THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD, PART 1

"Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." (Eph 6:11)

Believers must again and again be apprized of the nature of the life of faith. This requirement is not owing to our lack of intelligence, or the presence of a fundamentally disobedient heart. Rather, it is our present location and environment that has produced this necessity. We are in a realm fraught with jeopardy and danger.

The Spirit is careful to tell us the nature of our enemy. He has been known to bind people with disease (Lk 13:16), and cause sudden and lethal seizures (Matt 17:15-16). He has provoked unrighteous people to murder righteous people (1 John 3:12). But these do not present his most formidable attacks against us. God has made provision far more dangerous conflicts than external disturbances or bodily disruptions.

The "whole armor of God" has been provided to make us equal to the devil's attack. It is called "the armor of God" because it comes from Him, and enables the redeemed to maintain their identity with Him. It consists of thorough protection where we would otherwise be vulnerable. The Satanic aggression against which this armor protects us is called "the wiles of the devil."

Newer versions refer to "the schemes of the devil," and "the devil's schemes." This refers to trickery: methods, procedures, and cunning stratagems, or attacks. It is not WHAT the devil does, but HOW he does it, that is the point. Everything Satan does it wrong, sinful, and condemned. As Jesus says, "There is no truth in him" (John 8:44). Were he to unveil his real intentions to men, it would be apparent how wicked he is. But that is not what he does.

The devil comes with deception, duplicity, and subtle misrepresentation. He seeks to make sin attractive, obscure the lake of fire, and present the world as worthy of your affection. He is supernaturally cunning in what he does. He can seduce Eve into eating fruit God has forbidden. He can provoke David to number Israel, as though God were not to be trusted. He can entice Judas into thinking it is an advantage to betray Jesus, or Ananias and Sapphira into imagining they would be better by lying to the Holy Spirit. Do not underestimate his subtlety!

The "whole armor of God" equips us to deal with Satan's "wiles." It does so by giving us a working acquaintance with the truth of God. That familiarity with truth sheds light on Satan's devices, making them obvious to us, and us able to reject them.

LOINS GIRDED WITH TRUTH. All the armor of God is held together with the belt of truth. That is what keeps everything in its place. Emotion does not hold it together. Intellectual knowledge does not hold it together. Nor, indeed, does the armor simply remain in tact automatically. It is only as the truth is perceived and embraced that protection against Satan's devices can be realized.

BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. The vital part of our beings is protected by the conviction that we have been made righteous in Christ Jesus. The person who realizes God will not impute sin unto him is thereby armed against delusion. When the assurance of Divine acceptance is not found in our hearts, we are made vulnerable to the attacks of the devil. We cannot stand against his "wiles" if we are doubtful about how the Lord has received us (Rom 15:7), and made us righteous (Rom 5:19).

PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. The "preparation of the gospel of peace" is the peace that results from believing the Gospel. Holding our ground demands our grasp of presently having peace with God. That is not simply a theological position. We may have trouble in the world, but not in heaven! Peace has been made through the blood of the cross, and God is for us. The comprehension of that diffuses the power of delusion. O, that it was more common!– Given O. Blakely