The Whole Armor of God

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:11

We are engaged in a spiritual battle - all believers find themselves subject to Satan's attacks because they are no longer on Satan's side.

Thus, Paul tells us to use every piece of God's armor to resist Satan's attacks and to stand true to God in the midst of those attacks.

Piece of armor - Belt = Truth

Satan fights with lies, and sometimes his lies sound like truth; but only believers have God's truth, which can defeat Satan's lies.

Piece of armor - Breastplate = Righteousness

Satan often attacks our hearts - the seat of our emotions, self-worth, and trust. God's righteousness is the breastplate that protects our hearts and ensures his approval. He approves of us because he loves us and sent his Son to die for us.

Piece of armor - Footgear = Readiness to spread the Good News of the gospel.

Satan wants us to think that telling others the Good News is a worthless and hopeless task - the size of the task is too big and the negative responses are too much to handle. But the footgear God gives us is the motivation to continue to proclaim the true peace that is available in God - news everyone needs to hear.

Piece of armor - Shield = Faith

What we see are Satan's attacks in the form of insults, setbacks, and temptations. But the shield of faith protects us from Satan's fiery darts. With God's perspective, we can see beyond our circumstances and know that ultimate victory is ours.

Piece of armor - Helmet = Salvation

Satan wants to make us doubt God, Jesus, and our salvation. The helmet protects our minds from doubting God's saving work for us.

Piece of armor - Sword = The Spirit, the word of God

The sword is the only weapon of offense in the list of armor. There are times when we need to take the offensive against Satan. When we are tempted, we need to trust in the truth of God's Word.