A football player would never consider going on a field without putting on his full uniform. The player is in imminent danger if he does not know how to put on every protective piece. Nowadays, a fifteen-yard penalty is charged against a player who loses his helmet and continues to play. The increasing number of violent hits has created a plethora of concussions which in many cases has led to mental illnesses such as Alzheimer.
One of the very first things that a Christian must do is make sure their full spiritual armor is put on properly and snugly. This is required for the spiritual battles to be faced that day. Without the full armor, it is much like a football player in a competitive environment without their equipment. The player will be ineffectual and prone to constant injuries.
The battlefield of Christians is made up of continuous temptation, deceit, and accusation (our enemy’s strategies). Without the armor, we lose. This is the reason we see so many defeated Christians. We don’t know how to fight and have no idea of the capabilities of our spiritual armor. In the energy and capabilities of our flesh, we will not win. By the way, our enemy wants us to believe that our fighting should be focused on a spouse, a rebellious child, a business associate, a boss, a relative, an in-law, and/or a neighbor. This is a lie. The enemy is a spiritual army of darkness. Without this realization, we will continue to live and battle on shaky ground. We have our sights focused on the wrong battles leaving our back exposed to the real enemy. Oh, by the way, there is no spiritual armor on our backside.
Paul the Apostle describes it this way in Ephesians 6:10-12, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Paul could not be clearer. We are in a daily struggle which is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual power and worldly forces. If you have not put on the full armor of God and kept it on, you become an ineffective, marginal player.
The following is the full armor and the order you put it on: Put on the belt of truth (truth is not perception)and breastplate of righteousness (not self-righteousness but the imputed righteousness of Jesus), fit your feet with the shoes of the gospel of peace, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one, and the helmet of salvation (knowing your mind is covered by the blood of Jesus) and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Paul says to be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might. To be strong in battle, you have to have your full armor on. The true battle is not waged in the physical realm (“flesh and blood”) but against spiritual powers. Time to get off the bench and start fighting. If you are not daily putting on your armor, start today and continue from now on. The success of your spiritual life and impact of your family and close associates are at stake.
Barnabas Man 