Are You Dressed?

Every now and then, my sister-in-law will ask me if my armor is on. It’s a reminder to me that I should always be on guard for when temptations or other spiritual battles come my way. Have you ever faced a challenge and prayed you could stay in the Spirit? 

In Ephesians 6, Paul gives us a strategy on how we can move towards God’s highest goal. He guides our attention to the importance of knowing God’s Word. For without knowledge of scripture, we are left to battle against the enemy with only our own might.

Ephesians 6:13 says, “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.”

Putting on the armor of God is not a request, it is a command.

With the Belt of Truth, the Word of God holds the rest of the armor in place. The Breastplate of Righteousness is meant to protect the heart. The feet are fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel which gives us a solid footing to stand on. Having the Shield of Faith will help put out all the flaming arrows of the enemy. When we take up the Shield of Faith, we are holding our principles and our confidence upon Christ for the enemy to see. With the Helmet of Salvation, we should put on Jesus, who will protect us. The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. Paul underlines the importance of the Word as an aggressive tool to be used in the face of the enemy. Speaking the name of Jesus and saying scriptures out loud fends off the attacks of the enemy.  

I love the teaching of the late David Wilkerson. In one of his devotionals, he has this poem on the Armor of God:

Dear Jesus,
You told me to resist the devil and he would flee from me,

But I have no resistance. You have all the power and resistance I’ll ever need, so give me the power to resist.
You told me I could move my mountains, If I had faith even as a
mustard seed; Yet my mountain won’t move even though my faith in you is as great as I can conceive it.
You made the heavens and earth; please move my mountain.
You said, “Flee the very appearance of evil!” So I ran hard,
but sin overtook me in my finest hour of effort.

You have power over all the power of the enemy. With miracles, signs and wonders, deliver me from the trap of Satan.

I don’t even have the strength to put on the whole armor,
So dress me as my armor-bearer. Do for me what I know I
cannot do for myself.

Dress Me, Dear Jesus!