The Full Armor
Therefore Take Up The Whole Armor of God – Ephesians 6:13
God is our source of protection against this world and against Satan. Psalm 62:2 says, “He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.” With God as our Armor, and our Stronghold (Fortress), and our Deliverer, the One in whom we can take refuge (Ps. 18:1-2), no one can touch us to destroy us! The Psalmist goes even further to say to us all, “I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies (18:3). These are the words of David, who among us all had reason at times in his life to fear and doubt that God was not protecting him faithfully. However, David knew God in such a way that the thought of doubt never crossed his mind once.
Picture now the Israelites, in formation, marching into battle. The Worshipers leading the front lines, and the Army of God following (trailing) behind. The Israelites, God’s chosen people, marched into battle lifting up praises to the Name which is above every other name, praising God ahead of them in their battles; the Israelites placed God in the middle of their battles, in the midst of their current situations; they let go of their worries, insecurities, and doubts, and held fast to their faith and trust in the one true God, our God. Every time the Israelites fought, they fought on God’s terms, and they came out victorious in the end. They knew that otherwise they would have opened the door to the enemy and their enemies would have had the victory.
Psalm 61:4 says, “Let me dwell in Your tent forever; Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah.” David knew something about God’s safety. He may not have titled it The Full Armor, however, he had the same view of God’s protection as Paul did. The Shadow of God’s Wing is the protection that David relates to as Paul relates to God’s protection in the sense of the battle armor array. Either way we look at it, we dwell in the Tent of God, He is our stronghold and fortress, and when we are sent out, we go dressed in The Full Armor of God’s protection through our relationship with Him and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
As we get into this short Bible study and devotional, we will learn what it is and what it means to put on the whole armor of God. We will discuss the full armor of God piece by piece so that we can better understand how God’s armor applies to our everyday life.
Prayer
Abba, Father God, thank You that You have covered us and armed us in Your armor. I pray that as we learn about Your armor, that we realize to a much greater level how your armor applies to our everyday life. Reveal to us how Your word applies to our everyday life and how it increases our relationship with You. In the Name of Jesus, Yeshua HaMashiach, our Messiah. Amen!
Questions for Further Thought
Where are you looking [what are you looking to] for your source of truth and protection today?
When unforeseen circumstances [Battles] arise, where is the first place you look for protection: God, someone, or something else?
When you march into Battle, like the Israelites, do you go out headstrong Praising God, regardless of what the situation looks and/or feels like?
