THE ARMOR OF GOD – EPHESIANS 6

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WHAT IS ARMOR?

Do you know what armor is?
Armor is a special type of clothing used for protection.

Where can we learn about the armor of God?
In the book of Ephesians, chapter 6, we learn about the protection God offers us in our struggle against the devil.

Why do we need armor?
Because the devil is God’s enemy, and since we are God’s children, he is our enemy too.
The only way to defeat him is by fighting God’s way.
We are soldiers in God’s army.

What do we do with the armor?
In Ephesians 6:11, God makes us a promise:
He says that if we put on His armor—the special protection He has given us—we will stand strong in the evil day.
When the devil attacks us with temptations, we will not give in and sin. We will be able to stand firm and not fall before the enemy.

What is God’s armor like?
God’s armor is spiritual. We cannot see it, but we can put it into practice in our daily walk with God.
God’s armor is made up of the following:

THE BELT OF TRUTH

“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” — John 8:32

How do we use this weapon?
Ephesians 6:14a says:
“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist.”
To “gird” means to surround, to encircle, to wrap around. This means we must be surrounded by truth, enveloped in truth.
And truth is Jesus (John 14:6), and only through Him can we come to God.
Lies cannot be part of our lives. Even small or “harmless” lies like April Fool’s jokes or “white lies” (e.g., “Tell them I’m not here!”) make us just as much liars as the devil himself.
If we do what he does, how can we fight against him? And why would we?

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THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

“Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you.” — Deuteronomy 16:20

Another piece of armor God gives us is the breastplate of righteousness.

Do you know what a breastplate is?
It’s armor that covers the chest, a strong protective covering—like a shield.
Think of a turtle with its shell—that’s its breastplate.
When it’s in danger, it pulls its head and limbs inside and stays safe.
We can also compare a breastplate to a bulletproof car, with special protective materials.

And what is righteousness?
It is what is right and fair; giving each what is due; acting lawfully and correctly.

So, what does it mean to wear the breastplate of righteousness?
If righteousness is what’s just and right, and a breastplate is for protection, then God is teaching us that if we act righteously—without harming others, obeying His commandments—we’ll be protected from the enemy. He will have no grounds to accuse us.

Walking in righteousness means:

Not living in idolatry (God should be first in our lives),
Respecting others’ rights,
Paying for what we buy,
Returning what we borrow,
Asking forgiveness when we err,
Respecting authorities.

In short, it’s living by the principles of God’s Word.

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THE READINESS OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE

“Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” — Romans 5:1

“… and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” — Ephesians 6:15

Every warrior entering a battle must be prepared to resist attacks and counter-attack.
A soldier who isn’t prepared is a serious candidate for defeat or death.
We are constantly at war with an enemy who never rests.
But our General, the Lord of Hosts, gave us a strategy manual—the Bible—where we learn how to use our armor and fight correctly.

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THE SHIELD OF FAITH

“Without faith it is impossible to please God.” — Hebrews 11:6
“… take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” — Ephesians 6:16

Our shield is not made of metal, but of faith.
You may have seen many types of shields in movies or games, but none made of faith.

What is faith?
The dictionary says it’s confidence in something’s existence.
The Bible says:
“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” — Hebrews 11:1

So, our shield’s foundation is believing in God and His promises, even if we can’t see them yet.

Jesus’ disciples once said: “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:6)
Fighting with invisible weapons is hard, but that’s the challenge: believe even without seeing.

Remember:
“Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness in the heavenly realms.” — Ephesians 6:13

With faith, we believe God exists, His Word is true, and He will fight for us. That’s why “everything is possible for the one who believes.” — Mark 9:23

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THE HELMET OF SALVATION

“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” — Romans 8:1
“Take the helmet of salvation…” — Ephesians 6:17

What is the helmet for?
It protects the head and is required for biking, skating, construction work, etc.

In our spiritual war, we need a helmet to guard our mind, which is our greatest battlefield.
Satan fills our heads with ideas and thoughts contrary to God’s Word, trying to pull us away from the truth.

All our armor is based on:

Truth (Jesus and His Word),
Righteousness (living by biblical principles),
Faith (our access to God),
Peace (living and spreading the Gospel).

None of our weapons are physical—they are spiritual, because our fight is not with people but with the devil.

The helmet of salvation guards our minds against every teaching that goes against God’s Word.

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THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” — Psalm 119:11
“… and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” — Ephesians 6:17

The Word of God is the most powerful weapon in the universe: the sword of the Spirit.

First, we must know the Word.
Just like a soldier must learn his weapon—how it works and how to use it—we must know Scripture.

Many carry a Bible but rarely open it.
Psalm 1 says the blessed person meditates on God’s Word day and night.

Next, we must use it.
Remember when Jesus was tempted in the desert?
Three times Satan tempted Him, and three times Jesus defeated him with: “It is written.” (Matthew 4:1–11)

Satan knows he can’t win when God’s Word is declared from our mouths.
That’s why he works hard to keep us from reading it—makes us bored, distracted, or even punished with Bible reading.