Most Christians know about the Armor of God, however in
the past few months the importance of it has been made apparent to me. I began
to realize that I didn’t understand what it was.
The Armor of God
Ephesians 6:10-20
10 Finally,
be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put
on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s
schemes. 12 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. 13 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. 14 Stand firm then,
with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of
righteousness in place, 15 and
with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all
this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the
flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take
the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the
Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in
mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me,
that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make
known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for
which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I
should.
The Armor of God is a gift from God to His beloved believers. It was
earned, paid for and given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a privilege
and necessity for a believer who wants to be effective in this life. Praise God
we don’t have to earn it ourselves, it’s been handed to us and all we have to
do is pick it up!
As I began to take this command seriously, I realized that
if we act in faith and obedience, God is faithful to respond with blessings of
strength, courage, peace and wisdom. My days that begin with me putting the
armor on before getting out of bed are filled with goodness and peace, even
when problems arise. The days I forget or "just don’t have time” are filled
with chaos and anxiety, resulting in sin.
Late one night, I was praying quietly and asked God to show
me something He wanted me to learn. I heard, Isaiah 59 in my mind, and not knowing anything about it I turned the pages. A bookmark was holding that page. I don’t
know how it got there because I have been focused on the New Testament as of
late, but on the bookmark was The Armor Of God prayer. I began to read Isaiah
59, and thought nothing of the bookmark’s placement or content …until I read Isaiah
59:17 “He put on righteousness as
a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of
vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.”
I was blown away! This was new! I had never heard of a
cloak of zeal before! Vengeance is the Lords, as He clearly tells us in Romans
12:19 “Do not take revenge, my dear
friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to
avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” But is the cloak of zeal
available for believers? I contend yes!
And it’s VERY important!
In the Roman army, a cloak served a multitude of purposes. It provided warmth from the cold. It provided protection from the environment. It was a blanket for the
solider as he slept. Without a cloak, a soldier would easily become distracted by his state of discomfort leaving him unprepared for the demands before him.
A cloak of zeal for the believer fuels the fire of faith during
the trials of life. The cloak of zeal protects us from the negativity that
reigns in this world. It covers us as we rest in peace and renew our strength
in God. A cloak of zeal keeps us
encouraged and vibrant in our faith, which in turns allows us to be even more effective
soldiers for God’s kingdom. So today, I encourage you as you put on your Armor
of God, put on your cloak of zeal as well!
