”Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
Ephesians 6:11New International Version (NIV)
Ephesians 6:11 Devotional (Daily Bible Verse)
The Armor of God
In Ephesians 6:11, Paul states that the Christian is to put on the full armor of God, which is a collection of offensive and defensive weapons. They need to both defend and offend Satan’s attack.
When Paul was writing this statement to the Ephesians, he was in jail. Roman soldiers were guarding him while he sat in prison in Rome. No wonder he took the imagery of this section about spiritual warfare from his experience.
He, therefore, took the images from the armory of an individual Roman soldier and used them to explain the role of a Christian in spiritual warfare. God’s divine armor is available for fighting the spiritual enemy.
Christians (believers) are always under attack both personally and corporately. Satan is always on the prowl to undermine the Christian or Christianity (1 Peter 5:8 and 2 Corinthians 2:11). He uses subtle schemes and not open warfare. Thus, the need for you to be on the outlook for his subtle offensives.
He also always works hard at perverting God’s Word (Acts 20:29). In addition, he obstructs the advance of the gospel.
Put on the full armor of God
Therefore, believers are to leave no opening where Satan can attack them. They have both defensive and offensive weapons at their disposal in God’s full armor.
Peter, in 2 Peter 1:3, says that God has given us everything we need for life and godliness. Consequently, as a Christian, you are 100% responsible for putting on God’s spiritual armor. This is achieved through applying the Gospel in your life and it is your way of accepting God’s provision in the Christian life, which is filled with battles.
Prayer/Blessing
Lord God, open my eyes to the spiritual battles raging around me. Help me to see beyond the natural, to the spiritual places, where the spiritual forces of evil are working to harm us Christians. I really need to discern that this warfare is not with other people, even when they are directly involved. It’s the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places, and not flesh and blood.
Therefore, help me take up Your full armor, that I may be able to withstand satan’s schemes, and having done all, stand firm.
I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Daily Bible Reading
Psalms 139-143 (see How to Read the Bible in One Year or How to Read the Bible (for Beginners))
