Why
Do We Need Spiritual Armor?
Finally, my
brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11, Put on
the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the
devil. 12, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this
world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13, Wherefore take
unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil
day, and having done all, to stand. (Eph. 6:10-13)
What is the purpose of spiritual
armor? Actually the answer to that important question is found in Ephesians
6:11 and 13. You see, God’s spiritual armor
enables us Believers to become strong in the Lord for the purpose of standing
firmly while resisting the “wiles of the devil.”
Such armor is for engaging in supernatural combat with demonic agents, and
continuing to “withstand in the evil day”
of temptation. Thus armor is protective gear—a defensive measure that preserves
the warrior in combat. As such the Christian warrior can persevere in the
battles while facing a formidable foe. Our spiritual armor affords us
supernatural and divine protection in a war that is intensely spiritual in
nature. In fact based on our passage in Ephesians, the following four
observations spell out the incredible benefits of our God-provided armor.
God’s Special Armor Equipment is for Divine
Protection (Eph.
6:11).
Since
we are fighting against enemies in the spirit world, we need special equipment
both for offense and defense. While God’s armor provides the protection we
need, the weapons provide effective means of assault. Do not miss the
point…complete protection is given to God’s warriors as we engage the enemy
under God’s power and authority.
God
has provided the “whole armour”
for us, and we dare not omit any part. All forms and every form of defense
required to engage the enemy effectively has been furnished to us. We must be
certain to don the entire armor set. Satan looks for that unguarded area where
he can get an advantage. He desires a strategic position that will afford him
opportunities for launching life-crippling attacks (Eph.
4:27). God assures each of us of the need to put on the “whole
armour”! We must take up the prescribed weapons of this
warfare, and by the power of our Lord Jesus withstand Satan. Beloved, any and
all of this must be undertaken by real faith. In the middle of battle is not
the place to doubt our body armor or our weapons!
The
armor is our God-given resource for
our protection, power, and effectiveness in the spiritual warfare against the
forces of darkness. These supernatural resources are truth, righteousness, the
gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God. None of these
implements are carnal; all are powerful through Almighty God for surviving the
spiritual assaults of the wicked one. These are the spiritual resources for God’s
embattled people.
God’s Armor is For Resisting the Enemy’s
Strategies and Tricks (Eph.
6:11).
Our
supreme Commander-in-Chief has issued divine and complete “war gear” to provide all we need “to stand against the
wiles of the devil.” Our armor provisions are the result of
His careful plan and strategy to help us thrive in the theater of war. It is
certain the devil rules the world of darkness, and postures his armies to
engage God’s people. Satan leads the evil kingdom in opposition to God and our
Lord Jesus. He uses an array of methods to achieve his wicked goals.
Our
objective is to “stand against”
his tricks. This ancient military term means to resist the enemy, hold our
position, and offer no surrender. Our Lord would have us “stand
fast in the faith” (1 Cor. 16:13), with
the determination to “stand perfect and complete in the will of
God” (Col 4:12). Standing
against Satan and his armies is the imperative: “Resist the devil,
and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Once more
Peter challenges us concerning Satan’s aggression to “resist
stead fast in the faith” (1 Peter 5:8-9). God’s plan for each
Believer is to stand our ground refusing any advances of the enemy. All of this
means that God has equipped us for victory through His armor.
Also
it is important to understand that Satan will not fight fair; his “wiles”
will often include subtle tricks, schemes, and devices of non-material conflict.
For instance the word “wiles”
means strategies or methods of
deception. It implies craftiness, cunning, and scheming—this accurately describes
Satan’s tactics. It has been well observed that he often uses “discouragement,
frustration, confusion, moral failure, and doctrinal error” (MacDonald). We must also be aware of the fact that Satan
has been using these strategies for thousands of years and so have his armies.
We may be new to such battles, but our enemy has vast experience and is highly
skilled! He is well aware of the multiplicity of weaknesses and vulnerabilities
of humanity—fallen mankind. His armies have been manipulating peoples and
nations since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. Often without our knowing
it the enemy takes aim at our greatest susceptibilities to defeat us. If we are
not careful we will think the failures, complications, and troubles we find
ourselves in are purely the result of our botched efforts. While we may have
some responsibility, we must also wisely recognize that a clever enemy is
working to deceive us. If he cannot disable us with one method, he will try
again with another. Beware of the “wiles”
of the wicked one! Always remember that our “ability
to stand” in spiritual battles depend ultimately on our use of “the
whole armor of God.”
God’s Spiritual Armor is for Complete
Victory (Eph.
6:13).
The
phrase “having done all, to stand” probably
summarize the believers’ victory after the battle. It is well reported that in
ancient times, those still standing after the battle were the victors. The
whole context of Ephesians six implies that we have the victory. That is
correct; without any exception each Christian can experience Christ’s triumph
in their individual battles! While it is true we must call every faculty into
submission and obedience to Jesus Christ, we can be winners! The passage does
not say, ‘having done nothing to stand!’ No, God requires that we give our best
energies to this conflict. We are to participate in Christ’s victory over
Satan.
It
is true that we know the ultimate outcome of this war. Still individual battles
can be lost if any Believer has not done all in order to stand (see also James
4:7; 1 Peter 5:9). The victory comes from the Lord, but we will
undoubtedly know we are at war with a terrible enemy. This is not a matter of
doing nothing while the Lord fights the battles! It is a matter of our
participating in these battles by faith and consecration to the Lord. God will
work harmoniously in us and with us to defeat the foe. We must be in concert
with Him to secure victory.
Knowing
that Christ has already conquered Satan, and that the spiritual armor and
weapons are available, by faith we accept what God gives us and go out to meet
the foe. Yes, the day is evil, and the enemy is wicked, but “if
God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom.
8:31).
God’s Armor Assure us of Ultimate Victory!
When
we engage in warfare at Christ’s command and under His authority, we are
assured of full triumph and victory. Whenever we feel as though we are losing
the relentless battles, there are two key points to keep in mind.
First,
the loss of a battle is not the loss of the war. In some cases, you may feel as
if you have lost a round in your fight against the devil and his cohorts. You
may experience what you perceive to be a setback. It is helpful to remember our
setbacks do not surprise our Lord, nor change His designs for us.
When
the Lord Jesus sent out His disciples to preach the gospel and heal the sick,
He said that if the people in a city did not receive them, they were to wipe
the dust of that place from their feet, give a warning to the people, and move
on. Jesus anticipated that His disciples might not be successful 100 percent of
the time.
Nevertheless,
our Lord fully expected His disciples to continue to move forward! They were
charged to do the maximum amount of good. They were to continue preaching and
praying with the greatest amount of effectiveness possible in any given town,
village, or rural area. Christ Jesus expects the same of us. We may not win
every battle or realize the results we anticipated every time, but God’s
designs for His warriors have not changed. We still have our orders to stand! There
is no incentive for quitting because of personal frustrations when we realize
this truth. It may surprise us to not realize, but our Lord does not call us to
be successful by our reckoning, but rather, faithful to His purposes. We are to
do what He calls us to do; the consequences and results are His responsibility.
Secondly,
the final victory will be revealed fully in eternity. You and I cannot
presently know the 360 degree impact of our lives and ministries on the lives
of others. Some of what we accomplish for Christ on earth will be revealed to us
only in eternity. And when it comes to eternity, the devil has absolutely no
hold on us once we have accepted Christ as our Savior and Lord.
Nothing
the devil can do to us will change our eternal destiny. Think about when the
Lord Jesus sent out seventy of His disciples, two by two. He gave them specific
instructions to preach the gospel and heal the sick, which included anything
that might keep a person from being whole. This was their concentrated focus
for this entire tour of service. The disciples returned to Jesus with great
joy, saying, “Lord, even the devils are subject unto us in thy
name” (Luke 10:17). Satan’s
hindrances and oppositions were no match for our Lord’s power and authority! Jesus
responded, “And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning
fall from heaven. [19] Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and
scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means
hurt you” (Luke 10:18–19).
Understand
that sometimes in the Scriptures, serpents and scorpions are other terms for
demons. Jesus told His disciples then, and He tells us today, that His
followers have authority over the devil, and the devil can do nothing to cause
eternal harm to those who rest in the authority of Christ. We may have moments
of timidity and fear…we certainly will feel real pain from time to time. Still…be
assured we will NOT experience any eternal damage at the hand of Satan. Beloved,
vested with the power and authority of our exalted Lord Jesus Christ, we can
face our enemies with assurance the victory is ours! So, now that we understand
better why we need spiritual war gear…suit up!
