I have studied, written about, and taught the armor of God, but the other morning I saw something that had me looking at it another way …
Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. KJV
I’ve read this verse many times but I had never made the connection with …
Rom 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. ESV
With the help of Barnhouse I put these two commands in perspective:
- Truth – “Your Belt” – John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ESV
- Righteousness – “Your Breastplate” – 1 Cor 1:30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. ESV
- Peace – “Your Feet” – Eph 2:14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility ESV
- Salvation – “Your Helmet” – Ps 62:2 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. ESV
- Word of God – “Your Sword” – John 1:1,14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ESV
- Faith – “Your Shield” – Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ESV
Jesus is everything. He is all we need to win the battles: All truth, all righteousness, all peace, all salvation, all the Word of God, and all faith. When we put on Christ we put on the whole armor of God … when we put on the whole armor of God we put on Jesus.
Another way of looking at is the fact that God is light and in Him there is no darkness (1 John 1:5). So when we have Him we have light … when we have light we have Him. When we have Him we have all the armor and the enemy can’t touch us because we are more than conquerors (Rom 8:36).
The key to both is our living and walking in faith in Him.