Armor of God Scripture: Ephesians 6:13-17

13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Of all the images meant to encourage believers, one of the most vivid is found in "The Armor of God," a passage written by the Apostle Paul in his book of Ephesians. In it, he names pieces of the actual mail worn by fighting men of the day, and repurposes them for use in spiritual warfare.

The "Armor of God" passage is located in Ephesians 6:10-20. Paul first compels his readers to stand firm for God, with His strength, not our own. Paul explains that our struggle is less a physical one than a spiritual one, against our true enemy, the devil.

1. Belt of Truth

One of the devil's favorite weapons is lies. Often, he distorts the truth so that it can be hard to distinguish fact from fallacy. But if we ask, God will give us discernment, the wisdom to know His truth above all the other noise.

2. Breastplate of Righteousness

Satan also tries to undermine our self-worth and question our place with God. Anyone who struggles with self-esteem can fall prey to these tactics. But when we listen, we'll hear our Heavenly Father remind us of His unconditional love and our position in Christ.

3. Fitted Feet

The enemy wants to keep the people of God quiet. So, he tries to plant seeds of doubt in us about how well we speak, or if anyone will listen. But if we pray, God will provide the strength and boldness we need to give our testimonies and to praise Him publicly without worry.

4. Shield of Faith

The devil's plan to derail our faith can include using situations and even other people. Our personal weaknesses can leave us open to temptations, discouragement or wrong behavior. But when we admit our need for His help, God will make us tougher to make it through those trials.

5. Helmet of Salvation

The struggle with Satan often starts in our thought life. Any faulty ideas, anxieties or fears we may be holding onto can be amplified and used against us. But if we call on Him, God will renew us so that our eyes and minds will stay focused on Him throughout the day.

6. Sword of the Spirit

The enemy hopes to neutralize the power we have through Christ. He aims to confuse, intimidate or scare us, hoping we'll forget God's Word. But if we seek Him, God will fill us up with the confidence to declare Scripture and claim His promises for our lives.

7. Prayer

Satan desires to cut off our prayer life. He knows that without it we are less aligned with our Father, and less alert or prepared for attacks against us. But as we set aside time for fellowship with Him, God will supply us with all we need to make a positive impact for Him.