SHEPHERD TO SHEEP
(Eph 6:13)
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in
the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Well,
there Paul was incarcerated in a Roman prison for the cause of Christ. As time went by the Spirit begins to speak to
him as he peers at the guard he is chained to.
He gets the thought that the Christian is in a spiritual war against
Satan and his minions and must be dressed for battle. What should the Christian wear in the
spiritual struggle against darkness? (Eph
6:10-18)
BELT
OF TRUTH (v. 14): This belt was worn around the waist and served to brace the
armor tight against the body. It supported
daggers, short swords, and weapons of the sort.
This refers to a believer’s integrity and faithfulness. A dishonest
Christian cannot withstand the father of lies (John 8:32, 44).
BREASTPLATE
OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (v. 14): The breastplate was made of hard leather or metal and
so protected his chest from an enemy’s attacks.
So righteous living guards a believer’s heart against the assaults of
the devil. Of course this righteousness
is from Christ! (2 Cor 5:21)
GOSPEL
SHOES (v. 15): A Roman soldier’s feet
were shod with hard, studded shoes to be firm in battle in rough terrain. The Christian’s feet should be clean (John
13), beautiful (Rom 10:15), and always ready to go share the good news of Jesus
(1 Pet 3:15).
SHIELD
OF FAITH (v. 16): The Roman shield was about two and a half feet wide and four
feet long and protected the soldier’s whole body as he crouched forward in
battle. It was overlaid with linen and
leather to absorb fiery arrows. Trusting
in the Lord and not doubting will keep Satan from penetrating our effectiveness
for Christ. (Pro 3:5; Rom 4:20-21)
HELMET
OF SALVATION (v. 17): The intricately designed Roman helmet protected the soldier’s head and
also made him look taller and more impressive.
This refers to protection of the mind (thought life) and the hope of
future deliverance when Jesus returns (1 Thes 5:8). Satan wants to make us doubt our
salvation and the bright future we have in Christ. (Phil 4:8)
SWORD
OF THE SPIRIT (v. 17): Christ defeated the devil in the temptation in the wilderness
by using the offensive word of God (Mat 4:1-11). We too have the same weapon available if we
will but read and study God’s Word and apply it when under spiritual attack.
(Heb 4:12)
Paul
goes on to talk about prayer in verse 18.
This means we put all our armor on in prayer and keep it on as we
pray. Let’s fight our enemy with
spiritual and not worldly methods (2 Cor 10:3-5). Remember it’s a good fight of faith (1 Tim
6:12). The victory is ours in Christ! (1
Cor 15:57)
Louie
1 comment:
Pastor Louie,
I appreciated you putting this together. My alias is WARRIOR GAIL and I put on my breastplate every day. I developed my own blog to talk about this and how it has affected my life.
Perservere in the face of adversity. Take the slings and arrows that try to hurt but are destroyed. Act with fervor in righteousness. Look thy enemy in the eye. Forgiveness is the best weapon. Tell my story.
Thanks for posting that. Gail Smith
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