As Christians we are involved in a war with the devil. The language of the New Testament affirms this to be true. Paul told Timothy that “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:4). All Christians are soldiers in the army of Christ. In 2 Corinthians 10, Paul reminded the Corinthians that “we do not war after the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal….” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4). We, too, should remind ourselves of this. Too many Christians have become spiritual casualties in this warfare because they have either under estimated the devil or forgotten that they are in a battle. Both of these things always end in tragedy.
There is no reason to allow Satan to defeat us in this war. God has given us the weapons necessary to gain the victory over the devil, and He has given us an adequate defense to withstand his attacks. Paul describes the armor that God has equipped each Christian with in Ephesians 6:10-17. Let’s take a look at our defense.
God’s Word
It was God’s Word that Jesus used when He was confronted by Satan in the wilderness, and He was able to successfully fight him off. We can do the same. We have purified our souls with the truth (1 Peter 1:22), now we can protect our souls from the corruption of Satan by girding our loins with truth. Paul calls the Word the sword of the Spirit, indicating that it is a capable weapon to use in our fight with the devil. It is both an offensive and defensive weapon, but we must train ourselves to use it properly. We do this by regular study. In this way we shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel. Weapons are only good when one knows how to properly handle them. If one is untrained, the same weapon that has the ability to protect can become an instrument of death to the very one who is wielding it. So, to properly put on this piece of the armor, we must study to show ourselves approved unto God (2 Timothy 2:15).
The Breastplate of Righteousness
The word righteousness is used in two different ways regarding the Christian. It sometimes refers to that which is imputed to the Christian, that is, to being justified. But, Paul is writing to those who have already been justified so that was not the sense in which he was using the word in our text. The other way the word is used is to describe doing what is right in the eyes of God. That is the armor that Paul is describing. When we are idle, we are playing into the hands of the devil. When we are involved in the doing of righteousness, we are resisting the devil and discouraging his assaults (James 4:7). The more active we are in keeping the commandments of God, the less vulnerable we are to Satan. It is very rare that an active Christian succumbs to the devil. It does happen, but usually the Christian that falls from grace does so gradually. It begins with inactivity. He slowly removes himself from the work of the Lord and draws ever closer to the devil instead of God. This is why Paul exhorts us to be steadfast and unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58). Staying active is a source of protection against Satan. It is a part of the armor of God. So, put on the breastplate of righteousness.
The Shield of Faith
The more faith we have, the stronger we are as Christians. The Bible teaches us that the just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17). It also teaches us that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), and that a good portion of faith will help us to be victorious over the devil (1 John 5:4). The devil knows this to be true. He also knows that faith is produced by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). He’ll do all that he can to prevent us from putting on the shield of faith by keeping us away from God’s Word. Don’t allow the devil to be successful. Continue to search the scriptures daily. Continue to put your faith in God and His grace. Faith is a great deterrent to the devil. He hates to see a person of great faith. He knows that those who are fully persuaded, like Abraham was, are hard to get. So, be sure to have that protective shield on at all times. The arrows of trials and temptation; the arrows of suffering, pain, and disappointment, won’t be able to infiltrate your armor if you have the kind of faith in God that you ought to have.
The Helmet of Salvation
The mind is the first place the devil tries to attack. If he can control our thinking, he is going to have victory over us. Our minds need protecting. We must put on the helmet of salvation by filling our minds with spiritual things. Think about heaven as much as you can. Think about God’s Word and fill your mind with the words of Christ (Colossians 3:16). What we think about is very important. If we dwell on worldly things, we are worldly. Let’s not allow Satan to set up a stronghold in our minds. Let’s protect ourselves with the helmet that God has provided for us.
We are in a real battle. The devil is real and he is constantly on the attack (1 Peter 5:8). Satan is no respecter of persons. He doesn’t care how long you have been in the church. It doesn’t matter if you are an elder, deacon or an evangelist in the Lord’s church. He has destroyed the faith of many babes in Christ and seasoned saints. So, put on the whole armor of God.