In the last edition of “Food For Thought”, I wrote an article in this present series – “How to be Victorious in a Spiritual Battle”. That was the second article in the series, and was based on Ephesians 6:10-13.
In this edition, I will go a little deeper into Ephesians 6:14-20, which says, 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
What can we learn from this passage of Scripture?
- To “Gird your waist with truth” (or “the belt of truth”) means to accept that Jesus Christ IS the truth (John 14:6). As we endeavor to follow Him, we should live as those who have been changed by Him and His Word. His whole Word is truth, but there are times in each of our lives when we are fighting a specific battle. In those times, it is helpful for us to study and know the specific truth of God’s Word that is applicable to our need. The Word of God gives an answer for every question we will ever ask, and a solution for all of life’s problems.
For me, I can speak of a number of Scriptures that bring personal life-giving truths to me, but for now, I will stick with three;
2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” God’s favor in my life is all that I really need. When I am weak, God’s strength is revealed in, and through my life. I could never earn or deserve His love and favor, but He freely and liberally gives it to me.
Isaiah 53:5, “… by his wounds we ARE healed.” (Emphasis mine) The evidence of my physical healing hasn’t yet been revealed, but God says I AM healed, and I choose to believe Him. I await the day with anticipation when it can be fully seen.
Galatians 4: 4-7, “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.” God loved me enough to send Jesus to Save me, and He claims me as His daughter. When I have struggled with my self-esteem and sense of belonging, this Scripture has given me strength and an awareness of His love and acceptance. Nothing can top that for me.
- We need to “put on the breastplate of righteousness.” Our victory in any battle with Satan is through Jesus Christ. Romans 3:22 says, “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile.” Our righteousness, or right standing with God, is given to us through Jesus Christ, and is not dependent on our worthiness. Righteousness cannot be attained or achieved, it is given to us. Knowing that, enables us to withstand any of Satan’s schemes against us, and realize our dependence on, and our need for Jesus.
- As we see in vs 15, our (spiritual) footwear is important…“having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” Our faith in God, and reconciliation with Him through Jesus, gives us the strength to endure through Satan’s assaults against us. When we are prepared for the battle and walk in victory against the evil one, Satan, we are better able to fulfil “the Great Commission,” by sharing our faith in Jesus with others.
- “The Helmet of Salvation” is a very important piece of the armor. If Satan is able to manipulate our thoughts, he will severely weaken us in the battle with him. In today’s world, we are surrounded by uncertainties, but the hope of our Salvation is certain. When we live in that confidence and assurance of eternal life through Jesus Christ, our thoughts and subsequent actions can be sure, trustworthy, and reliable, which is the opposite of the person described as double-minded in James 1:5-8. That Scripture says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” Our Salvation doesn’t just begin when we pass away from this world – it begins the moment we receive Jesus Christ into our lives as Lord and Savior. So, by wearing “the helmet of Salvation,” we are able to live in hope and anticipation for all the good things that He has planned for us. (see Jer. 29:11)
- To put on “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” means that we should do our best to fill our hearts and minds with the truth that is given to us through the word of God, the bible. Once we know what God’s Word says, we should accept it as truth, and allow it to direct our paths. As James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Submitting to God is our best defense, and our greatest offence against the enemy’s schemes.
- In the words, “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints,” we are reminded of the importance of prayer in any spiritual battle. As we face any kind of battle in life, we should always be praying, which means both talking to, and listening to God. He will hear our requests, but He will also guide us to safety. As we pray “in the Spirit,” we need to be committed to praying for His will to be done, not our own. Sometimes, the best way to start is by telling God that we don’t know how to pray, and ask Him to show us how, through His Holy Spirit. He is always faithful!
- At the end of this passage, the Apostle Paul said, “and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” The Apostle Paul knew, and understood, that he was dependent on God to enable him to do the work of spreading the Gospel. He knew that prayer was vital to his success. Our journeys are surrounded by opportunities to be intimidated, and to retreat, but as Paul said, we need boldness to keep moving forward in sharing the good news of the Gospel with others. He reminded us that we need to be praying for others as well as ourselves.
- In the previous article in this series, we spoke of the importance of the shield of faith. Faith gives us protection from the fiery darts that Satan throws at us. If our faith is weak, all of the other pieces of armor are not as effective as they should, or could be. According to the ESV, we are to take up the shield of faith in all circumstances. We should remember that “faith without works is dead.” (see James 2:14-19) As we take up our shield of faith, we will discover a supernatural ability to step out and do things that we would typically never even consider. That is when we become able to “live by faith, not by sight.”
When we remain clothed in our battle attire, in the whole armor that God has given to us, we can live in the freedom (Gal. 5:1), victory (1 Cor. 15:57) and authority (Luke 10:19) that our heavenly Father intends for us. The enemy of our souls, Satan, never takes a break from assaulting the Body of Christ, so we need to maintain a stance of readiness for him.
