Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Suit Up!

Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm.  (Ephesians 6:13)

When the apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians, he was chained to a Roman guard.  So when we come to his description of the armor of God beginning in chapter 6, it’s worth noting that Paul had a lot of time to observe Roman armor.  There it was, 24 hours a day: breastplate . . . helmet . . . shield . . . sword. 

This description was not given in a haphazard manner off the top of Paul’s head to pass the time.  Rather, these words are inspired by God.  There is significance behind every word Paul attached to each piece of armor.

Paul identifies six pieces of armor altogether.  The first three—the belt, breastplate, and shoes, were for long-range protection and were never removed on the battlefield.  The second three—the shield, the helmet, and the sword—were kept in readiness for use when actual fighting began.  So we see that each piece was important.

After all, you could wear your helmet, breastplate, and shield, but without a sword, you would find yourself in the unfortunate position of only defending or holding ground.  Or, you might be wearing your sandals, your belt, and have your sword in hand, enabling you to attack enemy strongholds, but you would quickly lose what you gain due to inadequate defense.

We need all of the armor.  It is not for us to pick and choose; it is a package deal.  God has given us clear and defined spiritual weapons to fight with.  Understanding what they are and how to use them can make all the difference in our spiritual battles.

Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries.  All rights reserved.  Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.  All rights reserved. 

For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to  www.harvest.org. 

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