Armor Of God

Life is indeed a “warfare;” and just as a man enlists in our army for a term of years, and then his service runs out, and he is free, so every believer is enlisted in the service of life, to serve God till his enlistment is over, and we sleep in death. Our charge and our armor we shall put off together.
 
Brethren, you are soldiers, enlisted when you believed in Jesus. Let me remind you that you are a soldier, you will be always at war, you will never have a furlough or conclude a treaty. Like the old knights who slept in their armor, you will be attacked even in your rest. 

There is no part of the journey to heaven which is secure from the enemy, and no moment, not even the sweet rest of the Lord’s day, when the clarion may not sound. 

Therefore, prepare yourselves always for the battle. “Put on the whole armor of God,” and look upon life as a continued battle. Be surprised when you have not to fight; be wonderstruck when the world is peaceful towards you; be astonished when your old corruptions do not rise and assault you. 

You must travel with your swords always drawn, and you may as well throw away the scabbard, for you will never want it. You are a soldier who must always fight, and by the light of battle you must survey the whole of your life.
~Charles Spurgeon~ 

Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Put on the whole armour of God,.... Not that which God himself is sometimes clothed with, and uses against his enemies; but what he has provided for his people, and furnishes them with; the particulars of which are after mentioned: and it is called the armour of God, because it is prepared by him for his people, and is bestowed on them by him; and because it is in its own nature divine and spiritual, and not carnal; and because it is provided for fighting the Lord's battles, and is used in them; and because the efficacy of it is from him, and the execution it does is owing to him: and it is whole, complete, and perfect; and all of it is useful, and no part to be neglected, but all to be taken and "put on"; which is not to make and provide this armour, but to take it, as in Eph_6:13; as being ready made and provided, and to expect and prepare for battle, and make use of it; and this supposes saints to be in a warfare state, and that they are in the character of soldiers, and have enemies to fight with, and therefore should be accoutred with proper and suitable armour, to meet them:

That ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil; who is the grand enemy of Christ and his people, and a very powerful and cunning one he is; so that the whole armour of God should be put on, which is proof against all his might and craft, in order to stand against him, oppose him, and fight, and get the victory over him, which in the issue is always obtained by believers; for they not only stand their ground in the strength of Christ, and by the use of their armour confound his schemes, and baffle all his arts and stratagems, but are more than conquerors through him that has loved them.

This scripture of Ephesians 6:11 Put on the Whole armour of God....NOTICE....this is basically a command not an option. He doesn't say well if you want to do this you can... NO He says Put it on and not only put it on ....put it ALL on!!! And He goes on to say Put it on so that you will BE ABLE to stand AGAINST The Wiles of the devil...the Tactics of the deceiver!!! So if He says put it on so that you will be able to stand against these tactics....what do you think it means if YOU DON'T? It's pretty plain isn't it? You Won't Stand If You Don't Do This!! Right?
Serious business isn't it?

Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 

This is a reason why saints should be strong in the Lord, and why they should put on the whole armour of God, and prepare for battle, since their enemies are such as here described: not flesh and blood; frail mortal men,

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood
For this wrestling  is not of the body but of the soul
And not with men only, for otherwise the saints have a conflict with men; with profane men, and wrestle against them

But against principalities, against powers
But the rulers of the darkness of this world, or of the dark Heathen world, and were in high places, and were of wicked and malicious spirits, against the people of Christ; and though they were in high, yet not in heavenly places;  the enemy being the devil, and the armour spiritual; wherefore the devils are here designed, who are described from their power, rule, and government

And against the rulers of the darkness of this world; that is, over wicked men in it, who are in a state of darkness itself; and so Satan is called the prince, and god of the world, . The Jews use this very word, the apostle does here, of the angel of death; who is called darkness and the devil is called by them, the prince of darkness; and mention is made by darkness of the world; the rulers of the world", and say it signifies monarchs, such as rule from one end of the world to the other 

Against spiritual wickedness in high places; or wicked spirits, as the devils are, unclean, proud, lying, deceitful, and malicious; who may be said to be in "high" or "heavenly places"; not in places super celestial, or in the highest heavens, in the third heaven, where God, angels, and saints are; but in the aerial heavens, where the power or posse of devils reside, and where they are above us, over our heads, and watching every advantage against us; and therefore we should have on our armour, and be in a readiness to engage them;

This verse of Ephesians 6:12 is basically saying. Hey people you are not dealing with people here ok...flesh and blood creatures. You are dealing with an unseen force..an evil force... darkness...wickedness....evil spirits..

So can you deal with an unseen evil force by flesh and blood means? NO YOU CANNOT!!! We fight these forces with the weapons the LORD has given us.. Prayer, Worship, Truth, The Word of God, Faith, Our Assurance of Salvation, Righteousness or Right doing, The Gospel of Peace.

We OVERCOME The evil one by the Word of our Testimony and By The Blood Of Jesus Christ!!! Amen and Amen!!!

Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to with stand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God,.... This is a repetition of the exhortation in Eph_6:11; which repetition seems necessary by reason of the many powerful enemies mentioned in the preceding verse, and serves to explain what is meant by putting it on: and leads on the apostle to give an account of the several parts of this armour: 

That ye may be able to withstand in the evil day; that is, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles and stratagems of Satan, against his power and might, to oppose his schemes, and resist his temptations: and so that ye may be able to meet the evil one; to face him, and give him battle, being accoutred with the whole armour of God; "in the evil day"; in which sin and iniquity abound, error and heresy prevail, Satan is very busy, trials and afflictions come on, persecution arises because of the word, and God's judgments are in the earth:

And having done all to stand; or having overcome, having routed the enemy, stand as conquerors; or rather, having took and put on the whole armour of God, in order to stand, and withstand the enemy. We are in the evil day and putting on the Armor of God is so crucial to our Spiritual welfare to be able to Stand As Conquerors and Overcomers in this hour.Once again this is Not an option It is a Command in order that we be ready and clothed for the battle and that we be able to Stand in this evil day.

Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness

Stand therefore,.... Keep your ground, do not desert the army, the church of Christ, nor his cause; continue in the station in which you are placed, keep your post, be upon your watch stand upon your guard:

~BELT OF TRUTH~

Having your loins girt about with TRUTH; by which is meant the Gospel, and the several doctrines of it; and to have the loins girt with it, shows, that it should be near and close to the saints, and never departed from; and that it is a means of keeping them close to God and Christ, and of strengthening them against the assaults and attacks of Satan; and is of great use in the Christians' spiritual conflict with their enemies; the girdle is a part of armor, and here it is mentioned in the First Place:

Definition of Truth: Conformity to fact or reality; exact accordance with that which is, or has been, or shall be. True state of facts or things.Veracity; purity from falsehood; practice of speaking truth; habitual disposition to speak truth

If you do Not have Truth you really do Not have anything...NO Foundation NO Stability Spiritually speaking. You therefore have made yourself a prime target for the enemy to come in and destroy. That is why we are told as followers of Jesus to gird our selves with the belt of Truth....the Truth of the Gospel and Truth period. 

~BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS~

And having on the Breastplate of Righteousness~ meaning not works of righteousness done by men, though these are a fence when rightly used against the reproaches and charges of the enemy, as they were by Samuel, 1Sa_12:3, but rather the graces of faith and love,  

The righteousness of Christ, which being imputed by God, and received by faith, is a guard against, and repels the accusations and charges of Satan, and is a security from all wrath and condemnation.

Righteousness must be our breast-plate. The breast-plate secures the vitals, shelters the heart. The righteousness of Christ imputed to us is our breast-plate against the arrows of divine wrath. The righteousness of Christ implanted in us is our breast-plate to fortify the heart against the attacks which Satan makes against us. 

Definition Of Righteousness: Morally upright~righteous, integrity, equity, justice, straightness. Purity of heart conformity of heart and life to the divine law,

The breastplate was a central part of the soldier's armor—it provided protection for the torso, which contains vital organs like the heart, lungs and so on. Without a breastplate, a soldier would be asking for death, as any attack could instantly become fatal. With a sturdy breastplate, the very same attacks become ineffective and useless, as blows glance off the armor

Without The Breastplate of  Righteousness, we leave ourselves open to almost certain death. With righteousness—just as with a breastplate—the otherwise fatal attacks of our enemy are thwarted.

To be righteous is to do what is right in God's eyes. God's commandments are righteousness. In contrast, lawlessness is sin, and sin is the opposite of righteousness.

Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace

~FEET SHOD WITH THE GOSPEL OF PEACE~

And your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. The Gospel is so called, because it makes men to be of peaceable tempers and behavior, and gives peace to distressed minds: it directs the way to eternal peace, and publishes peace made by the blood of Christ;  it designs a firm and solid knowledge of the Gospel, as it publishes peace by Jesus Christ, which yields a sure foundation for the Christian soldier to set his foot upon, and stand fast on; it being that to him, as the shoe is to the foot, its base or foundation: and for the feet to be "shod with" it,  it designs the constant and firm standing of believers in the faith of the Gospel, and so striving and contending for it, without being moved from it, that it may continue with them. Shoes or boots, which were sometimes of iron, and sometimes of brass, are reckoned among the armor of soldiers 

Let this be always ready to direct and confirm you in every step. This part of the armor, for the feet, is needful, considering what a journey we have to go; what a race to run. Our feet must be so shod, that our footsteps slip not. To order our life and conversation aright, we are prepared by the gospel blessing, the peace and love of God ruling in the heart, By this only can we tread the rough ways, surmount our difficulties, and hold out to the end.

Eph_6:15. Shoes, or greaves of brass, or the like, were formerly part of the military armor (1Sa_17:6): the use of them was to defend the feet against the gall-traps, and sharp sticks, which were wont to be laid privily in the way, to obstruct the marching of the enemy, those who fell upon them being unfit to march. 

The preparation of the gospel of peace signifies a prepared and resolved frame of heart, to adhere to the gospel and abide by it, which will enable us to walk with a steady pace in the way of religion, notwithstanding the difficulties and dangers that may be in it. 

It is styled the gospel of peace because it brings all sorts of peace, peace with God, with ourselves, and with one another. It may also be meant of that which prepares for the gospel, namely, repentance. With this our feet must be shod: for by living a life of repentance we are armed against temptations to sin, and the designs of our great enemy. That you may be ready for the combat, be shod with the gospel of peace, endeavour after that peaceable and quiet mind which the gospel calls for. 

Be not easily provoked, nor prone to quarrel: but show all gentleness and all long-suffering to all men, and this will certainly preserve you from many great temptations and persecutions, as did those shoes of brass the soldiers from those galltraps

Eph 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

~SHIELD OF FAITH~

Above all, taking the shield of faith~Which may be understood either of the grace of faith, which is like a golden shield, precious, solid, and substantial; and like a shield of mighty men, by which mighty things are done, and by which the believer not only repels, but conquers the enemy. 

God himself is a shield~his divine perfections, as his power, faithfulness, truth, and immutability, which encompass the saints as a shield, and are opposed by faith to the temptations of Satan

Also the love and favour of God~and particularly God in his word~which is a shield against false doctrines, and the wiles of Satan. 

Moreover, Christ is a shield and faith makes rise of him as a shield, his person, blood, righteousness, and sacrifice; which it holds up and opposes to all the charges and objections of Satan; and who is the saints' protection, and security from the wrath of God, divine justice, and eternal death 

Wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked; of the wicked one, Satan; who was the first wicked one, and the tempter of others to wickedness; and is emphatically the wicked one, being wickedness itself; and his temptations are "fiery darts": they may be compared to "darts", because they sometimes come suddenly and swiftly and thick and fast, are very numerous, and where they stick are very troublesome and grieving; 

And they may be said to be "fiery" darts, because they serve to inflame the mind, and excite to sin, as lust, anger, revenge, and the like; and were they not repelled, would be the occasion of bringing into everlasting burnings. The shield of faith is of use to quench the fiery darts of Satan's temptations; so that they may not have the malignant influence they are designed for; which is chiefly done by faith's dealing with the blood of Christ.

Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God

~HELMET OF SALVATION~

And take the helmet of salvation~Christ himself, the Saviour. Salvation itself, which he is the author of, and a well grounded hope of it; and such an hope of salvation by Christ is a defense of the head against false doctrines; for the helmet is a piece of armour for the head; and it is an erecter of the head in times of difficulty, affliction, and distress; and it covers the head in the day of battle, when engaged with Satan, the enemy of souls: 

Salvation must be our helmet that is, hope, which has salvation for its object; so The helmet secures the head. A good hope of salvation, well founded and well built, will both purify the soul and keep it from being defiled by Satan, and it will comfort the soul and keep it from being troubled and tormented by Satan. He would tempt us to despair; but good hope keeps us trusting in God, and rejoicing in him. 

~SWORD OF THE SPIRIT~

And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; the word of God is compared to a "sword", for its two edges, the law and Gospel; the one convicts of sin, and cuts to the heart for it, and the other cuts down all the goodliness of man

The Scriptures in general are a sharp sword, in convincing of sin, reproving for it, and threatening with wrath and ruin, in refuting error and heresy, and repelling Satan's temptations, and will be used in the destruction of antichrist 

And this word may be called "the Sword of the Spirit", because it is not carnal, but of a spiritual nature; and is used by the spiritual man; and because the Holy Spirit, is the author of it; and which he furnishes the saints with, and teaches them how to make use of, and makes it powerful and effectual.  

The Sword of the Spirit~The Sword of which St. Paul speaks is, as he explains it, the word of God; that is, the revelation which God has given of himself, or what we call the Holy Scriptures. This is called the Sword of the Spirit, because it comes from the Holy Spirit, and receives its fulfillment in the soul through the operation of the Holy Spirit.

An ability to quote this on proper occasions, and especially in times of temptation and trial, has a wonderful tendency to cut in pieces the snares of the adversary. In God’s word a genuine Christian may have unlimited confidence, and to every purpose to which it is applicable it may be brought with the greatest effect.

The shield, faith, and the sword - the word of God, or faith in God’s unchangeable word, are the principal armor of the soul. He in whom the word of God dwells richly, and who has that faith by which he knows that he has redemption, even the forgiveness of sins, need not fear the power of any adversary. He stands fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made him free.  

Eph 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints

~PRAYING ALWAYS~

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit The last weapon is prayer, and takes in all sorts of prayer, mental and vocal, public and private; and every branch of it, as deprecation of evils, petitions for good things, and thanksgiving for mercies: and which should be used always 

This praying always stands opposed to such who pray not at all, or who have prayed, but have left it off; or who pray only in distress, and it suggests, that a man should pray as often as he has an opportunity; and particularly, that he should make use of it in times of darkness, desertion, and temptation: and this, when performed aright, is performed "in the Spirit"; with the heart, soul, and spirit engaged in it; it is put up with a true heart, and a right spirit, and without hypocrisy; in a spiritual way, and with fervency, and under the influence, and by the assistance of the Spirit of God. 

Prayer buckles on all the other parts of our Christian Armor We must join prayer with all these graces, for our defense against these spiritual enemies, imploring help and assistance of God, as the case requires: and we must pray always. Not as though we were to do nothing else but pray, for there are other duties of religion and of our respective stations in the world that are to be done in their place and season; but we should keep up constant times of prayer, and be constant to them.

We must pray upon all occasions, and as often as our own and others' necessities call us to it. We must always keep up a disposition to prayer.

IF you are to be a fully equipped Spiritual soldier, You must know the necessity of praying, that you may successfully resist those principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and the spiritual wickednesses in heavenly places, with whom we have to contend. 

And watching thereunto~either to the word, as a direction for prayer, or to prayer itself; for opportunities to pray for the assistance of the Spirit in prayer, for an answer of it, and to return thanks for blessings when bestowed; and against all dependence on it, and against Satan's temptations, and our own corruptions with respect to it:

With all perseverance; in it, notwithstanding what Satan and an unbelieving heart may suggest to the contrary: 

And supplication for all saints; of every nation, age, sex, and condition, in all places, and of every denomination. So Christ taught his disciples to pray, saying, our Father, suggesting, that they were not only to pray for themselves, but for all the children of God.