A New Look at the Armor of God

"A final word: Be strong with the Lord's mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil." (Ephesians 6:10-11)

Although I have read Paul's description of the armor of God many, many times, it recently struck me very differently. In the past, putting on the armor was more of a mental exercise: speaking or thinking the scripture and picturing myself putting on each piece. Although this exercise has its purpose and place, as I read this familiar passage this week, I saw it in a whole new way.

I don't think Paul had mental exercises in mind when he exhorted the Body of Christ to gird themselves with truth, put on the shoes of peace, and lift up a shield of faith. The armor Paul described is one that grows and expands as we mature in our spiritual walk. Take the belt of truth, for example. Exactly how does truth protect us? It is not so much by just believing that truth exists, but by knowing and holding to what is true in the midst of the battle.

I remember a life-changing conversation I had with my son, Sam, when he was a teenager. We discussed the difference between truth and fact. In the dictionary, they mean basically the same thing. But to those of us who are in Christ Jesus, they become distinctively different.

Facts are all around us. They are what we perceive with our five senses. The fact is that people are hurting and hungry, enslaved in addictions and circumstances. The fact is that the world is full of unanswered questions and unsolved problems. The fact is that we all know people who are sick, even dying, and many who don't have hope for a future.

But in the midst of these facts stands truth. The truth is God's perspective. The truth is God's plans. The truth is God's love and faithfulness and Word, and truth always triumphs over facts. Jesus lived a life of consistently bringing the truth of God into the facts around Him, and the facts changed.

When we put on the belt of truth, we don't just do a mental exercise. Instead, it is a daily walking out of the truths of the Word, through trials and joys, and coming to know that they are indeed irrefutable. When we put on truth, we turn our gaze away from the facts around us, choosing instead to stand firmly on the character and faithfulness of our God. We feed our hearts and minds with the Word and the testimony it manifests before us. We hold onto it in spite of feelings or opinions, believing that it cannot fail. Believing God's love, wisdom, and power cannot fail.

Jesus said in John 8:31-32 that if we obey His teachings, we will know the truth and the truth will set us free. Free from what? Free from the lies and snares of the Devil. Free from fear and anxiety. Free from confusion and doubt. Truth takes us from the realm of earth's impossibilities into the realm of heaven's possibilities. Truth releases joy in the midst of pain, and hope in the midst of darkness. Truth releases the Life of Christ that has conquered death. This is the truth that covers and protects us.

Putting on the armor of God is an amazing journey of growth. Putting on God's armor is walking in truth, pursuing peace, understanding righteousness and salvation, immersing ourselves in the Word, and growing in faith. It is coming to know the One Who is our armor. When we put on God's armor, we desire one thing: the fullness of Christ in us.