Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
The apostle Paul wants believers to be STRONG in the Lord (Ephesians 6:10) and to be able to STAND, rather than fall, in the face of encounters with our enemy. As we come to Ephesians 6:11, we learn we have the equipment to battle our enemy called the ARMOR of God! We need this armor because our enemy, the devil, is seeking to kill, steal, and destroy. (John 10:10) Peter says he is like a lion seeking to devour. (1 Peter 5:8) While we will face this formidable enemy, God has provided for us the equipment to be STRONG and WITHSTAND any of his attacks.
Pop Quiz: Name the pieces of the armor of God
As a reminder of how to dress for spiritual success, Paul presents the armor of God starting in verse 14: Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
Returning our verse for the DATE, let us make sure we don’t miss the ACTION we are to take regarding the ARMOR of God. The verse opens with PUT ON. PUT ON! Just as a soldier puts on their uniform with various items to take into battle, the believer PUTS ON their uniform. Plainly speaking, it means GET DRESSED!
Another word that stands out is the word WHOLE. We are to PUT ON THE WHOLE armor of God. As God knows the tactics of the devil, each piece of the armor will serve a specific purpose. We cannot be half-dressed and expect success.
The challenge of this devotion is that you will take away the importance of putting on the whole armor of God so that when you have encounters with the enemy, you will be equipped with the proper equipment to be victorious. The emphasis is overwhelmingly on one to “PUT ON” the equipment. And one must put it one correctly. One of the verses in the Bible that I call a “scary verse” is 2 Chronicles. 18:33. It says, “Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel (King Ahab) between the joints of his armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.” Did you read how the arrow struck the king? It says between the joints of his armor. How could that happen? Ahab did not have his armor on tightly. He put it on, but he didn’t have it on tight. With only a small space exposed, an arrow struck and killed the king.
Friends, the devil does not need much space in your life to destroy your life. Heed the words of Ephesians 4:27 “Nor give place to the devil.” PUT ON the WHOLE armor of God and put it on tightly!
As you head into this day, are you dressed for spiritual success?
Continue Strong equipped with the whole armor of God,
And remember to daily DATE the Word