but that you are still a sinner and always remain a sinner. But that’s a lie!
He will always try to accuse you in your mind and put you down and put feelings of guilt and condemnation on you. But as long as you stay in Christ and walk after the Spirit in righteousness, the accuser has no legal right to accuse you.
In Christ, you have been delivered from the sinful flesh. You have been made free from all guilt, shame, and condemnation of your old life.
Now that you have been made righteous in Christ, you shall walk righteous.
You are no longer a sinner, who walks after the flesh and habitually live in sin. But you have become a new creation, who is seated in Jesus Christ. Therefore you shall walk after the Spirit in obedience to God in righteousness and not after the flesh in disobedience to God in sin. (Read also: ‘What is the breastplate of righteousness?‘)
Your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace
Jesus commanded, to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature and teach the nations (a.o. Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15). Since this is the commandment, that Jesus has given to all His disciples, including you, this will be your mission.
If you really love Jesus, as you say you do, then you will do, what Jesus has commanded you to do. Just go your way and you will meet people, to whom you can share and bring the gospel of peace.
Especially in the world today, truth and peace are something that all people are looking for. However, many times people look in the wrong places and are influenced by deceptive doctrines and false religions.
That’s mainly because many Christians don’t do what Jesus has commanded them to do. They are more focused on themselves; their personal life and family, than on lost souls that wander around (Read also: If Christians stay silent, who shall set the captives of darkness free?).
It is not difficult to bring and preach the gospel to the people. If your heart is full of Jesus, you will speak about Jesus. J
Don’t let fear hold you back, but be a witness of Jesus Christ and tell the people about Jesus Christ and what Jesus has done in your life. However, don’t turn the gospel into heated debates. As soon as you notice, that a person is not willing to receive the gospel, then don’t get pushy, but stop.
The gospel is a holy matter, if people don’t want to receive it, then that is their choice. You can never force a person. (Read also: ‘What does it mean your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace?‘).
Above all, taking the shield of faith
The whole gospel revolves around faith in Jesus Christ, the Word. Before Jesus’ crucifixion and before Jesus was scourged at the whipping post, Jesus confirmed people’s belief and unbelief. There were people, who didn’t believe in Jesus Christ, but there were also many people, who believed in Jesus Christ as the Healer, the Messiah, and Son of God and turned to Him. They acknowledged His authority and believed the living Word of God.
To believe the Word of God and have faith in the Word of God, you must get to know the Word of God. Your faith in Christ; the Word of God, is your shield of faith and is needed. Why is the shield of faith needed? Your shield of faith is needed to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. What could these fiery darts of the wicked be?
The fiery darts are coming from the wicked. ‘Poñeros’ is the Greek word for ‘wicked’.and means a.o. hurtful, that is, evil, evil (things), more evil, wicked (things), envy, envious, malignant, bad, grievous, harm, lewd, malicious, worthless, vicious.
These fiery darts not only come directly from the devil, but might also come from the people around you with whom you are close. They will often unconsciously fire a fiery dart at you. But when you stay in the truth of God’s Word and stay in Christ then you will not be hit.
Believe what the Word of God says and not what the people or the world (system) say.
If you believe what the Word says, and stay in the Word, then no dart can harm you. But if you leave the Word, by believing the words of the world above the Word of God, and act upon these words, then these fiery darts will hurt you. (Read also: ‘What is the shield of faith?’).
Take the helmet of salvation
But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him (1 Thessalonians 5:8).
The helmet of salvation protects your mind (your thoughts) by faith in Him. You can only overcome the spiritual battle in your minds (your thoughts) through Jesus Christ; the Word.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds) Casting 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; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
When a thought enters your mind, that opposes the words of God, take a Bible verse about that subject and renew your mind with the words of God and take that evil thought captive. This way you destroy every stronghold of the enemy in your mind.
For example, if you experience anxiety or panic attacks in your life, then this is mainly because your mind is full of thoughts of worry, fear, and anxiety that control your mind. To take control over those thoughts of anxiety, all you have to do is, take a scripture about peace:
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7)
Believe these words of God and memorize His words, repeat it out loud over and over again, and walk according to these words. You will see, that the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will control your mind.
Jesus said, that He would leave His peace with you. His peace is His Word, that He has given you. If you take His words, renew your mind with His words, and apply His words to your life, you will experience His peace.
For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword and divides soul and spirit. (Hebrew 4:12 (Read also: ‘What is the helmet of salvation?’).
Take the sword of the Spirit
The Word of God is your Sword. When you enter the battlefield, you can’t go and fight without your sword. You will lose without it. If you don’t have a sword, it won’t be long before the enemy overtakes you. That’s why it is important to know the Word of God. You cannot live and fight without the Word of God, it is vital!
The devil knows that the Word of God is powerful. He knows that the Word of God is the only weapon that can destroy him and his kingdom.
That’s why the devil, who is the ruler of this world, keeps you away from the Word of God. His purpose in your life is to stop you from gaining knowledge of the Word and keep you ignorant about the knowledge of the truth of God. So that you won’t apply God’s knowledge and truth to your life and be victorious.
How does the devil accomplish his mission? By using false doctrines, that derive from his wisdom and knowledge (the wisdom and knowledge of the world).
He uses distractions and natural means to keep you busy and distract you from the Kingdom of God, like entertainment, television, computers, gaming, (social) media, etc..
And if you want to read the Bible or pray, he will use fatigue or cast thoughts in your mind that will cause you to wander.
He wants to possess your mind, so that you will have his mind and do his will, instead of renewing your mind with the Word and having the mind of Christ and doing His will.
Therefore, he fills your mind with his junk for hours. So that, when you read your Bible, your mind will be distracted, by all the things you watched and read, and you will not be able to focus and receive the things of God.
Therefore, it is good to set a fixed time every day and spend that time with the Lord and pray and read and study the Bible; the Word of God.
Read the Scriptures thoroughly word by word. It is better to read one chapter slowly, word by word, and let it sink in your mind and understand it, then quickly read ten chapters and shortly after you’ve read it, forget what you’ve read.
Think about what you’ve read, meditate on the words of God, and apply the words of God into your life.
You can also take a Scripture each day, and memorize the words of God during the day. When you fill your mind with the Word, the Holy Spirit will bring it to your remembrance, at the time you need it (Read also: What is the Sword of the Spirit?).
Pray with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit
When you have put on the whole armor of God, the Word commands you, to pray with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.
Speaking in other tongues is praying in the Spirit which is needed to edify yourself so that you become and stay spiritually strong.
Watch with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. Don’t focus on yourself, but pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Pray for all Christians worldwide, that they may speak boldly the Word of God and make known the mystery of the gospel to the people, so that many souls will be saved for Christ and be redeemed from the power of darkness. (Read also: ‘Praying always with all supplication in the Spirit‘).
When you put on the armor of God, you will put on Christ. You will walk in Him as the new man (the new creation).
If you would like to know what armor David used to conquer Goliath, you may want to read: How to overcome your Goliath in life?
‘Be the salt of the earth’
