In Romans 13:2 and 2 Corinthians 6:7 respectively we are told to take on the armor of light and righteousness.  Note that to do so is a matter of personal choice.  God’s light and righteousness refer to His Word, each one of which we are commanded to believe and obey (to “live by”-Mat. 4:4), and by which we will all be judged (Jn. 12:48–read 44-50).  When Jesus refers to “My Word (vs 48) He is referring to the Words He received from God the Father through the Holy Spirit (Jn. 12:49; 14:23,24).  Some contend that we need only believe those Words written in red.  This is a deadly error.  The Word, Who became Jesus of Nazareth (Jn. 1:1-4,14) received every Word in the Holy Bible from the God Who became His (Christ’s) Father upon His conception.  The Word/Jesus then spoke those words to the prophets and apostles who recorded them for “those upon whom the ends of the world have come”–God’s end-time church (1 Cor. 10:11).  The “end time” began on the Day of Pentecost 41 A.D. and will end with the return Christ.  Peter noted that only the righteous in God’s true church will be saved (1 Pet. 4:17,18).  Thus the need for God’s armor, which is available only to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (Mat. 5:6).

The Lord tells us that Satan is like a lion which “goes about seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).  Notice that Peter was writing to God’s church–the “elect” of God. (1:1,2).  These are they who have been sanctified (set aside) by the Holy Spirit for obedience (holiness/righteousness) which is made possible through the blood of Christ.  Jesus died and was resurrected so that true God seekers could embrace Him, undergo a reversal of life and receive the spiritual power to resist the call of Satan to allow sin back into their lives.  This is where God’s armor comes into play.  Let us turn to Ephesians 6 where the Apostle Paul writes about this armor.  We will examine verses 1-17 in our search for God’s Truth concerning our relationship with the Lord.  It is there that we determine our status with Him which corresponds with the placement of His armor.

In verses 1-9 Paul admonishes the Ephesians to honor their parents, to raise their children correctly, to treat their servants humanely and to honor their superiors as they honor the Lord Himself.  In verse 10 he tells them, and us, to “be strong IN the Lord and IN the power of HIS might.”  We can partake of God’s power/might only if we are IN Him and He is IN us.  We must be one with Him as was Jesus (Jn. 10:30).  Jesus and the Father were IN each other.  If we are IN One, we are IN Both.  There is no sin IN either of Them.  Therefore, to be IN Them, there can be no sin in us, for sin separates us from Them (Isa 59:2).  We cannot be IN Them due to holiness if we are separated FROM Them due to sin. DO NOT ALLOW SATAN’S FALSE PROPHETS TO TELL YOU OTHERWISE. BY TURNING GOD’S GRACE INTO A LICENSE TO SIN (JUDE 4), THEREBY DENYING BOTH FATHER AND SON.  SO-CALLED SINNERS SAVED BY GRACE HAVE BOUGHT INTO THIS SATANIC THEOLOGY.  THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A SINNER SAVED BY GRACE. 

In verse 10 Paul tells his spiritual brethren to be “strong IN the Lord and IN the power of His might.”  To do this we must “put on the whole armor of God” so that we can “resist the wiles (trickery) of the devil” (vs 11).  He then describes those with whom we are doing battle–“principalities, powers and rulers of the darkness of this world, … spiritual wickedness who live in heavenly places.”  The devil and his crew rule those who sin (live in darkness) and walk in wickedness (vs 12).  These are those who “belong to the _______ church.”  Fill in the blank.

Therein lies the problem: they do not belong to the Biblical God, but rather to the church, meaning to the church’s god–Satan.  These are Bible-hating, God-hating church christians, not Biblical Christians.  These are they who refuse to hear the Truth of God, but rather the “truth” of their particular cult whose false prophets tell them what he/she is paid to tell them.  Such are “hirelings” (Jn. 10:12,13) who unwittingly do the devil’s bidding.  Notice that “we wrestle” against those dark and powerful forces.  Notice that Christ had the harshest criticism for the priests, Pharisees and Sadducees who claimed to be God’s people and talked about Him incessantly, but then refused to obey His Holy Scriptures.  Reminding them of this truth cost Stephen his life.  There is an on-going war between the true saint and the devil.  As did Jesus, the saint must continually resist the devil and his angles–the “powers in high places.”  Only in this war can we win the war.  Again, how?

In Ephesians 6:13 Paul tells us to “put on the whole armor of God so as to withstand Satan, then stand in holiness in the face of temptation-“-as did Jesus.  Beginning in verse 14 Paul describes the Lord’s spiritual armor part by part.  Again, use of His armor is strictly voluntary.  God’s Very Elect are volunteers who gladly stand and fight.  In verses 14-17 Paul tells us to symbolically have our loins girted with TRUTH (God’s Word–Jn. 17:17), and our feet shod with the Gospel of peace.  Above all, he tells us, take the shield of faith which will enable us to ward off Satan’s “fiery darts” of temptation.  We are to don the helmet of salvation and to wield the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God–His light, His Truth, His Gospel–the Lord Himself in written form.  Recall that when tempted by the devil, Jesus replied, “It is written ….”  He then quoted a passage of Scripture.

Only those who truly hunger and thirst for righteousness will do what is commanded in the previous paragraphs.  Only they will “Put on the whole armor of God so as to stand against the wiles of the devil” (vs 11).  Only they will be able to overcome Satan and his angels’ “fiery darts” of temptation and maintain their righteousness and holiness throughout their post-conversion lives (Rom. 5:21; 6:22).  Those who do so “… until the end shall be saved” (Mat. 10:22).

Satan is constantly looking for a chink in the saint’s armor–a weakness caused by lack of zeal for the Lord, lack of prayer, fasting, Bible study, meditation on the Word, proper use of time, etc.  The Christian “walk” is not only a full-time endeavor, it is filled with deadly traps arranged by the devil.  Satan and his angels use men, specifically ministers, but others also, to do his dirty work.  This is why Jesus warns us to “beware, let no man take your crown” that is laid up for the saints in heaven (Mat. 7:15/ Rev. 2:10; 3:11/ 2 Tim. 4:8).  We prevent men from taking our crown by not allowing chinks to form in our armor.  We must first “put on” that armor and vowing to keep it in perfect condition always.  Then let us do so by diligent obedience to God’s Word.  Only those who do so will join Father and Son in the earthly Kingdom of God upon Christ’s return.  L.J.