"...as you pray at all times, with all kinds of prayers and requests, in the Spirit, vigilantly and persistently, for all God’s people." (Ephesians 6:18)
There’s one more key to successfully putting on the armor. The apostle Paul concludes his instruction concerning the various pieces of armor by adding that we should "pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit."
In all the teaching and training we do in spiritual warfare, don’t underestimate the power of prayer—particularly intercessory prayer. Intercessors are the backbone of the community of faith.
"For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak." (Isaiah 59:17)
God Himself is zealous and fervently passionate about His people and His plan. In simplest terms, zeal is fuel. It is anything that drives people: their passion, their purpose, what they live for. For Christians, zeal is a burning desire to do God's will and to live according to His purpose.
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17)
In Ephesians 6, Paul lists as the sixth piece of armor, "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." It’s important to understand how the imagery of a soldier's sword helps us know how to use Scripture to win our spiritual battles.
The battle is real and immediate, with the specter of sudden destruction looming. In the midst of Babylon, we must heed the call to come out. Our future in God's Kingdom hinges on our commitment to this effort.
Be be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes...Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:10–11, 17)
Most people wish life would be a picnic, but every person on earth will face sorrow, hardship, and suffering at some point in their lives. Yet despite this truth, many—even believers with an understanding of the devil and his devices—mentally and spiritually dress as if they are taking excursions to the zoo.
Instead of suiting up in the armor of God, they don tank-tops, shorts, and flip-flops without giving their spiritual apparel a second thought. Rather than being alert and battle ready, they stroll along from day to day, spiritually underdressed with no regard to the warning given in 1 Peter 5:8 (CJB):
Stay sober, stay alert! Your enemy, the Adversary, stalks about like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
"...in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." (Ephesians 6:15)
It’s imperative that we understand and know what are we are placing our faith in. Faith requires a large dose of trust. As with anything of importance, examining the evidence is a must. In terms of our belief and reliance on God of the Bible, we can see from Scripture that God is faithful and unchangeable, and that we can trust Him to fulfill all His promises to us.
"...and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace" (Ephesins 6:15).
What do these shoes represent and how are they to be worn? We must have the right shoes for the right occasion. We wouldn’t wear flip flops to a formal dinner or to hike in the woods. Roman infantrymen wore tough sandals that were studded with thick, sharp nails on the bottoms to increase their traction. The bottom of our shoes are fitted with the nails that pierced our Savior’s hands and feet. The time is now when we have to dig in our heels and resist spiritual enemy forces.
"Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood...Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness..." (Ephesians 6:11–12, 14)
The account of David and Goliath offers insight into donning the armor of God. King Saul tries to discourage David by saying he was but a boy and Goliath a seasoned warrior from his youth. That’s like us being discouraged when the enemy taunts us; “You’re just a weak human; demons and fallen angels are powerful and have been causing destruction for thousands of years! You cannot prevail against us!”
David recounts being rescued from the lion and bear and states with confidence that God will rescue him from the giant Philistine.
Likewise, we can say, “Adonai, who rescued me from sin and death, will rescue me from the hand of Satan.” We will prevail because Jesus already won the victory at Calvary.
"Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:11–17)
When we secure the belt of truth around our waists, there are six areas of truth that we must know and understand: