Paul

December 11

Ephesians 6:10-17

The Armor of God

Paul ends his letter to the Ephesians with practical advice for believers struggling against their enemy, the devil.

Be strong by relying on the Lord’s strength within you. Put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand up against the enemy’s tricks. For we are not fighting against people, but against the spiritual forces of evil.

So use every part of the armor God has given you. Don’t let the devil push you down, but keep standing firm when he tempts you.

To do this, you will need the belt of truth around your waist and the breastplate of holy goodness to cover your heart. Wear shoes that will help you spread the Good News of God’s peace. You need faith as your shield to stop the burning arrows which the devil aims at you. God’s gift of salvation is your helmet, and your sword is God’s Word, the Bible.

Why do we need armour if we are serving a God of peace?

Our God, the God of peace, has an enemy who wants to destroy all that is good and all that belongs to Him! The devil—who was thrown out of Heaven when he rebelled—hates goodness.

One of the ways the devil tries to get back at God is by tempting us to sin. When we sin, the sin wounds us and it dishonours the Lord. But God hasn’t left us to struggle against the enemy without any help. He has given us strong armor to stop evil. We have armor that shields and protects us, and we have a sword (the Bible) to defend ourselves.

In this way, the Armor of God gives us power to stop sinning, and it allows His peace to reign in our lives and in His Kingdom.

This is how the God of peace gives you victory: “Be wise about what is good and the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet (Romans 16:19-20).

Verse for today

The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Romans 13:12