June 23
“Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,” Ephesians 6:13-17.
Ancient soldiers were armed from head to foot in a suit of metal armor. In order to live the Christian life, the apostle Paul urges us to be armed like soldiers of the cross with “the whole armor of God.” To stand up against all of the spiritual forces and evils that are determined to do battle with Christians, we must put on the whole armor of God. Arrayed in the armor of God, we will stand and face our spiritual enemies and we will be victorious. We will be girded with both the weapons of offense and defense.
We will have our waist girded with truth, the truth of God’s Word. Remember that the devil and all his cohorts cannot face the truth. The devil is the father of lies, as Jesus told some of the Jews who rejected Him: “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it,” John 8:44. Prior to our text for this meditation, Paul wrote, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil,” Ephesians 6:11. The apostle James wrote, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you,” James 4:7. How can you stand up to the devil and resist him? Only with God’s Word!
The ancient soldiers wore a metal breastplate to protect themselves from the sword of the enemy. Christians should “put on the breastplate of righteousness.” Christians are armed with the righteousness of Christ, which is received by faith. God has declared us righteous and forgiven for Jesus’ sake. The devil’s lies cannot penetrate that righteousness, which is a gift from God. With the hymn writer, we say, “Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness, My beauty are, my glorious dress.” We are dressed in His righteousness, which enables us to stand and face all of our spiritual enemies.
Our feet are shod with the Gospel of peace. The ancient military sandals enabled the soldier to tread the rough roads quickly and easily to face the enemy. We should face our spiritual enemies shouting the message of the Gospel of peace and pardon, which is God’s announcement of victory over sin, death, and the devil.
As soldiers of the cross, we carry the shield of faith with which we are able to protect ourselves against the fiery darts of the devil! We wear a helmet of salvation. With a firm faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and our only Savior, we are sure of our salvation, which rests upon God’s gracious promises.
Now we face all our spiritual enemies – the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh – with the great weapon of defense, which is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.
“Onward, Christian soldiers,
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.
Christ, the royal Master,
Leads against the Foe;
Forward into battle,
See His banner go!
Onward, Christian soldiers,
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.” Amen.