August 18, 2023 | Be On Mission
Putting on the Full Armor of God
Scripture: Ephesians 6(NIV)
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.
9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
21 Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.
23 Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
Devotional
Paul wraps up his letter to the Ephesians with a powerful image of spiritual warfare. He didn’t have to remind the believers in Ephesus that they were surrounded by a culture that promoted sorcery, goddess worship, and pagan practices. This ever present evil was a continuous tug on the hearts and souls of the Christian community.
So Paul told them, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (v. 11-12).
If all the societal ills that you have identified would disappear today, even more would be introduced tomorrow. Satan is a liar, a deceiver, a schemer. He will do whatever it takes to entice us away from Jesus. He wants us to believe that Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection are a myth. The devil desires to have us follow our desires, leading us to a life of sin (see James 1:14-15). The enemy of our souls will do whatever it takes to destroy our souls. The battle lines are drawn.
For that, Paul uses military imagery of a Roman soldier, something the Ephesian people would have seen often. He says, “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” (v. 13). The purpose of the metaphorical pieces of armor are to do spiritual battle with the very real enemy of our souls!
Review verses 14-17. What is each piece of the armor of God listed? What do they mean, in practical terms? Which one do you need most right now?
Poem
Getting Dressed For The Day
When I wake up, arise from bed
Rummage through clothing ’fore me spread
I would not think to go outside
Only in underwear, O my!
I get full dressed before my day
Clothes, shoes and sweater, full array
When I wake up, arise from bed
Salvation’s helmet on my head
The belt of truth about my waist
Breastplate of righteousness is placed
To cover precious, tempted heart
These three a must, these three, great start
But wait, there’s more I must put on
To stand against the Devil’s throng
The cleats of peace upon my feet
So I won’t slip when climbing steep
The shield of faith, the Spirit’s sword
Defending me with God’s own word
And so full decked in armor strong
I stand prepared against all wrong
And once I’ve stood, I hold my ground
Despite the enemies around
For with this armor I’m prepared
To persevere, the Gospel share
