In my last post, Is it Enough?, I talked about how much the world throws at our kids every day.  It really hit me how important it is for us to equip them with tools they can use when they are subjected to all the temptations and Satan’s lies.  After being super convicted that we haven’t been doing enough to help our kids, I studied out Ephesians 6.  I really appreciate Paul’s use of imagery when he describes The Armor of God –

But to do this, you will need the strong belt of truth and the breastplate of God’s approval.  Wear shoes that are able to speed you on as you preach the Good News of peace with God.  In every battle, you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan.  And you will need the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit – which is the Word of God.                             Ephesians 6:14-17 LAB

As I started writing, I began by breaking down each part of Paul’s description.

The Strong Belt of Truth…The Breastplate of God’s Approval…Shoes to speed you on…Faith as your Shield…The Helmet of Salvation…The Sword of the Spirit – which is the Word of God.

And, then I realized, I didn’t need to break it down.  Right now, I need to focus on what should be the foundation of it all.

The Armor of God

When I started thinking about each part of The Armor of God, it seemed like it is pretty much all hinges on the Word of God.  And, when you think about it, how can it not??

The Word of God is Truth.

So, if we rely on that truth (the strong belt of truth),

we are blessed with the ultimate approval from God (the breastplate of God’s approval).

This should encourage us to go out and preach the Good News (shoes that are able to speed you on). 

Then, we use our faith to stand strong against whatever gets thrown at us (shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan).

By knowing and believing what God thinks about me and how He loves me is planted firmly in my brain, I can identify the lies that Satan uses to try to trick me (the helmet of salvation).

And, my ultimate weapon against Satan is my knowledge, belief, and my living out of the Word of God (the sword of the Spirit – which is the Word of God).

So, to me – at this point in my life – I am convicted to get into His Word.  To really know what God says and how I can combat Satan’s repeated attacks on my life, and those in my family.

After all, we know His Word is true.  His promises are real.  He is a God of integrity.  Whatever He says is right.  So, how does that relate to The Armor of God?

God’s Word

His Word is a layer of defense against Satan’s lies.  Well, maybe ‘lies’ is almost too strong of a word.  I have experienced his misleading and schemes many times in my life.  I generally know the truth from a lie.  After all, when it comes to rules, I am – for the most part – a very black and white type of person.  Either it’s right, or it’s not.

But, Satan does not always outright lie.  He is so much like the snake he embodied in the Garden of Eden – slithery, slimy, and insidious – looking for any way to work his way in to our hearts and our minds.  Just as he told Adam and Eve,

“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman.  “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”                           Genesis 3:4 NIV

But here’s what actually happened – these are God’s words –

“You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”                  Genesis 2:16-17 NIV

See what Satan did there?  He twisted God’s words.  It wasn’t an obvious lie.  That would have set off alarm bells.  Nope.  He was sneaky and just manipulated what God had said in order to serve his purpose instead.

How many times has that happened to me? I’ve lost count.

Satan’s Lies

I remember for a time in college when I was really struggling with organized religion.  It just seemed so silly that we would actually need to get together and attend church.  I mean, if I believed in God, and I called myself a Christian, that was enough, right?

Well, that was what Satan wanted me to believe.  But, while I did need to believe in God, and I actually did need to be a Christian,  I also really needed to start LIVING as a Christian.  Satan knew I wasn’t, so the easiest way to keep me from changing and becoming a force against him was to keep me weak.  Keep me in the dark and alone.

On our own, Satan can get us.  It is when we are together and encouraging each other and helping each other that he gets nervous.  So, why wouldn’t he twist things around to keep us apart?  Why wouldn’t he want to isolate each of us so we end up relying on ourselves and our own brains instead of God and His Words?

That’s when we need to come back to the Truth.

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more, as you see the Day approaching.                  Hebrews 10:25

The harder life becomes, the more we need each other.  Strength comes in numbers.

God’s Truth

Time after time, I kept drinking the Kool-Aid of Satan’s lies.

And, do you know why I stayed thirsty?  Why I kept drinking more and more – even when, ironically, I thought I was doing it to quench my thirst that could never be satisfied by his lies?

Because I wasn’t in the WORD.

I wasn’t being fed by God’s Word.  I wasn’t satisfying my spiritual thirst.

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”                           John 4:13-14  NIV

It was so easy for me to believe Satan’s very own version of the truth

BECAUSE I DIDN’T KNOW GOD’S TRUTH.

I had a very beautiful Bible without a mark on the cover or a crease on any page.  It looked very pretty sitting on my bookshelf.  It even had its very own spot.

I moved it at least 8 times.  From home to college and rental to rental, to different apartments and homes, across the country, and a few more times in Florida, then back across the country. Each time, taken from its spot on the bookshelf, placed in a box and put on a moving truck, until the box was opened and it found itself back home in its spot once again.

This process repeated itself again and again until, finally, last year – I ACTUALLY OPENED IT.  A novel concept, I know.  But, do you know what?  My black-and-white understanding of things was finally applied to the TRUTH. I read God’s Word and realized how wrong I had been and how many lies I had so gullibly believed.

What I learned – and am still learning

I’m not done.  I still haven’t read the entire Bible.  I am happy that I know so much more and can identify at least some of Satan’s schemes.  But, how many others am I still missing?  What twists of ideas and other outright deceptions are still alive in the dark?  I’m not sure.  But I do know that the more I read and study God’s Truth in His Word, the lighter my world becomes and there aren’t as many places for Satan to hide.  I pray that with every day that passes, my armor becomes stronger and thicker – better able to withstand any attacks that come my way.

And, when I think about our kids, I keep asking myself if what we’re giving them is enough… I know there is always room for improvement, and really, I don’t think we could ever give them too much. So, to help our kids as much as we can, we need to help them get fully dressed in The Armor of God.  They need to know God’s Word and His Truth, as well. My prayer is for them to have a strong enough foundation of faith.  That armor will give them better protection than anything I could ever offer.

Your thoughts?

What do you think?  What does The Armor of God mean to you?  I would love to hear how you strengthen your armor and find protection against Satan’s schemes and mistruths.  I can’t wait to hear from you all!