God’s Armor and Spiritual Warfare

Reading through scripture we find only a few references to the work of the enemy in the lives of believers.

One such reference is found in 1 Peter 5:8–10, which tells us, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. So resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brothers and sisters who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (NASB 2020)

Peter keeps it simple, let’s make it our aim to do the same. We should remain alert to the fact that the enemy wants to inject lies into our thinking. We should recognize that if he is successful over time, there will be a significant negative impact on our effectiveness in manifesting Christ. The solution Peter recommends is that we stand firm in our faith, that we remember everyone else is suffering from such experiences too, and that we reassure ourselves that this too shall pass.

Father has graciously provided us with armor, and we certainly want to take advantage of it. Some say that Jesus is that armor. I have no problem with that because Jesus is the source, the beginning, the end, our very Life. Everything is summed up in Jesus.

Ephesians 6:10–17 provides details on the armor Father has provided. It reads, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING BELTED YOUR WAIST WITH TRUTH, (see Isaiah 11:5) AND HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, (see Isaiah 59:17 and 1 Thessalonians 5:8) and having STRAPPED ON YOUR FEET THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; (see Isaiah 52:7) in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION (see Isaiah 59:17) and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (NASB 2020)

When Paul talks about putting the armor on, it is very easy to make it into something we must do to be protected. While the text does use an imperative verb (something we are to do) Paul’s intention does not appear to be to prescribe a series of steps we must follow if we are to stand firm against the attacks of the enemy. The question is what exactly it means for us to put on the armor.

“Put on” is phrasing that Paul uses often. In Romans 13:12 he wrote, “Therefore let’s rid ourselves of the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” (NASB 2020)

It is obvious that neither salvation nor our acceptance by God is at risk if we fail to do this. If that were the case, Jesus died for nothing, and Christians are worse off after salvation than they were before in terms of what is expected of them.

Here is what I mean. The only thing that is required for one to be saved is for them to respond to Father’s gracious gift of righteousness through Jesus Christ. No behavioral change is required, just simple faith in Jesus. Jesus made this very clear in John 3:36 and 6:29b, where He said, “The one who believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” And “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

If believing God is all that is required for salvation, but one must rid oneself of the deeds of darkness to remain saved or accepted, then life in Christ requires something in addition to the forgiveness and reconciliation provided by Jesus at the cross. It means His work is not finished as He claimed, and we must perform righteous acts to accomplish it fully.

So then, putting on the armor of light, the armor of God, or any of the other things Paul urges us in various places to put on, is not so much about a direct action on our part as it is about walking by the Spirit each day. Paul is not prescribing a formula of behavior. He is urging us to act in a way consistent with who we are in Christ. He is urging us to walk by faith and not by sight. As we live in dependence on Jesus in everything, we find that the tactics of the enemy are thwarted more readily.

Putting on the armor then, is keeping our minds set on Jesus. Remembering that He is truth, righteousness, and the best news ever for us. Putting on the armor is walking by faith, knowing that our salvation is secure in Him and nothing and no one can separate us from His love. The knowledge of our righteousness protects us like a breastplate. Because our faith is in the One who cannot lie, the darts shot at us by the enemy are extinguished. He is a liar, and truth is his kryptonite. He cannot harm us because he cannot touch us (see 1 John 5:18).

So, while some may say, “the devil only messes with those who are strong in Christ,” “God allows the enemy to mess with those who he knows are strong in their faith,” or even silly things such as “new level, new devil.” None of that is taught in scripture.

The very idea that Father brings evil or temptation into anyone’s life is simply false according to James 1:13–14, which reads, “No one is to say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.” (NASB 2020)

When our focus is not on Jesus, when we choose to walk by our senses rather than by faith, we find ourselves tempted and beset by all sorts of evil. Such wandering from the path quenches the Holy Spirit because when we are focused on the noise of the world and the flesh it’s like wearing noise-canceling headphones and we find it harder to hear Him.

Whether one is facing difficulty in life, or everything is going well is not an indication of one’s spiritual maturity. Neither of these situations is permanent for anyone on this side of the veil. Everyone suffers. Everyone has good days. This is the way of temporal life.

Our adversary sets us up for failure and then accuses us of failing. But we have been given the very righteousness of God (see 2 Corinthians 5:21) and the Spirit of the God of the universe lives in us. We have been given eternal Life (God’s Life) and He who is Truth lives in us. We have been given Light, so we no longer walk in darkness.

Romans 8:37–39 tells us, “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NASB 2020)

Don’t let the enemy get away with selling you the big lie. When thoughts inconsistent with what you know to be the truth come, be ready to knock them down with truth. The enemy need not shake us, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

Regarding spiritual warfare, the fight is over, and Jesus won.