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Approved by the local outreach coordinator of the Office of Spiritual Life on Nov. 13, 2023
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.
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We need every piece of armor that God has given us. We wouldn’t want to fight a battle or protect ourselves with no protection. By practicing wearing each piece, we will improve in using it and recognizing that we have it. We must rely on God’s strength to help us fight these battles and to wear the armor that he gave us.
The armor of God is primarily mentioned in Ephesians, but there are other parts of the Bible where it is brought up. We see a few verses in Isaiah, Psalms and throughout more places in the Bible. We can look to different people in the Bible and see how they used the armor of God in their favor.
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The armor of God consists of a belt, chest plate, shoes, shield, helmet and sword. Each of these pieces has significant meaning. The belt stands for truth. By wearing the belt of truth, we can protect ourselves from any lies the enemy tries to disguise. It’s important to stay truthful and fight off any lies or deceit. The chest plate signifies righteousness, which protects our heart and our trust in God. The shoes are peace from the Gospel, to share its message with others and not to be dismayed by negative responses.
The shield God has given us stands for our faith and is what shields us from the attacks that the devil might try to send our way. The helmet is for our salvation, protecting our mind from attacks and doubt cast by the devil to doubt our God.
The sword of the spirit is the word of God. All the pieces have been defensive, their purpose being to guard and protect you. The sword is the only offensive weapon that we can use in fighting off the devil and his temptations. There will be times when we may need to use the sword to break the chains and trust in God’s word.
Wearing the armor of God is powerful and necessary when walking in the world. It's incredibly easy to get swept away with worldly desires and not see the hidden lies that the devil tries to entice us with. In Ephesians 6:12, God says that we must resist the temptation of the enemy, but that our enemy is not a physical person but evil spirits. That’s why it's essential for us to wear the armor that God has given to us.
Each piece of armor has a unique purpose, which protects us from spiritual warfare, the attacks we cannot see at once with our own eyes. With the armor on, we can stand strong against the enemy and get closer to God by trusting in him.
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