Suiting up for Battle!

Ephesians 6:10-20

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Spiritual warfare is real. The devil is real. But my God is more real! So, it’s time to put on our Battle Suit-NO MORE EXCUSES!

We are in ALL OUT WAR and our adversary is, Satan the devil, and his main purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy us. (John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.)

And it’s time for us to battle up for it! When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God Himself provided this powerful armor for our own protection, so we can have the VICTORY! Victory in every area of our lives!

Satan's plot: Steal. Kill. Destroy.

He wants to...

Steal our joy, peace, and self-control
Kill us with sickness, accidents, and suicide
Destroy us by keeping us living in fear and depression

But God…

God wants to give us life to the full. A life full of love, joy, peace, prosperity, healing, more than enough, happiness, and all the good things in life. That is what God has in store for us. But it’s up to us if we want those things in our lives. Do you want those things? Are you ready to get everything back that the enemy has stolen from you and your family. If so, let's suit up!

In Ephesians 6, Paul is telling us to get ready, to get suited up, and to put on the whole armor of God. So that we can be ready to stand against the tactics of the devil. Against all his lies, schemes, and deceiving tricks.

What is in the Armor of God:

Belt of Truth
Breastplate of Righteousness
Gospel of Peace
Shield of Faith
Helmet of Salvation
Sword of the Spirit, &

PRAY...PRAY...PRAY!!!

Every single day, the moment you open your eyes you should put on your armor. And if you forget, that’s ok, pray and apply when you remember and then stand firm in Christ. Paul was not silenced by the attacks from dark forces. And neither should we be silent too!

As we go into this study, I really don’t want our main focus to be on the enemy, and his schemes, but I want our focus to be primarily on knowing God's power and how we can stand up with the help of the Holy Spirit against the enemy's schemes. So are you ready... I know I am.

Belt of Truth

Ephesians 6:14 says… “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth.” but in the English Standard Version...it says to “having fastened on the belt of truth.”

What is the belt of truth? The Belt of Truth is…the truth of God’s word

So, we all know what a belt is right… and you know what a belt does and what it’s used for. Right! Well, throughout this study we are going to picture a Roman Soldier all geared up in their armor. And here is a picture to help you visualize.

So, what the soldiers would do is take a belt to fasten all the excess fabric more tightly to their body. That’s why the KJV...one of the older translations of Ephesians 6:14 will say something like, “Gird up your loins with truth.” What this belt did was free the soldiers’ legs up to help them be ready for the fight, ready for action.

A Romans soldier was called Cingulum or Balteus...This piece held tight the belt that held the scabbard, this is the pocked where the sword was stored. Without this belt there would be no place to store the sword. So, this was a very important piece to the soldiers. So, it’s main purpose was to.

Hold the sword in place
Take some weight off the soldier's shoulders
To hold all the armor together so it didn't fall off or fall apart during a fight or battle.
The belt of truth holds everything together

That’s awesome right...because we know that God's word, holds our soul together with the truth of the Scriptures. Wearing the belt of truth is not just being honest but knowing and believing the truth of the Word of God. God’s Word is the standard by which all truth is measured. Scripture tells us that knowing the truth means knowing Christ as the Source of truth, from which all other truth flows.

The belt of truth strengthens your backbone. If you’ve ever been around somebody that does a lot of heavy lifting, you’ve probably seen them wearing those wide stylish black belts, why, because it strengthens the person’s back and prevents injuries. A Roman soldier’s belt served much the same purpose. It not only held everything together, it reinforced his backbone, helping him stand not only taller, but stronger against the attacks of his enemy.

The belt of truth prepares you for action. The Roman soldier didn’t wear pants—they wore kind of a leather skirt that hung a little lower than their knees. When they were off duty, this skirt hung down, but when they went into action, they girded the skirt by pulling it up between their legs and stuffing it into their belt. This is what the old KJV called girding your loins=preparing for action. The belt of truth is not just about what we think and believe—it spurs us into action. Just as the bible says… “Faith without works is dead…” Just like the truth that holds everything together...so does the belt. So, the Belt of Truth holds the rest of the armor together. Without truth in our lives, we can’t be strong in the Lord. The truth should cleave to us as a belt cleaves to our body.

So, what is truth? (Let’s read John 17:17). “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”

So, plain and simple: The Word of God is truth, and the truth will save us, protect us, and set us FREE.

A belt also compasses our waist. Right. This is how we apply the belt of truth. The truth must be bound around us and written on our heart. So, the belt of truth is vital in our walk with God. Without it we will lose the battle. We will be defeated. We must have this! So, God’s word is truth. Jesus, in a prayer to God for His disciples, said, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:17 ESV. Jesus pronounced God’s Word, most notably what we now have contained in the Bible, to be Truth. Jesus also indicated that this Word is able to make us holy.

A true Christian…

loves the truth (1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.),

speaks the truth (Ephesians 4:15; 25 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head-- Christ; 25. Therefore, putting away lying, “let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.),

walks in the truth (2 John 1:4 I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. 3 John 1:3-4 For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.), and

works for the truth (3 John 1:8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth).

A Christian’s life should be characterized by a love for the truth. Those who are lost, are lost because, “…they refused to love the truth and so be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:10 ESV). So, no matter how effective the rest of our armor is, we are useless without our belt of truth.

Knowing God’s truth is the antidote to Satan’s lies and deception. And to be truly ready for the battle, we must be completely truthful ourselves in our walk with God. We must examine ourselves and compare what we are doing to what God’s word says.

The belt of truth is the Word of God, and Jesus is the Word (John 1:1, 14 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. vs14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth).

God’s very Word is called truth, and we are sanctified by His truth (John 17:17). As long as you abide in His Word (John 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me, vs7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.) ... So, when we abide in Him ladies, He will abide in us.

Daily Bible reading, memorizing the Word of Truth, meditating on the Word, believing the truth of God’s Word, and, when the enemy attacks, using the truth that is found only in the Word is the most effective weapon you have or will ever need (Eph. 6:17).

You must choose your side. You can't let the devil deceive you and defeat you. You can swallow his lies like a fish swallows the bait on the hook, and in the end, you will die. Or you can stand against the devil by wearing the belt of truth, the belt that holds everything together, that strengthens your backbone, that spurs you into action. The lies of Satan and this world and your own heart will put you chains and make you a slave. But Jesus’ promise is still just as true right now as it was when He first said it.

John 8:32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Breastplate of Righteousness

The second piece of armor Paul mentions in Ephesians 6:14 is "the breastplate of righteousness." Why is the breastplate so important—for both the Roman soldiers and us?

Back in the ancient times, the Roman soldiers had another piece of protective armor to protect us from the enemy blows—the shield. But during the heat of battle, those blows could come from unexpected directions, or there could be too many to ward off with just a shield, so the breastplate provided protection against the unexpected and against overwhelming numbers.

The breastplate worn by Roman soldiers was generally made of iron, though some wealthier soldiers may have worn a bronze breastplate. It consisted of overlapping pieces of metal with connecting front and back sections. There were rounded pieces protecting the shoulders and the breastplate usually rested on the soldier’s hips so the entire weight wasn’t carried on the shoulders. The overlapping pieces allowed for more flexibility of movement. This piece of armor protected the vital organs of the soldier during battle.

So, what was the purpose of the breastplate?

The breastplate was a central part of the Roman 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.

The two areas of life where Satan most frequently attacks the people of God are in the “mind and emotions.”

• Satan will fill our mind with false doctrines and false emotions.

• Satan will use the wicked world around us to tempt us to think wrong thoughts and to follow wrong emotions.

• Satan will use confusion to warp our thinking and feelings to cause to love the wrong things, follow the wrong priorities, have the wrong goals in life, dedicate ourselves to the wrong loyalties, and to over commit ourselves to the wrong things.

• Satan wants to strip the truth from our minds, while filling it with his own perverted ideas.

• Satan wants to stop us from living holy, pure lives, so he will lure us toward envy, hatred, greed, jealousy, immorality, and every other human vice.

• Satan wants us to make light of our sins. He doesn’t want us to confess it and deal with it God’s way. He wants us to get desensitized to it, so that we come to look at wickedness as a way of life for us. He wants us to rationalize our sin, and not seek the Lord for forgiveness.

To accomplish these and other goals, Satan attacks us in the way we think and the way we feel. If he can cause us to think about things the wrong way and follow feelings that are not pleasing to the Lord, he can defeat us and drag us away from the Lord. He can get us out of the fight, all by changing how we think and feel.

The “breastplate of righteousness” offers protection against these attacks of the devil. When this piece of armor is in place, Satan will be unable to attack us in those realms. This “breastplate” sounds very important to me. So, let’s find out what it is. But, before I tell you what it is, let me tell you what it isn’t.

Why is righteousness associated with protective armor like a breastplate?

Proverbs 11:4 says that righteousness is associated with this armor piece… as it reads…

“Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.”

So, without 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.

So, when a soldier has this piece, the very same attacks become infective and useless, as blows would ricochet off the armor and back to the enemy.

Righteousness is defined as "the quality of being morally correct and justifiable." It can also be considered synonymous with "rightness". But the simplest definition for righteousness I can give you is… “to be in right standing with God. And it is being justified and free from condemnation.”

So, putting on the armor of God involves guarding our hearts with the breastplate of righteousness. We need this piece. Why? Because God wants your whole heart and nothing less, for a heart sets the course of a person’s life.

Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

We need to guard our heart and by putting on this piece, it will help us guard it. So the breastplate of righteousness is a gift obtained by faith, right.

Let’s read Romans 1:17; 5:17

Romans 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

Romans 5:17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

And in the Old Testament, Abraham believed God, and his faith was counted to him for righteousness.

So, for example, whenever the devil tries to bring up your past, this piece of armor will help defend you. Your heart will be covered and there is no way it can be broken again if we have this piece in place. We are facing a battle zone, and with this battle zone comes many spiritual battles and attacks in our lives, and we must be prepared and protected. So to neglect this piece of armor is neglecting the protection of God over our hearts. So, to neglect what we know to be righteous is to leave a gaping hole in our armor.

God wants us to live holy, for He is holy. He doesn’t want us to walk in sin or even compromise our faith. The power of Christ equips us to run from sin, to fight against temptation, and to say “NO” to the devil.

And as we submit ourselves to the Lord, and resist the devil, then sin will have not power or dominion over us. We will be able to fight the enemy boldly with the Word of God knowing that we cannot get hurt because our breastplate is firmly in place where it needs to be. We have that confidence in Christ that we will WIN! This ALL-OUT WAR will have to bow at our feet because of the power and authority we have in Christ Jesus.

This piece we need to put on daily, and as often as we need to really!

But listen here: Putting on this piece is not putting on our own good works, integrity, or honesty. IT’s not putting on “reading the bible” or “praying for 5 hours a day.” It’s not putting on church or bible study group attendance. When we put on the cloak of His righteousness, it contrast with our righteousness… We got to realize that our righteousness is not the same as God’s righteousness… Let’s read... Philippians 3:9 …”and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;” And by doing this, we also renew our mind in God’s word daily.

When the armor is in place, he cannot penetrate their defenses, and he must watch helplessly as they “stand” for God’s glory day after victorious day. I want that to be my testimony, how about you?

You see, when we are dressed in “the whole armor of God,” the enemy has a hard times dealing with us. We are literally a pain in the neck to the enemy. And when the armor is in place, the enemy cannot penetrate his defenses, and he must watch helplessly as we “stand” for God’s glory, day after day, victoriously! I want that to be my testimony, how about you?

Here the word of Paul: “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof,” Rom. 13:11–14.

Are you wearing “the breastplate of righteousness?”
Are you living a clean, holy life for the glory of God?
If there are sins to confess, bring them to God now, and He will forgive them, 1 John 1:9.
If you have been kicked around by the devil, do what you have to do to get clean, so the Lord can use your life for His glory.
If you are lost, come to Him now for salvation. He will not turn you away, John 6:37.

Ladies, we are in an ALL-OUT War and it’s time to suit up for battle and put on our breastplate of righteousness, and not just that piece, but the entire armor of God daily!

Gospel of peace

Ephesians 6:15 ...and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

The Gospel of Peace is the 3rd piece of the armor of God Paul talks about in Ephesians. The shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace.

What purpose did the shoes serve for the Roman soldiers? And what purpose do the shoes serve for us now?

Well, we all know what our physical shoes are used for. They are used to protect our feet while we are walking. They also determine our stability and mobility. Shoes can affect how far we walk or run comfortably. Shoes can hurt us, slow us down, make us trip or even cripple us if we wear the wrong ones.

Well, every soldier needs a proper pair of shoes when they go into battle, when they march into action. Shoes are a vital part of the armor of God. Without shoes a Roman soldier can find it difficult to step on difficult terrain. Without shoes, a soldier could step on sharp, rough, hot, or uncomfortable objects on the ground, which would make his mobility uncomfortable and dangerous. A soldier who cannot run the race before him in a speedily manner was really good for nothing and will not only put himself in danger but his whole team (family, church).

Let’s remind ourselves that Paul wrote about this armor while he was in Prison. He didn’t just decide to write about it because he seen a soldier, no, he was in Prison, and daily he seen these soldiers come to and for from battle and seen the importance that each piece was needed. And he wrote about it, because he knew how vitally important it was to wear it daily spiritually. Paul knew that the shoes of preparation of the gospel of peace were sure and unshakeable, and they were able to carry the gospel of Peace wherever God sent him…

So, these shoes that Paul is talking about, allows us to step forward into battle freely, and without fear of stepping on things that may hinder our walk, and turn our full attention to the battle at hand.

So, why shoes and peace? What do a soldier's shoes have to do with PEACE! Well, we already know what the shoes are used for, but Peace… why peace…

Peace is a very important factor when you are fighting a spiritual battle. When we are going through a battle, we need the peace of God to get through. Without peace we will literally lose our mind. We will lose heart…

Listen to what John 16:33 says… “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

The peace that we need to survive a battle only comes from the Lord. This world offers peace, but it’s nothing compared to the peace that we have when Jesus gives it to us. Another Scripture reads about peace…in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” This peace that God offers, is a peace that surpasses all understanding. You can be going through Hell in your life, but with the peace of God, we will have others around us confused.

They are thinking you should have lost your mind, but you like...no ma’am, i got the peace of God inside of me. And you know what, there are so many others out there looking for the same peace that we experience with Christ, and these shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace, allows us to introduce this wonderful peace to others. We cannot be effective for Christ and spreading the gospel if we don’t have the peace of Christ down on in the inside of us. How we going to pray for God to give someone peace, when we don’t have the peace of God in our lives. We need to get the peace of God, so we can be effective for the kingdom of God, by sharing the gospel to this lost and hurting world.

Peace through God will help crush the devil under our feet. Romans 16:20 says… “And the God of PEACE will crush Satan under your feet shortly.”

The good news of peace is that when Christ died and shed his blood for our sin, He became our peace. That is the gospel of peace. We are sent to share the good news of Christ to the whole world, and by having our shoes on, we are ready to move, to spread the good news to everyone that we run into and share God’s love and His Word and His peace freely.

The foot is to the body, what the will is to the soul. We go wherever our will takes us. Preparation is key. There is nothing Satan likes more than for Christians to not be prepared for battle. Why? Because he knows if they are not prepared, he has the upper hand and can knock them off their feet. To be effective on the field, the battlefield, we must put on our shoes of preparation. And the devil will do anything for us to be unprepared, because the good news when delivered offers salvation, eternal life with Christ, and that is what the enemy is scared of. For the lost to get a hold of God’s word! God’s truth! God’s Peace!

Shield of Faith

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

The shield of faith is the 4th piece of armor that Paul speaks about in Ephesians 6. We already put on the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace, and now we are putting on our Shield of Faith. And this piece is unique ladies...why? Because this piece that Paul tells us about, we are required to do something first… This piece we have to “take up”. Take up our own selves. This shield we can’t just strap it around our waist or tie it around our neck, but we have to put some work in it by firmly holding it up and being ready to use it against our enemy...Satan and his lies, schemes, and tactics.

Again, let’s remind ourselves that Paul was in a Roman Prison at the time he wrote this letter to the church of Ephesus. So daily Paul was watching these Roman guards, so he obviously became very well acquainted with the armor worn and carried by his captors in the Roman army. And following Isaiah’s lead (Isaiah 59:17), PAul drew a powerful comparison between a soldier’s armor and the spiritual armor of God.

So, this shield that the Roman Soldiers used was called the Scutum. This Scutum covered the Warrior ENTIRELY. These shields could measure up to 3ft tall or more and were wide enough to cover your entire body. It made of wood and covered in tough leather. Sometimes the leather would be soaked in water before battle, to help resist the effect of fiery arrows. The edges of the shield were beveled so they could be interlocked together with other shields. A row of soldiers could kneel beside each other, lock in, and literally form a wall! Wow!

Our faith is our shield ladies, and without it we are exposed to our enemy.

So, there were two kinds of shields used by the Roman soldiers in Paul’s day,

One defended a certain part of the body, which was being threatened, and it was small and round. This one shield is usually the one we can imagine a soldier would use.

But there was yet another kind of shield. This one shield was much larger than the other one and it was also used differently. So, this one rather moved around to fight off attacks, this one was planted in front of the soldiers, and sometimes fixed or planted in the ground. And this way, it covered the whole body of the soldier, because of the nature of the shield, it was referred to as a “door”. So, in order for the enemy to get the soldier, they would have to get past the door, or get past the shield. These soldiers would squat behind it as if they were hiding behind a wall or a large object.

So, we know that this shield guards against the attacks of the enemy. And we use our shield of faith to extinguish the fiery darts of the devil. So, the shield of faith was the first line of defense. To get to any other piece of the armor, or to get to any other soldier, the enemy had to first get past the shield. So, the shield not only protected the body of the soldier, but the other pieces of the armor as well. It protected everything.

And the one thing the shield of faith was good at was protecting the soldiers from the arrows and spears of the enemy.

So how do we build this shield of faith in our own spiritual lives? Well, we build it by reading God’s word. Romans 10:17 says… So, then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. We build it by memorizing scripture, by getting the Word in our hearts. By praying, by going to church, by helping others, by repenting, by forgiving… doing all this and more prepares us and will increase our own faith in Christ.

So, while a physical shield protects us physically, faith protects our spiritual lives in the middle of physical trials. In Psalm 91:4, God’s faithfulness itself is described as a shield, and in Psalm 76:3 we read that God breaks the arrows of our enemies. Even over in Proverbs 30:5, we read that God is a shield to those who put their trust in him.

What does the shield do besides protect us from the darts of the enemy. A shield deflects… It not only guards and blocks the darts, but it could also be used to press forward against our enemy, and guess what, we need little effort to knock the devil off his feet, for the Bible says all we need is a mustard seed of faith. Only a mustard seed! That’s all!

The shield is the first line of defense against the enemy. Why? Because we don’t protect ourselves, our head, our feet, our belt, or any other part of our body, right! But what we do is hold up the shield of FAITH and it will protect us. The shield of faith is like a blanket of protection over our lives.

Another thing faith is… Faith is confidence, and without faith, the bible says it’s impossible to please God. Without our confidence in Christ, we will believe any lie that the enemy whispers to us. Faith helps us to overcome. Faith keeps us steady. And our faith is our shield. Our faith should be founded on God’s word, and His promises. Faith makes it possible to please God, and when we please God good things happen in our lives and the lives of our loved ones.

So, to truly be faithful, our unshakeable belief in the promises of God must be enduring. The shield cannot remain effective if our shield is lowered. So, we must hold up our shield and stand strong in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let me tell you something ladies, we hold the shield of faith when we believe God for what we don't understand. It's not about feelings, probabilities, or appearance. Faith is rooted in fact, in truth, in God’s truth. It grows gradually, and sometimes painfully, by the Word of God. Let our prayer be...Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.

Helmet of Salvation

Ephesians 6:16 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

NLT says… “Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Paul lists the helmet of salvation as the 5th piece of the armor of God. So, what did it mean for the Roman soldiers, and what does it mean for us today? How do we put it on, and how does it protect us?

The Roman Soldier's helmet, just like the helmets of today, protects the head of the soldier from the enemy’s attacks. The helmet was the last piece of the armor that was put on. Not because it was less important, but because it was the most important. Because our minds must be in line with God’s word before we go into battle. The helmet in Paul’s day was most often made of heavy bronze or iron and had those cheek pieces which came down to protect the side of the face.

We are at war ladies, and not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of wickedness and darkness. And if we want to be victorious in our battles, if we want to win our war, we must fight the good fight of faith, we must be adequately equipped with God’s armor including this “helmet of salvation” in Ephesians 6:17

What is a helmet? It’s a hard or padded protective hat that protects our head.

That is the main purpose for the helmet of salvation. To protect a person’s head, and what is inside a person’s head? Our mind! Our thought process! Our core beliefs!

So, it’s safe to say that every battle we will fight, begins in our mind. Our mind and thoughts are the battleground. And our battles are either won or lost there. Meaning… when the enemy brings something negative to our mind…. We can either win or lose the battle at that moment, by feeding on that thought with more negative thoughts, or we can win it by responding to those thoughts with God’s word and that is how we extinguish the darts of the enemy in our lives.

Whatever you think that you will act on if you feed on that thought… good or bad. So, before we act on anything, we will first have a thought about that thing in our mind. So, because this helmet is our protective armor against the enemy for our mind, we must therefore have a MINDSET that PROTECTS us from the enemy.

Ask yourself these questions.

What kind of mind do I have?
What thoughts go through my mind most of the day?
Am I godly minded or worldly minded?

Bible says… in Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

That is a powerful scripture and something we all need to think about on a daily basis. We are a product of our thinking ladies. We can become the very thing we think about on a daily basis. When we think good thoughts, our actions will be good, if we think bad thoughts, our actions will become bad. Now that is truth!

Have you ever been by yourself, and you begin to think bad things, then all of the sudden, your husband or children came in the room with you and the first thing they did irritate you and you get angry and upset and begin to speak those negatives thoughts from your head. I’ve done that.

That’s why it’s so important to renew our mind on a daily basis. Romans 12:2 says to “but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” We need to renew our minds on a daily basis, and sometimes a few more times throughout the day.

Bible says in… 1 Corinthians 2:16 says, “‘For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.” And if we ask our self this question each time, we think of something. “Would God think this thought?” “What would He do?” We have to realize that our mind is no longer focused on worldly values, but it is renewed and focused on the kingdom of God.

Do you have the mind of Jesus? As Children of God, bible says we must imitate Jesus, so therefore we must think the way Jesus thinks in our lives or in any situation we may face.

So, what is salvation?

Salvation- basically means to be saved or delivered from something (in our case sin)

The helmet of salvation is our minds safeguard with the hope of salvation. Our mind alone is a battlefield. Our mind alone is a dangerous zone if we don’t protect it from the enemies lies, that’s why we must be careful what we fill our minds with.

So, in battle a Roman soldier would never think about going into a battle zone without a helmet. He’d be a fool if he did, so why would we go into our day (battlefield) without a helmet, or with our head (mind) exposed to the enemy. We are just asking for trouble if we do and believe me trouble is what you will get if we do. If you want to survive any battle in your life, you will soon learn that protecting our head (mind) is crucial.

Have you ever been outside enjoying yourself at a BBQ or at a park with your family, friends, and kids...and you're just sitting down sipping on your sweet tea enjoying conversation with your girlfriends. Kids are playing soccer or baseball and all of a sudden you hear “Watch out! Ball’s coming!” What is the first thing you do? You don’t cover your hands, you don’t try to protect your feet, or your backside. You don’t try to protect your thighs or legs...no! Of course, we don't… the first thing we do is raise our hands to protect our head. We try to cover our head with our hands, right!

Well, that’s what the helmet does, it protects your head from the blows of the enemy, and your head is a very important part of your body because it contains your brain, which controls EVERYTHING! Your head (mind) determines how you think about all of life. How you think determines how you feel, how you feel determines how you act. This is true right! That’s why we need to protect our mind with the helmet of salvation. And by renewing our mind daily.

Let’s not forget that salvation comes only from the Lord, and God is on our side, and if we fully commit to Him, obey Him, be faithful to Him, it is impossible for us to lose our battle or our salvation. Paul had the vision, and he valued his salvation highly and diligently fought the good fight of faith and at the end of his fight he received his crown of glory! Philippians 2:12 says “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling…” We each have our own responsibility to work out our own salvation, No one else can fight our battle. Spiritually, salvation determines how we live in this sinful world--What does the Bible say… “you will know them by their fruits.”

Putting on our helmet of salvation will protect everything in our life. And salvation means that God has rescued us from our past and from the penalty of sin through our faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. So, ladies, don’t be a fool, and go out into your battlefront of the world without your helmet or the whole armor of God. Be firm against the enemy by taking the helmet of Salvation. No need to be scared to fight against the enemy if we are protected. God’s word reassures us…in 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” The Holy Spirit will help you have a Godly mind. God’s spirit will teach you and lead you into all truth as Jesus, and the Holy Spirit will enable you to live according to the truth of God’s Word in Christ. Because when our mind is aware of the truth, we are set free from fearful and negative thoughts. So, let’s put on the Helmet of Salvation in our lives.

So therefore, I believe that wearing the helmet of salvation, means that your mind and your thought life are constantly focused on God’s values, God’s way of thinking, God’s kingdom and God’s word thereby protecting yourself from any foreign or enemy attacks that might be directed to your thought life and belief in God.

Sword of the Spirit

Ephesians 6:17 “Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”

This is going to be the last piece of the armor that we study about in this series… thank you so much for studying God’s word with me. I am blessed to have you follow along as we learn how to apply God’s Armor on together.

So, let’s get started and examine the last piece of the Christian’s armor.

Ok, so, the first 5 pieces of the armor were defensive pieces...or they are defensive pieces...that we use to defend ourselves against spiritual attacks. And this last piece… the Sword of the Spirit is a offense piece. So, why would 1 offence piece be listed with 5 other defense pieces… we’ll, let’s learn this together. Remember, let’s see what the use of the Sword was with the Roman soldiers, and what purpose does this Sword have for us now!

So, even if every other piece of armor is equipped perfectly, every one of them placed perfectly, or fitted perfectly in our lives, without the Sword, we will be defeated.

The Roman soldiers used the Sword, which is known as the “Gladius”, (this was a fearsome weapon). Infact, it became known as the “sword that conquered the world.” The point was also sharpened, enabling it to pierce armor. That is how powerful and sharpen these swords were. Every Roman soldier had one. It was a double-edged blade of a length between 12 and 20 inches long. Because it was not a long sword, it tells us that this sword was designed to be used for close combat. The gladius was not the only Roman soldier’s weapon, but it was the weapon of choice. Using it effectively was a matter of life or death.

The gladius is the Word of God. or the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God! Let’s read Hebrews 4:12-13 to see what it says about the Word…. For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

The Sword of the Spirit is an unmistakable weapon of offense. In a spiritual warfare, the battles are found with WORDS...So we can safely say that the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God spoken with the power of the Holy Spirit.

What is the importance of this weapon: What does the Bible say about it?

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 says...For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

So, the Sword of the Spirit is equipped to deal with strongholds, arguments, and every thought we may have....and we must be equipped with God’s word in our hearts to beat the devil.

Ladies, only the Word of God can discern the thoughts and intents of the heart…. only the Word of God can do that… so we must invest time in preparation and practice using the sword, and the word is the source of our power. And the Holy Spirit reveals God’s truth to us and “the truth when told to us, will set us free!”

So, in order for our sword to activate its fullest effect, a soldier must be trained well with it, and so must we do the same. And the Word is made alive by the Holy Spirit of God, causing it to be filled with divine energy and ability. God’s Word, our sword of the Spirit is able to cut down the strongholds in our lives…

Ladies let’s not wait until we are in a battle to apply God’s armor on… let’s get God’s word rooted deep in our hearts so we can be ready when a battle comes our way.

Speak the Word of God… Study the Word of God… Pray the Word of God...in our lives.

So, let’s remember that when we are tempted, the most effective weapon that God has given to us as believers is the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Jesus Himself modeled to us this during His temptation season in the wilderness. When the devil tried temptation after temptation against Him, what did Jesus do… He used the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God… Jesus spoke the Word of God to Satan. In Luke 4:1-13, Jesus responded, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord God only. Him only you shall serve.” and again brought the Scripture back into context, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”

Can I leave you with this piece of advice… ladies, the Sword of the Spirit works… It is alive in us and it will fight for us and we can be victorious in every area of our lives. When we put our part, and do what we have to do, God will step in and do what we can’t. God has given us his Word and Spirit, powerful and true, so we'll have the wisdom and protection to stand against the enemy.

Let’s pray

Father God, thank you for supplying us with Your armor. Lord, thank you that you don’t leave us to struggle in our battles alone. Thank you for the gifts and tools you give us to live for you: Your Truth, Your salvation, Your righteousness, Your peace, Your faith and the presence of your Holy Spirit. Father, help me to pray about everything, and to trust you in everything. My power and ability and sufficiency are from You Who qualified me as Your child. May my prayers be a reflection of my faith. Cover me with Your divine protection. I pick up the Sword of the Spirit which is Your Word, and I claim victory in my life today! Today, I dress myself with Your Full armor and I ready myself to walk in Your Power. I choose today to walk in the Path of Champions! I am dressed and ready to LIVE for You- Today and for the rest of my life. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen!

Ephesians 6:15 ...and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

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

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