My two and a half year old son is at that fun stage of his life where he is Mr. Independent, wanting to do anything and everything by himself. One of the things he’s most excited about doing by himself is getting dressed. Me “helping” him get dressed, usually results in a bunch of verbal cues. “Put on your shoes…” “Pull down your shirt…” etc. Sometimes I find myself saying the same thing a thousand times, before he actually does it. (Any moms that can relate?!)
The reality is, though, when it comes to getting dressed… my verbal commands just aren’t good enough for actually getting us out the door. Rather, it's the practical putting on of the shoes, the shirt, etc. that allows us to carry on with the day.
In the Armour of God passage, Paul is encouraging us to put on the armour of God in a way that calls for action. “Put on the full armour of God;” “this is why you must take up the full armour of God.” And a few verses later, “take up the shield of faith;” and “take the helmet of salvation.” (Emphasis mine). Paul’s words indicate there is actionable, practical “dressing” needed for suiting up.
>>> Pause <<< If you missed Part 1 of this blog, you’ll want to catch it and make sure you’ve read through Ephesians 6:10-18 before continuing.
What does that look like in practice?
Let’s take a look at each element of the armour of God and consider what it means to “put on” each piece. While certainly not exhaustive, it’s my hope to offer one practical “tip” for suiting up for each piece of the armour.
The belt of Truth…
Throughout scripture there’s a clear connection between truth and freedom, and between lies and sin. Over and over again, we see that where truth is absent, sin abounds. Take Adam and Eve in the garden, for example. The enemy manipulated truth, and sin entered! (Genesis 3)
Put on the belt of truth by regularly and quickly confessing sin. In doing so, we welcome truth to reign and rid the enemy of any foothold he might have.
Righteousness like armour on your chest…
On our own, we are not righteous. Christ makes us positionally righteous through salvation, and the Holy Spirit helps us live righteously as we walk surrendered to Him. But the enemy wants nothing more than for us to stay in unrighteousness. If you’re like me, we are most tempted to stay in unrighteousness when no-one knows about it. (The enemy loves for us to be isolated and alone!)
Put on the breastplate of righteousness by prayerfully finding trusted friends who you can share life with and who can keep you accountable to righteous living.
Feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace…
If we are to be ready to carry peace with us as we go, to some degree, we need to know peace for ourselves. Scripture tells us that God keeps the person whose mind is steadfast on Him in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3-4).
Ready your feet with the gospel of peace by intentionally setting your mind on God and his ways. One way to do this is by setting a timer on your phone as a regular reminder to pause and set your mind on God.
In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish all of the flaming arrows of the evil one…
Faith is an integral part of our relationship with God. The whole of the Christian life is a call to walk in obedience to God by faith. Romans 10:17 tells us that, “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Take up your shield of faith by remembering God’s faithfulness through testimony. Hear and remember God’s faithfulness often and in specific ways.
Take the helmet of salvation…
Salvation is the ultimate assurance of our identity in Christ! Satan tries to attack our confidence in many ways, but one of the most specific ways is through our minds.
Take the helmet of salvation by, “taking every thought captive…” (2 Corinthians 10:5) and stand firm by not letting the enemy have a say about who we are!
And the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word…
Hebrews 4:12 gives us some great insight into how good of a “weapon” the Word of God is!
Take up the sword of the Spirit by keeping God’s word hidden in your heart through scripture memory. You might enjoy this spotify playlist of scripture put to song. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0UvjaPLPkHBwQYVmNnPnI4
Here’s one for Kids too!: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1bng59KdogNQ0gNak8BG5a
And finally….
Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints…
Being a soldier not only requires the right equipment, but it requires being in tune with our Commanding Officer. We do that through prayer, which makes us aware and alert to the enemy’s attacks.
Pray at all times by having a prayer strategy for your life and for battle. My favourite prayer strategy comes from a ministry called Strategic Renewal. You can find more info here: https://www.strategicrenewal.com/worshipbasedprayer/
Today, it’s my prayer that one of these practical tips will resonate with you. I am praying that God will help you identify what suiting up with His armour practically looks like.