The Armor of GodEphesians 6:10-18Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Twice within this passage the Apostle Paul instructs the believer to “put on the whole armor of God.” This wasn’t done lightly. He repeated himself for emphasis. Unfortunately, so many Christians (and this writer does not exclude himself) have a dearth of understanding when it comes to the evil that exists around them. If the believer’s spiritual eyes could truly be opened to see all the spiritual forces that pervade his surrounding atmosphere, he might very well shrink in abject terror. All around us the battle between the forces of good and of evil is turbulent, horrific and relentless. It was therefore important to Paul to stress to Christians the importance of the armor of God.For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)When Paul returned from his third missionary journey, he warmed the elders of the church at Ephesus about the dangers they would be facing:For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. (Acts 20:29-31)The forces of evil come in many guises and forms. There are those unseen forces composed of Satan’s demons (believed by some to be the spirits of the Nephilims, a product of some of Satan’s fallen angels as they co-mingled with humans, which were destroyed during the flood and who seek bodies to indwell), his fallen angels that as yet have not been cast into the “bottomless pit,” and Satan himself. And there are those seeable forces composed of individuals, both in power and out, that have made a willful choice to serve Satan and his plan. Additionally, there is the never ending parade of philosophies and beliefs, which dishonor God and His Word, e.g., Religion (Christianity is not a religion; it is a union or relationship with a Person, Jesus Christ), Gnosticism, Paganism, Neo-paganism, Relativism, Intellectualism, Freudianism, Communism, Materialism, Nihilism, Behaviorism, Socialism, Existentialism, Rationalism, Fabianism, Secular Humanism, Agnosticism, Atheism, Evolution and the like.Because of this spiritual warfare that surrounds and engages each believer, the Apostle Paul warns that the only way he will be able to stand against such evil, sinister and overwhelming odds is to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. This instruction is the umbrella under which all the armor of God must function. Without the employment of this basic principle, none of God’s armor will function properly.A person becomes a Christian by turning from legalism, religion and self-effort by a genuine act of will to trust solely in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for his personal salvation (this is saving repentance). In this act he fully realizes that there is absolutely nothing he or any organization can do that will save him. He then simply decides to depend (trust) totally on Christ and the work that Christ performed for his personal salvation. THEN, a strange thing often happens. Having been saved by grace through faith, he comes to the conclusion that the way to live for Christ is by exercising his self-determination to keep God’s Law and to conform to a laundry list of “dos and don’ts.” In other words, he resorts back to legalism, religion and self-effort.He simply cannot believe that as (by faith alone) he received Christ Jesus, he is to in like manner (by faith alone) walk (conduct his spiritual life) in Him (Colossians 2:6). This is called the perfect law of liberty (James 1:25; 2:12), which frees the Christian from the obligation to adhere, by his own power, to God’s Law. And it freely makes available to him the power of the Holy Spirit, who resides within him, to do that which God requires. Yet most Christians never avail themselves of this marvelous and never-ending power. They are saved by faith, but they endeavor to live by works, which always leads to being consumed in pride. And utilizing this means to “fight the good fight,” to conduct spiritual warfare, brings them to their knees every time in utter failure.It is therefore most important that the Christian realize that in his own power and ability he is absolutely powerless to conduct spiritual warfare to any victorious end. He must understand that it is only when he rids his daily life of any known sin by confessing (naming; admitting responsibility for) it before God (1 John 1:1:9) and then receiving by faith alone (trusting only in) God’s Holy Spirit to conduct the battle through him that he will have any success on the spiritual battlefield. As he does this, only then will he be living the meaning of “Christ in you the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).