Armor of Godნიმუში

We Fight Back.

As far back as I can remember, I've always had a hat. You wouldn’t see me in elementary school without my Yankee hat. Why? Because of Derek Jeter, to be honest. But a hat became the staple of who I was. I didn’t leave home without it. I still don’t, to this day, as a 31-year-old.

The final two pieces - the helmet and sword - are some of the most important. (I feel I have said that about other pieces… Hmmm… Maybe every piece is the most important… They don’t work unless you have them all.)

I don't leave home without my hat, and neither does a soldier. A soldier's helmet protects another critical body part, the head. That's why Paul calls it the Helmet of Salvation. Salvation is what Jesus did for us when He died and rose again. He saved us. He is why we can one day be back in a complete, right relationship with God, our Creator. It is ONLY because of our salvation that we can stand against the enemy. When we receive Jesus' gift of salvation, we suddenly have Jesus on our side. Not only does God see Jesus when He looks at you, but so does the enemy. The enemy sees that you have Jesus fighting for you.

Paul closes by talking about the only offensive piece of this armor - the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. The Word of God is also described in the Bible as a double-edged sword, sharp enough to pierce our very souls. But, at the very beginning of John’s gospel, the Word of God is talked about in another way. Jesus = The Word. The Word refers to Jesus. When we take a stand, we take Jesus with us. He becomes our offense. It is His power over the enemy, not our own. He is the one who can strike him down on our behalf. He is the one who fights every day because He LOVES us and wants the best for us. But how can we rely on Him if we don’t know Him? We have to know Jesus to receive Him and fight with Him.

Question to Ponder:

Are you ready and “trained” to fight with the Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God)?