The Armor of God

Written By Erica Harbison
A suit of armor

 “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 6:10-17).

My church has a free art class for kids twice a month, and a few months ago, I decided I’d host a coffee time for the ladies who brought their kids. It’s just a time for us to hang out, catch up, and talk about whatever. There’s no agenda, no devotional that has to be read - just a fellowship time for us ladies. Invariably, though, there always comes a moment, or more, where there is a natural need and opening to speak of the things of God.

One such moment came last month when the conversation turned to the fact there is so much tragedy, corruption, and evil in our world today. The Holy Spirit took over, and I began to speak of Godly things emphasizing THE TRUTH of the Bible and how we as Christians must suit up for the spiritual battle at hand. I started talking about the armor of God, and as I was examining the armor with the ladies, God put it on my heart to examine it even more closely for myself.

So, for my next six entries (after this one), I will begin a series looking at each piece of armor listed in Ephesians. I hope you’ll join me. I believe it is necessary not only for our spiritual protection as Christians but also for us to take our rightful place in the fight, “so that [we] can take [our] 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.”

I look forward to going on this journey with you.

(Note: The first blog in this series is now available! The Armor of God: The Belt of Truth)

AMEN

Erica Harbison

Erica is a native of California, though she prefers mountains over beaches. She has a B.A. in English with an emphasis on Literature and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, which both come in handy as a high school English teacher. She loves reading and watching movies cuddled with her daughter Sasha, who shares these hobbies. Erica's husband, Matthew, is a minister, and she is the Women's Ministries Leader at their church.

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