Fight the Good Fight of Faith: Living in the Full Armor of God
In Matthew 24:6, Jesus promised that we would hear of wars and rumors of wars, but not to be alarmed! These things must happen, but the end is still to come. His prophetic words ring so true in this present day, but it can be difficult to follow His direction and not become anxious. We follow the news, and there are reports of war breaking out and conflicts escalating across the globe. And even in our own lives, we face personal battles that sap our strength and challenge our courage. Yet we are exhorted to stand our ground and “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12).
If you are left wondering how exactly you can do that, or even what weapons you need to remain victorious, I want to give you a fresh perspective on a familiar passage from Ephesians 6 that will equip you to remain faithful and faith-filled in these troubled times.
You may be familiar with the passage in Ephesians 6 that describes the Armor of God – the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Some people recite this passage every morning as they prepare for the day, clothing themselves spiritually as well as physically. That practice is useful to a point: it reminds us that God has provided all we need to stand firm, even in difficult times.
However, there is more to this passage than just the picture imagery it gives of the Armor of God. You access the true power of these verses when you partner with the list of virtues and live them out in your daily life. It isn’t enough to say that you are buckling the belt of truth around your waist unless you choose to live truthfully in your words, your thoughts, and your relationships. If you don’t, you’ll miss out on the belt of truth holding your stuff together!
Likewise, you cannot be protected by the breastplate of righteousness unless you are living as a righteous son or daughter in ways that are pleasing to your Heavenly Father. Otherwise, how can you claim righteousness as part of your defense? And by the way, I like to define righteousness as “right-choice-ness.” If you want to be safeguarded from attack – especially attack against your heart like a breastplate would provide, then you should practice aligning your will with God’s will and making choices that reflect His character.
We all know that wearing proper footwear is critical to our walk, and the wrong kind of shoes can cause injury and pain. Here we are told to have our feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. I love that phrase: “the readiness of the gospel of peace.” The good news of Jesus Christ is that through Him, you can be at peace with God. And again, aligning your life with His intentions, you should also be ready to be at peace with others, so that your walk is unhindered by bitterness and unforgiveness which will cause you to stumble and open you to further opposition.
Of all the Armor of God, the shield of faith stands out most to me when I think of defending myself against attack, and verse 16 says that when you use it, you can extinguish ALL the flaming arrows of the evil one. Who wouldn’t want that super power?! Right here, God promises that by exercising your faith – by actively believing God and relying on His promises, even when your feelings or situations suggest otherwise – the fiery darts of the enemy cannot get to you. This means that instead of merely naming the shield of faith, you must choose to exercise faith, with trust and confidence in the power and promises of your God over the lies and scare tactics of your enemy.
What about the helmet of salvation? This is a key piece of your armor because it is a safeguard over your mind. Often we come under attack in our thoughts because we entertain ideas and speculations that are not life-giving and do not reflect our salvation and our position as God’s children. In 2 Corinthians 10:5, Paul admonishes us to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” This takes practice, but taking control of your thoughts and submitting them to the Lordship of Jesus will renew your mind and protect it from intrusion.
And finally, the only piece of the Armor of God that is actually a weapon: the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the word of God is “sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. This is a dangerous weapon that if used correctly will help us to discern between right and wrong, good and evil. But we have to use it. We have to read it and study it and learn it so well that when we need to grab hold of it to stand firm and fight the good fight, it is available to us.
So as you can see, this Armor of God passage is so much more than personal protective equipment that you step into virtually every day. It is actually a template for the victorious Christian life so that you can fight the good fight of faith as you leverage its full power by living out the virtues it contains. Then you truly can do what it says: “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. … so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”
Please join me in prayer:
Lord God, thank You that You have provided all that I need to live a godly, victorious life so that I can withstand every attack of the enemy and continue to stand in Your peace and protection. Help me to remember that it is my partnership with You to helps me live within the safety of the Armor of God.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
