Preparing to go to war for the lost.
The Full Armor of God
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole amour of God, which ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
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.
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.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;’
Ephesians 6 KJV, biblehub.com/kjv/ephesians/6.htm. Accessed 04 Mar. 2025.
When we first come to Jesus Christ, we are not aware that we have entered into warfare.
We, as babes, are nurtured and fed by the Church, led by our Pastor and protected by God. We mature and begin to understand there is more to being a child of God than the initial deliverance from sin and its consequences.
We are unaware of the spiritual warfare that surrounds us.
The trial of our faith and the attack of Satan on our lives gradually become clear to us. We learn how to walk in the Spirit and grow our relationship with Jesus.
Prayer takes on new precedence, drawing us closer to the Lord. Our behavior changes as we begin to reflect the image of our Heavenly Father.
Conviction of old sinful habits and attitudes of the carnal man cause us to repent and develop new desires and priorities.
We begin to eat spiritual meat, leaving behind the milk of babes.
Now is the time for us to come to the full understanding of spiritual warfare and as in any battle, you must have armour to fight the enemy.
Every soldier must be educated in the tactics of their enemy and be equipped with the right weapons to advance or hold their position.
The armour of God equips us for every contingency of attack and gives us the ability to advance into and conquer enemy territory.
Understanding the Enemy
“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. “ (Eph. 6:12)
Understanding the enemy gives us the advantage of properly directing our prayers and efforts while enabling us to emulate the character of Christ toward souls.
We must recognize that our enemy is not the person persecuting us or making our lives difficult because they feel conviction in our presence but we are in conflict with the spiritual realm which opposes God’s anointing.
Our battle is against the rulers of the darkness of this world and their hierarchy. It is against spiritual wickedness wherever it may be.
When Daniel fasted an angel came to him with a message from God, stating that he had been withheld in a battle with the Prince of Persia. (Daniel 10:2-20)
Our world is the stage of a great spiritual war divided into principalities and controlled by rulers of darkness. Our cities are battlefields for the souls of men who are influenced by spiritual powers.
We are influenced by spiritual wickedness through our five senses. The carnal nature of our flesh draws and tempts us to sin. Our eyes behold and our ears hear, whereby we are influenced, thoughts are planted, and a battle is being fought in our spirit.
At first, we may not understand why we are feeling stressed or burdened because we are not spiritually sensitive.
The Bible says Daniel was mourning for three weeks. He was a seasoned soldier petitioning God for the welfare of the Jews who were in bondage in Persia.
Romans 8:26 speaks of groaning’s of the spirit which we don’t understand.
2 Corinthians 10:4 of the Berean Bible says, “…For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh.
The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they are spiritual and have divine power to demolish strongholds.
We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.… “
The spiritual battlefield is won or lost in our minds. The prize of victory is eternal life, and the battle is won through faith.
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 1 John 5:4 KJV.
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Revelation 12:11 KJV
In 1 Peter 4:12, Peter admonished the saints not to think strangely of the fiery trials that should come upon them.
We must be aware of the warfare of faith we are engaged in and the weapons made available unto us that we can be overcomers in this life.
Being an overcomer is more important than this temporary life in the flesh. We are battling for an eternal heavenly habitation. Nothing in this life is worth losing our position as born again children of God.
Our armour:
Loins gird about with truth:
We must know and choose to walk in truth.
Ancient garments were long and flowing. They were pulled up and girded tightly for unimpeded movement. By being gird about with truth we can walk confidently, knowing our steps will be directed of the Lord.
We must walk in honesty. Our motives must be examined and sifted to reflect a pure heart guided by the Word of God. Our words must be spoken in truth. We can’t be encumbered by dishonesty and craftiness.
Being girded about with truth enables us to walk with integrity, reflecting the character of God.
“For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.” Psalm 33:4 KJV
”For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 KJV
“And all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8 KJV
“These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” Proverbs 6:16-19
We must walk with our loins girded about with truth. This is the only way to walk with a clean conscience and a pure heart unencumbered by guile or dishonesty.
Walking in truth prevents the devil from having the opportunity to slander our testimony. We cannot give place to the devil through any dishonest act or deviation from truth and integrity.
We must think, speak and act in truth to prevent the enemy of having an advantage in this warfare. Our lives and those we are fighting for are in the balance.
Breastplate of Righteousness:
‘As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” Romans 3:10 KJV
“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Isaiah 64:6 KJV
“For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20 KJV
“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” Psalm 66:8 KJV
We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We are weak in our carnal nature and will offend and commit sin because this flesh is disposed toward sin.
Paul states, “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do…O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” Romans 7:19, 24 KJV
I have often wondered why we couldn’t just be translated into perfection, never making another mistake again. I am amazed that God chose the imperfection of man to do the perfect work of redemption.
If I were able to earn my way through being perfect then salvation would be based on works and not of grace.
Through my weakness, I learn to depend on the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ.
Even the experts of the law could not please God. Jesus was referring to the fact that the Sadducees and Pharisees who understood and obeyed the law were not justified.
They had the appearance of being righteous but Jesus called them whited sepulchers, full of dead men’s bones. The outside looked clean but the inside was wretchedly wicked.
They could not be justified by their knowledge and strict adherence to the law because of their sinful flesh.
Our righteousness must be complete both inside and out. Yet we see this isn’t possible in our flesh.
So, what does it mean to put on the breastplate of righteousness?
The righteousness of Jesus Christ is imputed to us. Therefore God sees the perfect work of Calvary and the shed blood of Jesus Christ when we walk by faith.
We put on the perfection of Christ. The devil cannot accuse us because God has justified us!
“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” Isaiah 61:10 KJV
“and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;” Philippians 3:9 KJV
We put on the breastplate of righteousness by not standing in our own good deeds or self-righteousness but by having faith that we are righteous through the shed blood of Jesus at Calvary.
I walk in the knowledge that Jesus truly redeemed me and washed all of my sins away. I walk in the newness of life through the Spirit, so the devil cannot touch me!
The devil is the accuser of the brethren. He desires to destroy us by attacking our faith and causing us to feel unworthy to approach God. He reminds us of our past sin as well as our weaknesses and failures in an attempt to make us feel unworthy to receive the promises of God.
But God’s word says, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me,” Says the LORD” Isaiah 54:17 NKJV
Because of the breastplate of righteousness I can come boldly and confidently to the throne of God and make my requests known with the understanding that I come in the righteousness of Christ!
Having your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
When you put your shoes on, it’s time to go somewhere. We are to actively study and prepare ourselves to share the gospel of peace.
We are not just marking time till the Lord returns but we are marching forward into the enemy’s territory with the gospel of peace to snatch lost souls from spiritual captivity.
We have a commission from Jesus:
“And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
And teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”…Matthew 28:18-20
“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so also I am sending you.” John 20:21 KJV
It isn’t enough for us to get saved and stay saved, but we must enter into the arena of spiritual warfare for the souls of men.
We must have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace to save the lost from a world of sin and spiritual bondage.
We are responsible for and will be held accountable for personal evangelism. I must pray and seek the Lord that I can effectively reach for souls within my realm of influence. I have an active part in the warfare for souls. I must put on my shoes and enter the battle.
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
“Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]. Hebrews 11:1 Amplified Bible
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17 KJV
“And without faith it is impossible to please God. For anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 NKJV
“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7
Put on the shield of faith by standing on the Word of God. Know the scriptures!
Faith says. “I believe every word of the Bible to be true and I will build the foundations of my life on its principles and precepts.”
Faith says, “I can be vulnerable to the plan of God. I choose to believe the promises of God in my situation regardless of the circumstances. I will walk by faith and not by sight or emotion.”
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
The helmet of salvation covers the mind and three of the human senses, seeing, hearing, and tasting.
First and foremost we must choose to discipline our mind to embrace the Word of God and conduct ourselves as the new creature in Christ.
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2 NKJV
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV
“That ye put off concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24 KJV
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 1 John 2:16
These three desires of the carnal man are battlefields of the spiritual war we fight.
The lust of the flesh preys on our physical appetites and gratifications in this life.
The lust of the eyes appeals to our self-interest, challenging the Word of God to perform according to our desires.
The pride of life encompasses personal emulation and exaltation.
After his baptism, Jesus was driven into the wilderness for a time of consecration. When he was nearing the end and in the weakest moments of his flesh, he battled the devil. Each of the temptations involved humanity’s greatest strongholds of self-will. Jesus brought his appetites under submission to the Spirit, declaring the Word of God.
He exemplified the proper method of warfare.
The battle is first fought in the mind before we see the manifestation of God’s glory.
Jesus left the wilderness and immediately began to perform miracles, walk in Spiritual authority, and to fulfill his purpose.
He was God in the flesh and could have destroyed the devil. As a man, he chose to defeat the enemy by wearing the helmet of salvation. And using the sword of the Spirit.
“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” 2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV
We must fight in this very same arena: the mind and human senses must be transformed to fit the armour of God.
The sword of the spirit;
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 NKJV
Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?’ Jeremiah 23:29 KJV
We are commanded to take up the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.
The Lexicon Bible tool of Bible Hub implies that we take up the sword/knife of the wind, breathe, spirit, which is the word or utterance of God.
We must wield the sword literally by speaking the Word of God.
Jesus said, “Thus it is written…” We must speak the literal Word of God as a weapon against our spiritual enemy. He cannot withstand or prevail against the Word of God!
It is imperative that we understand the context of what we are declaring and in faith speak audibly with boldness to our situation.
“For which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” Ephesians 6:20 KJV
Paul was a prisoner for the sake of the gospel. He recognized his position as an ambassador of Christ and requested prayer that he would be able to speak boldly, as he ought to speak.
We are also ambassadors of Christ, commissioned to take the gospel to the world. We must take up the sword of the Spirit and wield the Word of God with confidence in every circumstance, instant in season or out of season, whether it be in the urgency of warfare or speaking the truth in love to a lost soul.
The sword of the Spirit is our weapon to speak with precision in defeating the enemy.
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;’ Ephesians 6:18
Prayer is part of our weapons of warfare!
The Amplified Version says it like this;
With all prayer and petition pray [with specific requests] at all times [on every occasion and in every season] in the Spirit, and with this in view, stay alert with all perseverance and petition [interceding in prayer] for all God’s people.
We cannot be careless in war. We must be diligent to wear the armour of God.
Consciously, deliberately, and consistently apply the armour of God to your life daily that you may be prepared to be used of God and be an overcomer!
“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.
He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.” Revelation 21:1-7 NKJV
Revelation 21 NKJV, biblehub.com/nkjv/revelation/21.htm. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.
All scriptures are copied from the tools and Bible versions of:
Genesis 3 YLT, biblehub.com/ylt/genesis/3.htm. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.I
Please enjoy this video I found on You Tube.
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