The Battle ground on which this war is being fought is the minds of humanity. Satan has built up strongholds of prejudice and unbelief in the minds of the members of the human race to keep them from receiving the truth of the Gospel. Our God-given task is to break down these mental strongholds, thus releasing men and women from Satan's deception, and then bring them into submission and obedience to Christ.
Our ability to achieve this God-given task depends mainly upon two factors. First, that we see clearly from Scripture that on the cross Jesus totally defeated Satan on our behalf and that it is now our responsibility to demonstrate and administer the victory that Jesus has already won. Second, that we make proper use of the necessary spiritual weapons which God has provided us. These spiritual weapons fall into two main categories: Weapons of defense and weapons of attack.
Weapons of Defense and weapons of Attack
Paul said, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ..." (Eph. 6:10 - 17, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. The reason why we must put on the whole armor of God is to enable us to stand against the wiles of the devil.
2. The whole armor of God is a spiritual armor because our enemies are not flesh and blood, but are spiritual enemies - Principalities, powers, rulers of darkness of this age and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
3. Paul emphasized the importance of the "whole armor of God". He mentioned it twice.
4. Another reason why we must put on the whole armor of God is to enable us to withstand the "evil day".
5. In the context, I believe the "evil day" does not mean the Great Tribulation or some prophetic disaster that is going to come on the world (although I do believe there may be such disasters). It refers to something that every Christian will go through. A time will come when the Christian has to confront the forces of evil when his faith is going to be challenged, when every kind of opposition and problem will be let loose against him. Paul did not question that we would have to face the evil day - it is not an option and it is a certainty. Some of us facing the evil day now! Because we will not escape the evil day, we have to be prepared to go through it. It the light of what Paul said, we have to put on the whole armor of God.
6. Paul took his picture from a Roman legionary of his day and listed six pieces of equipment that a legionary would normally wear:
- The girdle (or belt) of truth
- The breastplate of righteousness
- The shoes of the preparation of the Gospel
- The shield of faith
- The helmet of salvation
- The sword of the Spirit
If we put on all these six pieces of equipment, we will be fully protected from the crown of our head to the soles of our feet with one exception - there is no protection for the back.
My next message, the Lord willing, will discuss in some details, each of these pieces of equipment. In the meantime let us look at what the Scripture says about the first Person who wore the armor of God and became the Whole Armor of God!
A Prophetic Word from Isaiah about Jesus
There is a prophetic word from Isaiah about Jesus. He was the first one to wear the "armor of God" described by Paul in his epistle to the Ephesians.
"He (the Lord) saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therfore His own arm brought salvation for Him; and His own righteousness, it sustained Him. For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak" (Isaiah 59:16, 17, emphasis added).
I believe Jesus needed the armor of God because He had divested Himself of His heavenly privileges and was living out His life on the earth in human, bodily form, encountering the same type of circumstnces and situations that you and I are facing today. As a man, Jesus chose to be clothed with the armor of God in order to live out His life in obedience and victory on the earth. How much more so, then, do you and I need this same armor?
Jesus is the Whole Armor of God
Not only Jesus wore the armor of God, He was (and is) also the Whole Armor of God!
Paul said, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts" (Romans 13:14).
In my opinion, to put on the Lord Jesus Christ means to take Him as a pattern and guide, to imitate his example, to obey His precepts and to be like Him.
Jesus is our truth (The belt of truth)
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No oe comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).
Jesus is our righteousness (The breastplate of righteousness)
The Lord said, "In His (Jesus') days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Jeremiah 23:6).
Jesus is our peace (The Gospel of peace)
Paul said, "For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, ..."(Eph. 2:14).
Jesus is the author of our faith (The shield of faith)
The writer of Hebrews said, "... looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).
Jesus is the Rock of our salvation (The helmet of salvation)
The psalmist said, "Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation" (Ps. 95:1).
Jesus is the Word of God (The sword of the Spirit)
John, talking about Jesus, said, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God" (John 1:1, 2).
Putting on the "whole armor of God", then, is in reality putting on the "whole of Jesus". It is appropriating who Jesus is and what Jesus has done for us. We need to put on Jesus so that He can work, in and through our lives. We have Jesus in us, Jesus works through us, because Jesus is for us.
Therefore, when we are born again we have our armor on. Conversely, when we are not born again we are not equipped to do any Spiritual battle. Although we are born again believers in Christ and Christ is our whole armor of God, we still have to make our armor effective as weapons of defense. This is how we do it:
By praying always
The final word in this passage from Ephesians following "the sword of the Spirit" is:
"Praying always with all prayer and suppliction in the Spirit, ..." (Eph. 6:18).
The above suggests we put on the whole armor of God by "all prayer and supplication in the Spirit". Basically, "prayer" means asking and entreating God, while "supplication" simply means desperately calling out to God for mercy.
We are to pray with all types of prayer in understanding (in English ory any known language) and of the Spirit (in an unknown tongue). Since we are to "pray always", which also means we have to put on the whole armor of God always - or at least on a daily basis.
This will enable us and empower us to walk in victory every day. I believe the devil is laughing because many Christians are walking without their spiritual clothes on. Can you imagine a young soldier going off to war wearing his pajamas; or a marine storming the enemy's beach in his swimsuit?
As the Lord's army we dare not be that casual or foolish either, as we prepare for battle in the spiritual realm.
Peter said, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, ..." (1 Peter 5:8, 9).
We are to be sober, be vigilant, be watchful and be on guard. We resist the devil by standing steadfastly on our faith. Never allow ourselves to be moved from our position of strength in the Lord's might. Be fully dressed for battle. Have our shield in the "ready" position. Have your hands firmly clasped on the sword and be prepared to march into battle!
Receiving God's Kingdom by force
Jesus said, "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32).
Jesus also said, "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force" (Matthew 11:12).
There is an apparent paradox here - God wants to give us the Kingdom and yet, at the same time, the Kingdom can only be taken (by us) by force. I believe there is only one way to receive what God wants to give, and that is by force - not force over men, not force over religious institutions, not force over denomination affiliation. Why? God expects us to take the Kingdom He has for us by using an all-out force over our enemy - evil spiritual power, principalities and rulers of darkness of this age (Eph. 6:12). Someone is trying to keep you from receiving the Kingdom that God wants you to receive, and force is required to overcome that enemy! That is the reason of Spiritual Warfare!
Walking in Victory
The days are over for complacent Christians, living some nice little life, going to Church on Sunday morning (or any time and day of the week), listening to a "good" sermon, giving a good testimoy on how the Lord has blessed him, but not having any apparent struggles with forces of darkness. I wonder why you don't encounter much Warfare praying in prayer meetings in the Local Church today. But one thing I know is that the devil has a plan for your life and it is a lousy one! It is one that is meant for your despair, sickness, death and destruction. He has a terrible plan for breakdowns in you life - your family, your finance, your job, your ministry and your Church.
Jesus said, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).
Therefore you will either walk in victory or you will have demons hanging all over you and your family. You will either be an overcomer or you will be overcome. You will either be in the winner's circle or you will be utterly wiped out. So the time has come to stand tall, clothed with the whole armor of God, and move forward and to be committed to fighting the good fight, to the end!
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