Learning the strategies of the devil is a powerful liberating process. The shroud of ignorance is removed. We learn to distinguish between our voice and that of the enemy. Once we are acquainted with his tactics we are able to recognize him for the fraud that he is. We stop feeding on sin and temptation, we develop a victorious mind. We delight on feasting on God’s word. That is why it is crucial for every believer to be instructed in the schemes of Lucifer. It should be part of our training as serious believers in Christ. Believers should put on the whole armor of God.
Believers should always concentrate on the person of Jesus Christ, first and foremost. If we learn about the personality of Jesus it becomes easier to detect spiritual counterfeits. It is by learning the truth that one can detect the false. It’s only when you learn to appreciate Grandma’s homemade cooking that you will stop eating junk food. It’s only when you are acquainted with the food of the Holy Spirit that you can expose the works of the devil. And once you become acquainted with the Lord’s sweat and tender voice, Satan cannot deceive you with his lies and temptations any more.
Armor must not be Neglected
When the saints put on the whole armor of God no weapon formed against them shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17). To be effective this armor must not be neglected. It must be put to good use. And just like the Bible, it must not collect dust in the shelves of your heart. Ignorance, lack of understanding and laziness are some of the most dangerous character flaws the believer can yield to. Lack of knowledge, lack of understanding and lack of discipline is a sure recipe for spiritual disaster.
While Paul was under house arrest and chained to a Roman Pretorian guard waiting to be brought before Nero, the Spirit of of God revealed glorious principles to our beloved Apostle. By carefully analyzing the guard’s military gear, Paul was able to write a very insightful letter to the Ephesians. In chapter six of his letter to the Ephesians, Paul draws the perfect parallel between the armor of God and weapons of a Roman soldier. We must take our spiritual duties seriously.
The Belt of Truth
The belt of truth (Ephesians 6:14) is the first of a list of weapons mentioned by Paul and is not by mere coincident. With spiritual wisdom Paul was inspired to associate the soldier’s belt with the truth of the gospel. The belt of truth must be the first thing we put on as believers in Christ. The belt of truth should be worn around our waist. Jesus is the truth and is central to our walk. Paul tells us to put on the Lord Jesus. It is the truth that sets us free.
A Roman soldier used his belt to carry his sword. In the same way the belt of truth of the gospel has three main purposes. The truth of the gospel supports our faith, proclaims our victory in Christ and carries the sword of the Spirit. The belt is worn at the waistline and it is our waistline that we find our centre of gravity. Jesus is the truth and should be central to our walk as believers.
Breastplate of Righteousness
Once we are equipped with the belt of truth the second component of God’s armour is the breastplate of righteousness. The first reason for the breastplate speaks of the emotional protection. It shields our heart against Satan’s actuation. The purpose of the breast plate of righteousness is to protect our emotions and our feelings. Above all, the breastplate is essential to protect our heart. This emotional protection is only available if we walk in righteousness and obey God’s word. It is a conditional benefit. It’s called the breastplate of righteousness because the body armour protects our emotions only when we walk in righteousness.
Our strength comes from obeying the Lord and not from trusting in our own ability. He gives us the grace and strength to obey His word. We are told to “stand firm.” Standing firm implies to obey God’s word. Believers must stand firm with the belt of truth and the breast plate of righteousness. The second reason this body armor is called the breast plate of righteousness is when we receive Christ in our hearts the righteousness of the Almighty is subscribed unto us and we become the righteousness of God. It’s not only the breastplate of our obedience but it is the breastplate of His righteousness.
Feet fitted with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace
Thirdly, as part of God’s mighty armour, the Apostle Paul instructs the believers to have their feet fitted with the preparation of the gospel of peace. The word preparation implies that we must be instructed in the basis of Christianity before receiving our marching orders. We must be spiritually equipped for spreading the good news. We must be trained. Line upon line and precept upon precept (Isaiah 28:13). We must be educated by the Holy Spirit before the Lord sends us to a dying world. Our conduct must be cleansed by the washing of the word of God. That is why Jesus washed the feet of his disciples before he dispatched them to the four corners of the world.
The shoes or sandals of the Roman soldier were fashioned after the requirements of a marching army. Christians must also keep their spiritual balance while walking on slippery ground. We must stand steady as mature believers. We must not waver from one opinion to another. These sandals speak of our daily walk with our Lord.
The Shield of Faith
The shield of faith is the next component in this armour designed to quench all the flaming arrows of the devil and is one of the most crucial part of our Christian defensive system. It represents our faith in God. That is why the Apostle Paul tells believers to “take up the shield of faith” (Ephesians 6:16). It is our faith in God that renders the enemy powerless. It is our trust in God that protects us from unbelief and sin. The shield of faith is the fist thing that Satan sees as he rushes to attack believers. He sees our shield, he sees our faith in Christ and that petrifies him.
For practical reasons a small percentage of the Roman soldier’s body remained vulnerable. The top of the head and the lower part of the legs were not protected by the shield. The humble Christian however does not need to fear this kind of attack. By demonstration humility and a prayerful attitude the sincere Christian benefits from God’s protection by kneeling in prayer, making the shield of faith tall enough to protect his whole body from top to bottom. Pride makes us vulnerable as we stand unprotected before the enemy, while humility and prayer conceals us completely behind the shield of faith supplied by God.
Helmet of Salvation
The next component of God’s victorious armour was the helmet of salvation. The helmet of salvation worn by those who belong to Jesus is invisible to the naked eye. It displays the spiritual status of the believer only for spiritual powers to see. After all it’s not what we wear on the outside that prove that we are a genuine Christian, it’s what we wear on the inside that reveals our faith. This head covering of salvation is the head covering of the true Christian. It signals to the invisible world that we belong to Christ. As Christians, we have the mind of Christ. And this mind knows no sin. We must discipline our thought patterns and check what we think. We must make sure that our thinking is focused on, whatsoever is pure, holy and of a good report (Philippians 4:8).
To have a victorious mind, we must put on the helmet of salvation and renew our thinking by reading the word of God (Romans 12:2). There is a spiritual battle going on right now on who controls our thoughts. Our mind is the arena where we must face the devil and resist his temptation. The weapon supplied by God to protect our minds is called the “Hell – met” of salvation. It is the place where we meet hell. If you know you are saved, if you know you are washed with the blood of the Lamb, this knowledge becomes a protection to our intellect. Paul reminds us to take every thought captive because the victory must first be won in our mind. Jesus endured a crown of thorns so we can receive the helmet of salvation and eventually trade it in for a crown of life.
Sword of the Spirit
The last of the weapons listed in God’s armour is the sword of the Spirit. It is by far the most talked about instrument in the arsenal of the Christian warrior and certainly the most important. The majestic sword of the Spirit is the word of God – the “Bible” and is a supernatural book. The sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon supplied by God. All other weapons listed by Paul are defensive weapons by nature. Use the sword of the Spirit to shred the devil’s lies and temptations into pieces. Jesus used the sword of the Spirit “it is written” to defeat Lucifer. If the Son of God himself used the Scriptures as an offensive weapon to defeat the devil how much more should we also use the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, to defeat the enemy of our faith!
The “sword of the Spirit” has two distinct meanings. First, it is called the “sword of the Spirit” because this weapon is only effective in the spiritual realm. Secondly, it is also known as “the sword of the Spirit” because it belongs to the Spirit of God. It must be employed whenever the Holy Spirit leads us to yield such an offensive tool. The “sword of the Spirit” is a double-edged sword, which means it is sharp on both sides of the blade (Hebrews 4:12). The sword of the Spirit can be used to cut into the lies of the enemy. It also has the power in injure the one holding this sword if not handled property. You can preach to others about the gospel, but your walk must also be blameless otherwise the sword of the Spirit, will cut into your lies and reveal your own sins.
Pray at all Times
Pray at all times and in every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. By praying in the Spirit without ceasing, you are not negating your mind. By placing your mind in submission to the Holy Spirit within your spirit, you actually are putting your mind in its proper place. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.
In our battle for souls the battle must be won in the spirit first. Therefore to be effective the whole armor of God must be put on daily. As believers in Christ we do not have to travel alone. As believers in Christ we have the Holy Spirit to strengthen us and the word of God to educate us and inspire us. Armed with God’s divine armor, the true Christian can face the devil and all his legions. God considers the believer to be more than a conqueror because it is no longer I that live but Christ Jesus who lives in me (Romans 8:37; Galatians 2:20).