When I became a new Believer, putting on the Armor of God was emphasized.
This felt almost like telling me to put on a make-believe garment. At first, I could not grasp the benefits of this Spiritual practice. Then I asked God for further revelation on what the Armor of God actually meant. I learned each piece represented a Truth that would protect me when I was in the midst of a spiritual battle.
The Bible says:
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” 2 Corinthians 10:4-6
Here’s the verse on the Armor of God:
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 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, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Ephesians 6:10-18
A long time ago, the Lord instructed me that as I get ready for sleep, I need to prepare my spirit for the next day. This means, I must cleanse myself from the sins of my day. I come before the Lord in gratefulness for His grace, mercy and kindness and ask Him to convict me of anything I need to repent of. As things come to mind, I ask for His forgiveness. I also ask God to keep me sensitive, so I not repeat this sin in the future. Then, as I lay in bed, I pray on each piece of the armor of God.
I start with the bottom and work my way up.
When you first begin this practice, you must remind yourself of what each piece of armor represents.
1.“I put on my Shoes of Peace.Lord you are the Prince of Peace and I ground myself in Him. He is the one keeping me stable.
2.I put on the Belt of Truth by reminding myself God’s word IS Truth. Not my feelings. Not my circumstance. Not the things my eyes can see but what He has spoken to my Spirit through His living word.
3.Next, I don the Breastplate of Righteousness. I can move confidently forward not because of my righteousness, but because I have given my sin to Jesus and His righteousness has made me righteous before God, man and every demonic force.
4.Next, I grab my Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. This is my only offensive weapon. So when the enemy attacks my mind, life, family or circumstance, I find a scripture to declare over it. By faith, I use my mouth to attack the enemy. Remember, everything in the Spirit realm goes on our faith. This is why it’s crucial to keep God’s word hidden in your heart.
5.Now I lift my Shield of Faith. The Lord showed me with a vision that this is an Offensive and Defensive Weapon. Our faith is powerful and when we have a strong faith, this makes our shield pure and shining, which actually BLINDS the enemy, causing great damage and disruption. To magnify your faith, begin to declare all the ways God has rescued you in the past. This glorifies God and shrinks your enemy down to size. One of my favorite pieces of armor is the Shield of Faith because nothing brings down the enemy faster!
6.Lastly, I put on my Helmet of Salvation. A surety which covers your mind that no matter how bad the battle gets, or what your physical eyes see, God has you covered for all eternity.
I like to cover my armor’s every crack with the Powerful Blood of Jesus; as this is a sight the enemy trembles at. Jesus’ blood signifies His sacrifice that has set us free from the enemy of our souls.
“And through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.” Colossians 1:20
Let’s end with a prayer:
“Heavenly Father,
You’re such a good God! You have not left us naked or defenseless. You have supplied us with all that we need, if we could only see!
Open our spiritual eyes!
Help us to recognize the way you’ve empowered us and give us strategy to come against the enemy who looks to destroy.
Not only us but our witness and every good thing you want birthed from our lives of purity and obedience.
By faith, we shed the superficial garments of this world. We don the protection and revelation of the Armor of God.
Let the reality of what is true, and eternal resonate within so we will never go back to ignorance.
For many dreams and destinies have died at the hand of Ignorance.
Lord, help us stay ready and prepared for your return.
We love you. Let our lamps burn for you. In Jesus’ name, for all He’s done. Amen.”
