Stand Firm

“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

-Ephesians 6:10–17

If you’re like me you have read the “armor of God” (Ephesians 6) passage a million times and like any piece of well written imagery it makes sense and seems like a good idea, but at what point do those words stop being imagery and instead take on a realistic usefulness? To take the Bible literally can be one of the biggest struggles of a Christian’s life; in case you hadn’t noticed, there are some pretty insane things written in there. Often times, it is only in the midst of personal struggle that we can understand the true value and power of putting on the full armor of God.

A vast majority of the struggles that we face take place in our own thought life. Regardless of whether or not the problem originated outside of ourselves, it is the way that we process the problem within ourselves that determines whether or not we will experience victory. The basis of your thought life has the power to bring peace and strength, or it has the power to completely destroy you.

God has called each and every one of us to our own journey of faith. Whether that is a call to exercise faith in what seems like an insignificant and isolated decision or a call to something radical, it makes no difference; our ability to walk by faith and not by sight is impossible without the armor of God. What happens when God calls you to something that makes no sense? What happens when you don’t understand why He is asking you to do what you are doing or you don’t see any possibility in it? What if it looks like certain failure? After all, “This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.” (1 Corinthians 1:25). You better believe that if you are following God you will most certainly end up in the middle of one of His “foolish” plans. It is only when we value the word of God, remembering that the Bible says that what we view as foolishness is in reality wisdom, that we have the ability to make decision that clash with what logic tells us.

It is at this point in the juncture that the armor of God becomes incredibly important. When you have the nerve to step out in faith, to go against what everything inside of you and everything that those around you would call wisdom, you are sure to experience an onslaught of opposition. Whether that opposition comes from your own thought life, or it comes from those who are well intentioned, the fact of the matter is, you are fighting a war that is not really against yourself or those around you. Don’t be misled; your battle is not with flesh and blood. It is a spiritual battle in an unseen world. The only way you can win that war is with spiritual equipment. While the armor of God might just sound like some cool imagery, it is in fact literal equipment for a real battle.

The battle field of your thought life is where you must take your stand. It is where these unseen battles are won or lost. When a harassing thought is presented, we wage war offensively with the word of God (the sword of the Spirit) and defensively with faith (the Shield). Not neglecting the other pieces of our armor, the shield allows us to resist the enemy’s tactics of untruth and instead counter with God’s word (the sword), which we know is flawlessly true. The shield of faith defends the seeds that the Spirit has planted in our hearts and minds, it guards us against the assault of the enemy, it cries out, “I know that I know, that I know, that God is real, this is what He said, and He is faithful”. Where the enemy attacks with lies that try to chip away at our faith, our only response can be to counterattack with the truth of God’s word. The sword of the Spirit, God’s word, slays the enemy that is trying to plant seeds of fear, confusion, and hopelessness, and instead clears the way for the seeds of the fruit of the Spirit to take root. It is in this way that armor of God protects what the Spirit has invested in our lives; those seeds being love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.

When the attacks aimed at these virtues are successful, we are robbed of the food that we need to maintain our vigor. Without sustenance we are emaciated, unable to retain the strength we receive by the Spirit of God and consequently find ourselves unable to walk victoriously in obedience to God’s direction.

Much more than imagery, the armor of God is a literal battle plan that keeps us strong in times of trial. When we find ourselves in what feels like an emotional war zone it is because we truly are caught up in the battle ground of our thought life. The sole purpose of this war is to keep you from discovering the strength, freedom, and hope that are present when we walk by faith, sure of God’s truth and faithfulness. Hold strong friends, take your stand against the attacks of the enemy, and strengthen yourself in the Lord through the reading of God’s word. After all, “…faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17) In reading the word of God you not only sharpen your sword but you also strengthen your shield of faith. I don’t know about you, but I would much rather charge into battle with a shield made from titanium than tin foil.