Bible Verses by Topic ~ Armor of God
Whole Armor of God
by Elizabeth Marks
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:11 NKJV
Here we have our first clue. Without God’s help we can not stand against our enemy. We need God’s armor, His protection, His security and His power and might. We must recognize we need God. Then we must act. We choose to “put on” God’s armor. God is interested in out whole-hearted decisionto trust Him. Putting on the armor is another way He is pleased because it is a sign of our faith in Him. By faith we put on God’s armor, one piece at a time, until all pieces are in place.
This verse talks about the whole armor of God. The protection God offers is not complete unless all the pieces are engaged and used for their intended purpose. Picking only one piece of God’s protection is an offense to Him. He has given us everything we need to live godly lives. When we choose one thing and not another we put our self in God’s place, thinking we know best. No, the armor of God works best when all the pieces are used.
Why do we need this armor in the first place? God’s word is very clear,we have an enemy. This enemy is crafty, with his army of other evildoers scheming, manipulating and targeting God’s children. We need all the help we can get.
Did you see the CBS news story about the largest survey on religion in America? While America may think a spiritual salad bar is okay, it only proves to me how lost we are as a nation. Our enemy appears to be making quite the in-roads in America. Please pray for our nation to draw near to God and come to know the truth.
Lord, we need you now more than ever. Strengthen and protect us with your armor. Teach us to use each piece appropriately. Help us to pray for America and our self. Reveal yourself to the world that they may be saved. In Jesus’ name Amen.
© ThinkOnIt Bible Ministries Inc.
Who is our Enemy?
by Elizabeth Marks
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, againstpowers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12NKJV
As children of God we are in a battle against many forces. The above verse provides clues about our enemy. Let’s take a deeper look.
1. Our enemy is not human. This means we may not comprehend his actions, motives or methods. We can barely comprehend what we can see let alone what we can’t see. As he is not human, he can do things we can not even imagine.
2. Our enemy has the authority and title of a prince. The Bible refers to Satan as the prince of the air and prince of Persia. Being a prince means he has jurisdiction over a certain territory. Guess what territory he reigns over? Our world.
3. Our enemy has powers. He does not use those powers for our good either. He uses these powers to accomplish his evil plan.
4. Our enemy doesn’t act alone. He has an army of evil working towards his evil purposes. The “rulers of darkness” makes it sound like our enemy has a power hierarchy. Some members are rulers. Do you know why he needs rulers? Satan is limited. He can’t be in all places at once like God. Therefore, he has to recruit others to follow him.
5. Our enemy isn’t limited to our world alone. He has spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly realm too. Even though things may seem calm and peaceful here at times, there is a battle raging in the heavens. Daniel 10:13 reveals the Lord’s messenger was delayed twenty-one days because the prince of Persia prevented him from getting to Daniel sooner.
Now you know more about the enemy we battle. We need wisdom to discern what’s really going on in a given situation.
Remember, there is always more going on than what we see with our eyes. That’s why the apostle Paul said “…we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).
Trust we will prevail over all evil with God’s help. For Jesus said“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). By remembering one last thought fromProverbs 28:5 NKJV “But those who seek the Lord understand all”, we will be
victorious.
Lord Jesus, thank you for not leaving us helpless against our enemy. Thank you for giving us the victory over sin, death and our enemy. In you we trust. We will seek you to understand all. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
©ThinkOnIt Bible Ministries Inc.
Evil Day
by Elizabeth Marks
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand inthe evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:13 NKJV
We don’t wrestle against flesh and blood but many forces of wickedness. We must make a choice how to respond. We live in the evil day. It is clear with have enemies. Watching five minutes of television may convince you. Nothing is harmless
anymore. Gone are the days of “I love Lucy”, “Father knows Best”, “My Three Sons” and “Leave it to Beaver”. Television used to honor marriage and family. It was a pleasure to watch moral values and good clean fun played out before our eyes.
Sadly this isn’t true anymore. Television producers have relaxed their standards. The result is wicked, garbage filled, dishonoring to God and man programs that do little to build up marriage or family. Now, television shows are loaded with every kind of sin imaginable. There are shows, such as “Desperate Housewives” and “Sex in the City”,which are all about
sex outside of marriage and adultery. There are shows about homosexuality like “Will and Grace” and others. Now we even have shows about witchcraft and sorcery, “Twitches” and“Wizards of Waverly Place”. In every show selfishness and me-first thinking are prevalent. There is more senseless violence and vulgar language than ever before.
Yes, we live in the evil day. But it is also clear God goes before us to equip and enable us to withstand whatever the enemy throws at us. The choice is ours. Do we go with the evil flow of society and watch this stuff? Or do we choose to withstand by taking up the whole armor of God? When we choose God’s side, we will be able to withstand in the evil day, having done all, to stand.
Lord, thank you for equipping us with your whole armor. Enable us to make wise choices about what we watch on television so we may guard our hearts and minds. In Jesus’ name Amen.
© ThinkOnIt Bible Ministries Inc.
Truth and Righteousness
by Elizabeth Marks
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness… Ephesians 6:14 NKJV
We are able to stand by choosing to put on God’s armor. But what does that look like? Exactly how do we put on this armor we can’t see?
Let’s look at each piece and see what it represents. The first piece of armor mentioned is truth, which we are to gird our
waist with. Merriam Webster dictionary states the word gird has having three definitions in the verb tense: (1) to encircle or bind, to make fast, surround (2) provide, equip (3) to prepare for action. We are called to surround our self with truth so we are equipped and prepared for action. The truth is wrapped around our waist, the center of our body providing
balance.
The second piece of armor talked about in today’s verse is the breastplate of righteousness. The word breastplate has more than one meaning as well. (1) a metal plate worn as a defensive armor for the breast and (2) a vestment worn in ancient times by Jewish High Priest and set with 12 gems bearing the names of the tribes of Israel. This piece of armor has dual purpose. It is a defensive barrier protecting our heart and it is a reminder that Jesus Christ’s righteousness is our covering. We are never righteous in our self-reliance. We are only righteous through Christ’s sacrifice for us. Our righteousness comes from God alone.
So how do we put these items on? Regarding truth, we put this on by filling our minds with it and by living it out. We read God’s Word and apply its teaching. We assess our situations by its truth and respond as God would want us to. About the breastplate, we focus on Christ. Keeping our eyes fixed on Him instead of the present trouble, we are reminded we are more than conquerors in Christ. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
Have you put on truth as your sturdy belt and Christ’s righteousness as your breastplate today?
Lord, thank you for your guidance for a godly life. Thank you for your sacrifice to make us holy, pure and cleansed from all unrighteousness. Help us put on your armor so we can stand against our enemy and bring glory to you when we do. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
© ThinkOnIt Bible Ministries Inc.
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