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 6:13 NIV
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.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. - Isaiah 11:16 NIV
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.
He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver. - Isaiah 49:2 NIV
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.