Putting on the Armor of God: Gaining Strength from Jesus

By: Lila Lowery

“10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. … 14 Stand therefore, having fastened the belt of truth around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; 16 above all taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:10-17).

Sometimes, the world is a pretty grim place, and it can seem like violence, abuse, division, and corruption are at every turn. This is all very discouraging and heartbreaking, but we must not lose hope or our strength to go on. In Saint Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he outlines what Jesus calls us to do in these moments. Jesus calls us to gain strength in Him. The Devil is real, and he’s not the cartoon peering over someone’s shoulder. He seeks the destruction of our world and of our souls. Anguish and distress do not just happen on a world scale, it happens in our own lives. We all deal with struggles and heartbreaks, as well as falling into sin and temptation. The Devil has tempted all of us, even Jesus Himself. But, in the Gospel of Matthew, how did Jesus resist this temptation? He said Scripture aloud. Not mere quoting, but true understanding. He relied on this understanding of God to get Him through the temptation He was facing. We are called to do the same. In this passage, we are told to put on the Armor of God in order to stand against the Devil. Paul is not telling us to be stronger or to have more willpower; he is telling us to have the Lord as our strength! Trust me, I have tried to use my own strength to combat temptation or sorrowful situations in my life. It has not worked. Every time, I return to Jesus, and He is the one who gets me through. And Paul is specific in what the Armor of God truly means. He highlights virtues for us to embody and to keep with us at all times. Truth, righteousness, peace, and faith. For faith specifically, Paul says, “the shield of faith can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one.” Wow! This is extremely important. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we can combat the Devil. This is something we all need to realize and then put into practice. If we rely on our faith, we will not fail. We will not fall under the weight of the world, because God will lift us up. This passage also says that the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. The Bible, as well as teaching and doctrine, is compared to a sword. This metaphor shows the power these have over the destruction of the devil. The book of Hebrews also mentions this, saying “The Word of God is sharper than a double-edged sword.” When Jesus is tempted in the desert, His use of Scripture makes the Devil leave Him alone. And if the Devil tempted the Son of God, he will surely tempt us. This is why it is so important to have a concrete understanding of the Word of God and to know Christ through that. This is also where truth comes in. The Devil has and will misconstrue and manipulate Scripture. Don’t fall into that trap. When you are aware of God’s truth, you are able to combat the Devil’s lies.  We are also called to “take the helmet of salvation.” Again, we cannot use our own strength, because that’s not what the Armor of God is about. It is about accepting the love and salvation Jesus is, and that Jesus died for. Through salvation, God has already won the battle; He has already defeated the evil one. The Devil has lost, so he tries to bring us down with him. Do not allow that. Stay strong in your faith, and put on the Armor of God. When all seems hopeless or lost, remember what your Savior did for you and the whole world, and gain strength from that.