THE ARMOR OF GOD

A final word: Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.
Use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God
Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.
Ephesians 6:10-18 NLT


Commentary

Who among us has not been worried about protection at one time or another ? The famous hire bodyguards. Millions of people have installed protective warning systems in their homes and businesses. Police wear bulletproof vests to protect themselves from injury or death. The Psalmist prayed "Guard me as the apple of your eye…When I awake, I will be fully satisfied, for I will see you face to face" (Psalm 17: 6) He sought physical safety from his enemies, but also the ultimate safety of God's salvation.
Our Lord has promised to protect those who love him. As Christians, we realize that physical protection is not all that we need. The greatest promise of protection refers to the spiritual protection which comes from putting on the ARMOR OF GOD:

THE BELT OF TRUTH: The truth of God is absolute and changeless. This truth is available to us in the scriptures, and from the Holy Spirit. Wisdom and understanding will come to us and we pursue the truth in the study of the Scriptures.

THE BODY ARMOR OF GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS: What is righteousness? It is to be as much in the image of God as is possible. We must seek to know the character of Jesus and to take on his mind and heart. Character is what you are inside. It should also be what you want to become. Jesus is our ultimate role model. We are a holy people, a privilege, but also a duty. In today's society, it is not easy to exhibit righteousness. It is not a popular concept. But as we put on the armor of God's righteousness, the joy that is ours in knowing that we are lights for him will give us strength and peace.

THE SHOES OF PEACE: Seekers of peace. The ages have been filled with those who spent their whole lifetimes looking for peace. Peace for one person may not be the same for another. To most of us, peace is the absence of conflict. Whether physical, mental, spiritual or emotional, we all seek it. Sometimes we never find it. Yet Jesus said that he would leave us his peace. St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians: "If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand, His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."(Philippians 4:7 >
In order to appropriate this peace that passes understanding, we need invite the Holy Spirit to take over our lives. We need to trust our Lord to the uttermost in all areas of life. We must humble ourselves before him. Peace is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit promised in Galatians 5:22 " But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us…….peace"
The SHOES OF PEACE……put them on, they will never go out of style.

THE SHIELD OF FAITH: Jesus said "I assure you, even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible." (Matthew 17:20) We must learn to bring faith to bear on every aspect of our lives. Like a shield of steel, it will protect us from the slings and arrows of the evil one. Faith is a gift, given freely to us by our Lord. The more we use this shield, the stronger it will become. Recognize this shield of faith as impermeable to all the lies of the devil.

THE HELMET OF SALVATION: The helmet is what it's all about. Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Faith..all of these would be useless without SALVATION.
Sin brings about spiritual death, and judgment. We must have a Rescuer, a Deliverer, a Savior. The death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ provided the Way to Salvation. All was accomplished….God's perfect Plan was brought to fruition. Jesus rescued us from the consequences of sin. He holds out the Helmet of Salvation to each and every one of us. It is up to us to put it on. He promised that those who believe in him, and take the Helmet of Salvation he offers, will be saved. He is our sure hope of eternal life. Accepting the Helmet of Salvation means being saved from the power of sin, and living a new life in Jesus Christ. Put on the Helmet, brothers and sisters!

THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT: The Word of God. As you read these words brought to you courtesy of the Internet, your computer, the WWW, you may recall that an instruction manual most likely came with all the paraphernalia. You probably read just enough of it to get your machine up and running. Most of us do not read the whole thing. It is the same with the Scriptures. Many of us read just enough to get us going. Think how much more blessed we would be if we read God's Instruction Manual daily. The scriptures do speak to each one of us. Its Truth never changes, its guidance and protection never fail. So many say, "Oh, I'll read it when I get a chance." Like all food, the spiritual food the Bible provides for us must be taken daily. As Jeremiah said "Your words are what sustain me. They bring me great joy and are my heart's delight…" (Jeremiah 15:16) For guidance in daily living, for comfort, counsel, and truth…..pick up the Sword of the Spirit and make it part of your life every day.

And so, dear brothers and sisters……you have the whole Armor of God. Everything you need to sustain your life, mental, physical, spiritual and emotional. Be sure you will be always in God's "style" when you are wearing it.