Ephesians 6:13-14a, New Living Translation

“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. Stand firm then…”

A couple of years ago, God helped me to have a better understanding of the work He has for my husband and I to do in this ministry. He used two words – rebuild and equip. The equipping part includes a twenty-four-lesson study, which is about how to fight the battle within, flesh versus spirit. One of the chapters mentions the armor of God, and as usual, one question that is always asked is, “How do I put on the full armor of God in a practical way so that I can stand and resist the devil?”

I believe this is not a question asked only by those who attend the class, and I hope to share something I have learned with you about this topic through this article. 

Have you ever heard of fire-resistant clothes and wondered how they work and what it means to be flame resistant? Flame-resistant clothing refers to any garment that is specifically designed to protect the wearer from flames and thermal injury. It is used in a large number of professions including the fire service, research labs, electrical utilities, and oil and gas. The environment and the nature of work exposes them to the risk of hazards. This is a similar concept of the armor of God. We are living in a fallen world (the environment) with a sinful nature (nature of work). The armor of God is used to protect us from dangers, defend us while the enemy attacks, and extinguish all the flaming arrows from the evil one. So, just as fireproof materials are used to resist flames when they come, the armor of God helps us resist the attack of the enemy. With this understanding, we should know how important it is to put on the armor of God. When the roaring lion walks around and seeks to devour, we can stand firm and be safe from his strike. We must also know and acknowledge that the devil is real, the spiritual war is right where we are, and the armor of God doesn’t mean we can stop him from raging his war on us. Instead, it is there to protect us as we fight this battle. 

My dear friends, if you realized how flame-resistant (FR) clothes can keep safe from burning heat, then you should not take the armor of God lightly. Those who need FR clothes make an effort to gain knowledge about every piece of FR clothes so they can learn how to use them effectively. They do not just hope or make a wish that they will work in a time of need. We should do the same with the armor of God! God is not giving you some suggestion or His opinion. He desires to give you instruction to be an overcomer and be a conqueror who can rise above The Fall. This includes helping you stand firm and resist the devil’s scheme in the time of evil. 

It’s time for you to become a warrior of God, put on the full armor of God daily, and be ready to witness the devil flee.