"Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God,
that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. . ."
6:10-13
At times in life we will need to quench, as this very book of Ephesians would say: the fiery darts of the wicked. How do we quench fiery darts? In this moment we ask that question in serene curiosity; it may even seem like the start of a philosophical discussion. But when fiery darts are actually aimed or moving toward us, the question ricochets within us in frantic panic. Therefore it is better if we answer the question now so we are prepared later. We quench the fiery darts of the wicked with the living water of God. We put on the whole armor of God now so we are protected later.
We must consciously put our armor on each day. The more consistently we put it on, the more strength and movability we have while we wear it. We become familiar with it, dependent on it, nimble in it. We make smooth and right movements in our behavior when we fit God's will to our body, mind and soul like a whole-body glove.
It is a process that requires consistent, daily, lifelong effort. When we first put it on, it might feel clunky. Unpracticed in it, we may not operate within it with ease. But as long as we keep it on the protection is sure. In Ephesians 6, Paul teaches us what the whole armor of God is and we will explore it in detail. But first, let's be super-clear about those fiery darts.
We cannot change the nature of the world. People have free will here and we can count on them to use it... for good or for bad. It would be impossible not to get negatively caught up in their (or our own) choices sometimes. Moreover there are negatives in life we cannot trace back to a single person or event, things like: illness, death, or failure. The whole armor of God is presented to us as both protection and weapon against all of it. It will get you through, but you must put/keep it on!
To put it on is relatively easy. We need only to remember our relationship with God and what we know about Him.
We need to wake each morning and remind ourselves:
I am a child of a/the God with a plan. His plan has ultimate purpose and promise within it. I am here because He placed me. He placed me here with whole armor so that I will be prepared to endure, survive, rebound, live joyfully, work faithfully and thus accomplish my small, but active and beloved part in His plan.
That is how we put it on. But to keep it on... we will have had to put in the work. For we cannot rely or rest in those statements if we do not have a strong relationship with God as its foundation. We have to learn from Him and then put into practice everything He has said until we, to the best of our ability, emulate the life Jesus led. That is to say, living in such a way that we love others, exercise mercy, converse with God (pray often and wholeheartedly), and become familiar with His word. When we do that, we are ready not only to receive our armor but to wear it for even more purpose than navigating our personal lives.
Ephesians 6:12 explains that there is a battle that supersedes, but connects to, the smaller-scale battles we face on a personal level:
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
With that in mind, we are able to emulate Jesus in these ways as well: to reject evil, to deny/resist temptation, and to thwart corruption. And it is important that we can do that and that we are aware of the fact that in doing so, we are participants in a larger battle. For God has waged a war against evil, even against its 'little' iterations here on earth that come in the form of greed, jealously, spite, anger, impatience, etc. We want/need to have God's whole armor on! Otherwise, we will either be collateral damage, desolate victims, or even supporters of the other side.
Unless we put our armor on each day, we are vulnerable. We are vulnerable to the behavior of the wicked. We
If we do not put our armor on each day, we will be vulnerable to the fiery darts. If we do not put our armor on each day, we will be susceptible to steadily joining the side that fires them. It may seem dramatic, but honestly, we pick up the bow of destruction every time we lose patience, act on anger, choose selfishly, give in to temptation bit-by-bit. Much better than we equip ourselves with this armor, the whole armor of God.
- THE GIRDLE OF TRUTH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS
6:14
The Holy Spirit is our inner guide, a gift from God through the request of Jesus (John 14:16-17).
"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."
Scripture teaches us to be wise... it invites us into a cavern of truth that only God and His children have access to. When we reach the limits of our own wisdom, the Holy Spirit of truth is there for our utilization. It is there to be called upon and consulted with so that we will not be deceived by false prophets, false intentions, or any other invasive falsity. Use your armor!
Our own righteousness is armor. How so? Consider verse 8 of this chapter: "...whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord,...". We render, proliferate righteousness, we send it back to ourselves, when we extend it to others. God has designed that system and informed us of it. It would be ridiculous not to use that piece of 'symbiotic' armor.
- THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE (ON YOUR FEET)
6:15
Make prepared movements of peace toward the place God sends you, within the sphere God has placed you. Much of the world lives and moves haphazardly. Why would we live inconsistently or loiter when God has prepared us to establish peace? With peace in mind, our destination is clear. Our direction is that which promotes, restores, establishes, upholds peace. Resolution. Justice. Equality.
With our feet "shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace" we put on a piece of armor that will keep us from veering off of God's path and definitely from traveling on any other.
6:16
The shield of faith, the most crucial piece! Our main defense will always be our faith. Our faith is a shield in that faith equips us with all we need to block the brunt of the any force against us. Lets unpack faith.
Faith is our relationship with God. Our relationship with God is equipped with the most powerful, vigilant, intelligent being in all of creation, the comforter and spirit of truth that is the Holy Spirit, and the friendship of the savior of the world. Within all of that we have guidance, hope, counsel, provision, support, protection and sustenance. Grow that relationships! Talk to Him. Follow Him. Listen to His quiet, firm voice. For certain there will be a time you will need to use your shield. You will find yourself in a trench, surrounded, and you will need your shield of faith. Because surrounded though you may be by the enemy, by despair or whatever form of enemy, the angel of the Lord encamps around those who revere Him, and He delivers them (Psalm 34:7). With the shield of faith, there is always a layer of protection between you and the enemy, you and the depression, you and the failure, and that protection is the angel of the Lord. It cannot be pierced.
- THE HELMET OF SALVATION, THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
6:17
You will need the helmet of salvation primarily when you lose faith in yourself, when you feel like you are more comprised of mistake than anything else. You will need the helmet, the gift, of salvation when life destructs. God and Jesus have declared us worthy, and Their opinion of us is the only one that counts. It counts even above our own. They pull us through the wreckage, they save us from ourselves and from others. We are saved from the fiery darts pelted at us here on earth; we are saved from the spiritual death that comes from firing them off ourselves, too... if we put that helmet on, if we undergo the process of salvation.
We cut through that veil of death when we use the sword of the spirit, the word of God. Scripture has taught us about good and evil. The word of God is a sword in that we cleave good from evil in all that we see and do.
6:18
A final piece of the armor: prayer. Pray to God.
Nothing on earth, no form of self-help guide or counselor or meditation, no friendship or relationship or anything else can compare to how comprehensive a simple conversation with God is. We bear it all to Him and He guides our spirit to resolution, decision and comfort.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
"Pray without ceasing."
Let your life be a constant conversation with God. In conversation with Him, alternate naturally between the genuine things that you feel throughout the day, the good and the bad. The requests and the gratitude. The sorrow and the joy. If you see something sweet, tell Him. If you feel doubt, tell Him. If you do not understand, ask Him. Observe all that He has created, learn about the things that most speak to you and ask Him about His choices, His process.
Speak to Him throughout the day; take small pauses to speak to others rather than talking all day to others and only making small pauses to speak to Him. Learn to recognize His voice, the one beyond description: gentle but definite, invisible and soundless but undeniable. Talking to God is like taking ourselves in not just for counsel or comfort but also for service.
When we talk to God, we let a heart surgeon, a spirit-surgeon, an experienced mechanic fix and fine-tune and even nudge or restart our heart. Our conversation with God provides the subtle changes we need to make within ourselves to progress, to endure, to understand, to change or persevere. God's adept dexterity takes place while we blab away to Him and suddenly major reconstruction is accomplished. His special touch on our heart leaves imprints that sweeten and endure this lifetime and the next.
Indeed we 'blab' to Him because we trust and love Him, and it endears us to Him. After all, prayer encompasses each of the very few things we can ever actually give God (in return for all He does and will do for us): our attention, gratitude, time, love and trust. None of it is equal to everything He offers us, but He accepts it and cherishes it as though it is. Prayer provides you with what you need (and more) and God with what He deserves.
The other element of prayer is supplication. To supplicate is to humbly, earnestly ask. Ask of God and then accept His answer and His timing. Ultimately, He knows what we need, and better than we do (Matthew 6:8), but He has also opened a channel through which we can make requests. This channel is not in place to be jammed up with a barrage of unimportant, material requests. Rather the channel serves as a way for us to pray for the health and wellbeing of others and their places, and ourselves, in whatever capacity each individual might benefit.
Only ask for things which are motivated by pure intentions. We should always make our requests from a place of humility, acknowledging both God's power and our lack of it. For when we are weak, then are we made strong by God (2 Corinthians 12:10). For it is when we reach our limits that He steps in. When we have put in the effort, shown that we earnestly care about someone, and work toward something, God understands that our request is made with good, selfless intention. In all things show Him that you truly would do it, if you could... by doing what you can, because, as they say: talk is cheap. And then He will know that you are humble and earnest. And that is important because He trains/raises us to be the high quality character residence in heaven requires, and earth desperately needs.
Make supplications that are worthy of God and you will find that He provides other gifts, too... all the more sweet because though you did not ask for them, He knew you would like them.
- WATCHING WITH ALL PERSEVERANCE AND SUPPLICATION
We serve our God well, we wear our armor usefully when in it, we remain vigilant. God wants us to watch with perseverance and supplication for saints, people working for God's cause (within and without the church). Someone does not have to preach to be a vital worker in God's cause. Support those people who do good through supplication. Watch their surroundings, watch yours, so that evil cannot encroach and thwart.
Finally, persevere. Even when it is hard. Even when you do not want to. Push forward, you are moving toward the light. No matter what the situation suggests, no matter what the enemy says, no matter how dark the night, how long the day, persevere. When you do not know what to do, keep your eyes on God, like Jehoshaphat in his seemingly winless battle (2 Chronicles 20:12). He will be always ahead of you as you commit to persevere. You will not see it, as Elisha's servant did not see, but the mountain is full of horses and chariots of fire all around you (2 Kings 6:17). God's army. God's armor and army, and God Himself, surrounds you on your mountain, your barrier, your difficulty, your pain or sorrow and he has lit it up.
Scripture: Ephesians 6, John 16, Psalm 34, 1 Thessalonians, Matthew 6, 2 Chronicles, 2 Kings