Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephesians 6:13)

The consequences of not putting on the whole armor of God can be found in scripture and in the modern context. The Sons of Sceva (Acts 19:13-16) attempted to take on spiritual forces without being totally fitted with the Armor of God.  They knew a little about the power of the name of Jesus Christ and Paul who preached Jesus and assumed that was enough to take on evil.  The results of their gross underestimation of the enemy and their ignorance in confronting him was the embarrassing beating they received.  Mel Gibson, is another example, a modern day son of Sceva who also received an embarrassing social beating.  We can only assume that his demise is a result of his lack of total understanding and preparation for the spiritual battle he entered when he produced the movie the Passion of the Christ.

The admonition to do everything in our preparation should be heeded.  We should not assume anything, or de-emphasize any portion of the spiritual armor.  Nor should we think that we are so much more sophisticated today that we know more about spiritual warfare than Paul did.  Thor Heyerdahl’s experience in the 1970’s teaches us to pay attention to detail.  Heyerdahl while seeking to prove that Egyptian culture had influenced architecture in Central and South America (pyramids), built a boat according to ancient Egyptian designs and set out to sail the Atlantic.  The first attempt ended after the boat fell apart some 3 thousand miles into the journey.  A second boat followed original designs more carefully and it was discovered that a small and seemingly insignificant rope had been left out.  After reconstructing the boat with all details of the ancient description followed the Ra II a 12 meter boat successfully sailed the Atlantic.  

It seems that we as modern thinkers assume we know more than the ancients; we know how to build better boats and better churches, but are we ignoring the small details that could cost us on our journey?  If we are to be successful we must not be arrogant and think we can just use part of the armor of God, we must put it all on, and do everything necessary to be successful. Let us consider the parts of the armor then:

1. The Belt of Truth:  We can be in denial about nothing (Eph. 6:14).  We can’t deny our sins, we can’t deny the consequences of sin nor the presence of an enemy who keeps trying to get us to sin. We must face spiritual reality.
2. The Breastplate of Righteousness:  Be guilty of nothing (Eph. 6:14).  We must be made righteous by God, and let that righteousness produce acts of righteousness before man.
3. Feet shod with Good news:  No more reluctance, Be apologetic for nothing (Eph. 6:15, Romans 1:16) Do not be ashamed to tell someone good news.  We need to be ready at all times to give people a better perspective, how God has done good things, and there is good news.  We must see the good news of salvation as good for all, and not be ashamed to present it in a positive way.  It is a Gospel of peace we share, not a condemning message blanketed in hostility.   Be positive, what we have to tell them can be very helpful to someone whose life is filled with anxiety, uncertainty, and loneliness.
4. The Shield of Faith:  Be in fear of nothing other than God. (Eph. 6:16, Josh. 24:14 Ps. 27:1).  Yes we should fear God, that is respect and honor Him, but we should not be afraid of anything else because our relationship with God now that we have been made righteous, because “perfect love casts out all fear.”
5. Helmet of Salvation: Wear proper head gear:  Be deceived by nothing (Eph. 6:17, II Cor. 10:4,5). Salvation is more than a heart matter it is a head matter.  We are saved from our sins and our sinful thinking as well.  Our worldview needs to change, we need to “make every thought obedient to the will of God” (II Cor. 10:5).
6. The Sword of the Spirit/the Word of God: Be prepared and empowered for everything.  Have a sharpened weapon (Eph. 6:17,Hebrews 4:12) that we know well and are ready to use.  We cannot be ignorant of God’s word, we must study it, apply it and obey it.
7. Prayer the connecting element: Be connected not isolated. All the time, in all kinds of ways. Connected at all times not separated and alone, for when we are alone we are most vulnerable to attack.   Communication with God and others through prayer is vital to being strong enough in the Lord to be safe (I Peter 5:8 Eph. 4:16, 6:18-20).

 

Tony Evans (1998) stated in his book The Battle is the Lord’s,  “Everything visible and physical is the result of something invisible and spiritual. Therefore, only by addressing the invisible, spiritual cause can we fix what is wrong with our visible, physical lives” (p. 12).  The naturalistic or scientific worldview, which denies the spiritual realm, fails to address the moral issues of our day.  The Christian worldview which acknowledges the spiritual world has the weapons to fight against the forces that cause the brokenness and suffering of our world, as well as the power to bring healing and hope.  Far too many Christians want to shrink away and isolate themselves and their families from the evil of the world when the fact remains that the only way to be safe is to be strong in the Lord and in the Power of His might (Ephesians 6:10).  Don’t settle for getting just enough spiritual armor to get by.  Don’t be partially prepared, be totally prepared for battle.

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