11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 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.
Ephesians 6:11-13
I’ll share what the armor of God is further down in this blog. I’ll also provide a free resource where you can learn more about how each piece of God’s armor aids you in your spiritual battles. I started with the scripture above because we tend to think our battle is with other people, when many times the battle is with ourselves.
I have this premise, call it a theory, that The Path of Love is a journey of spiritual self-mastery. Now, I understand some people don’t like the idea of self-mastery because it insinuates God isn’t needed. But, if you’ve been on any journey of self-mastery, you ultimately recognize that there are forces beyond your understanding that try to prevent you from mastering yourself. The spiritual journey is no different. All effort begins with an individual, so in that sense it is about self. But the whole picture, the bigger picture if you will, is about God.
The bigger picture is about God, because you must master yourself in order to be used by God. If you’ve brought nothing but pain, hurt, self-hate, and immorality into this world, then that’s not a purpose of God. But, if you’ve tried to bring compassion, patience, service to others, and Godly living into the world, now you’re contributing to part of God’s purpose. What is God’s purpose? To love. To spread His love to every part of the universe.
I state “part of God’s purpose” because each of us plays a small part in the greater scheme. We’re to bring love to our circle of influence and our community at large. Each of us can do that. There are no special requirements or educational degrees or certificates. There’s just the love of God emanating from your heart into the world. And every single person on earth has an opportunity to express that love to others.
But where do we start? Well, we put on the figurative Armor of God.
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.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Ephesians 6:14-18
Many graphics or pictures only list 6 pieces of armor, but I believe they miss one of the most important pieces; a 7th piece that’s the foundation of them all. Here are the pieces of armor as I identify them:
Belt of truth
Breastplate of righteousness
Feet fitted with the gospel of peace
Shield of faith
Helmet of salvation
Sword of the Spirit
Pray in the spirit
There’s armor or gear, and there’s strategy; i.e., prayer. Prayer is how you prepare to use the spiritual armor of God. Without it, the armor is not going to matter. It’s not enough to protect you.
In the coming weeks, we’ll delve deeper into how we utilize each piece of God’s armor in our life. It’s not as simple as listing them out. We need to understand how each piece works and supports all the other pieces. Our spiritual life is so much more than devotionals, attending church, Bible studies, community groups, etc. The spiritual life is about living an excellent life (2 Corinthians 8:7). And from my perspective, only God can help us live in excellence.
Here's a study resource on the Armor of God.