Full Armor of God

1996

There’s a kind of faith that’s passive and then there’s a kind of faith that’s really Faith, that’s much more aggressive. I had to fight my way into that today as I was hit with waves of depression and other sorts of things. I had an underlying confidence that God would supply all my needs, but in order to break loose from the effects of the waves of bombardment that I was receiving and the fiery darts, I needed to be much more aggressive even though I knew that in God’s time, He’d supply all my needs. There was some peace in that but it was in the last half hour that I considered the more aggressive aspect. And I just wonder if you ever find yourself in a position of depression or discouragement or frustration or you feel helpless or worthless, if this might apply to you too. It’s a passage we’ve heard a thousand times but it was manna for me a little while ago.

“Finally, 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. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God so that when the day of evil comes (and it will), you may be able to stand your ground and after you’ve done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place and your feet fitted with the readiness that comes with the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

“Pray also for me that whenever I open my mouth, words might be given to me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might declare it fearlessly as I should.” (Eph. 6:10-20)

The thing that kept striking me as I read that again and again a little while ago in an effort to gird up the loins of my mind, was that it doesn’t give any place for depression, fatigue, or for terrible, terrible circumstances. It doesn’t make any room for any kind of bombardments or anything. It simply is emphatic that we should take our stand, that we should be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power and that we should put on the full armor of God. That’s the thing that I began to see as I looked at that passage and at what God’s heart was on that matter. There’s no respect for circumstances in all of that. It

says, “You take up the full armor of God. YOU take your stand. YOU decide to gird yourself and to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.” It’s a command. Be strong.

That’s like the song “Give Thanks.” “Let the weak say I am strong and the poor say I am rich.” There is an aggressiveness to being an overcomer that overcomes all the circumstances by faith. When I was reading that, it was a really simple thought, but it was helpful to me. “Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that, when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground.” I hope you’re catching that. The day of evil will come. There will be waves and there will be circumstances and temptations for sin as well as for fear, which is also sin. Those things are going to happen. You will have difficult times in your life and maybe extended periods of difficulty. There’s no question about it. “When the day of evil comes...” But there’s absolutely no reason in the world that you cannot stand your ground.

When that day of evil comes, you’re entirely capable, if you’ve put on the full armor of God, if you’ve continued to pray for all the saints, and you’ve prayed in the spirit with all sorts of petitions and requests. If that’s the way you’re functioning--putting on the breastplate of righteousness and taking up the shield of faith to extinguish the fiery darts and the waves of attack from the enemy--when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand, and you will be able to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. You won’t have to waver. I don’t have to waver. I don’t have to lose five minutes, let alone a day of God’s time. I don’t have to. I can stand. I can take my stand and deflect the fiery darts and be strong in the Lord. Not just survive, but actually be strong. I can emanate His character, instead of have some sort of snappy responses or selfish pursuits or hiding or lashing out. I don’t have to ever do those things if I’ve prepared myself and if I’m standing and holding the ground and putting on the full armor of God. I can actually be strong in those times and not just barely “get by” and excuse myself because after all I hurt really bad or something like that.