The Armor of God: How You’ve Already Been Equipped to Fight Your Battles

By Sammie Gallo, Creator of Abundant Life: You Were Made for More

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 against 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, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from 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 Lord’s people.

Ephesians 6:10-18, NIV

Did you know… you’ve already been equipped to fight your battles? God’s Word is a weapon used for good, and according to Scripture, it’s also our strongest sword of defense. Not only that, but it’s fully alive, today, right now, and if you know how to access it, you have all the power to speak truth over the lies that Satan loves (and lives) to speak over you.

I believe it’s so important to talk about the word of God because it was the only way that Jesus, the son of God Himself, was able to fight the lies and temptation of Satan when he was here on earth – especially those 40 days in the desert. In other words, when we’re in our own deserts – places that seem barren, lacking life, and lacking even more so of hope – our only hope is the word of God. I can tell you from personal experience that I’ve been in certain situations where the word of God is my only hope. It’s the only thing that has been certain and steady when everything around me feels rocky. God’s word is our game plan. Today, I want to encourage you to grab a hold of the armor that’s already been set out for you, instead of searching endlessly for your own, or using every ounce of energy in you to protect yourself from hurt that inevitably will find you.

Satan loves to use our disappointments to cause us to doubt the goodness of God. He comes in like a whisper, lingers like a gentle breeze, and builds like a storm you don’t even see coming. He’s not whispering his lies to coddle us – he wants to crush us. But God wants us to know that while the enemy may be vicious, he will not be victorious in our lives.

Here’s the cool part… we’ve been given the power to combat Satan’s deception. Take heart… for the outcome has already been decided for you by Jesus. You have a part to play, too, though. Let me explain.

We have between 50-70,000 thoughts each day. Yet God commands us to take EVERY thought captive. This means we have to pay attention to what we are thinking and determine if those thoughts agree with what God tells us in His word, or if they are lies from the pit of hell. That’s a lot of work, and I don’t know about you, but sometimes I literally barely have the energy to hop in the shower and wash my hair… depending on the day!

But it only takes a fraction of a second for the enemy to whisper lies to you:
You’re worthless.
You’re not important.
You’re just a victim.
Nobody likes you.
You’re all alone.
You are ugly.
You are a failure.
You are rejected.

Know what God’s word says, so that when the enemy of your soul tells you, “You are weak!” You can fight back with the truth that says, “No! According to Isaiah 40:32, in Him, I am strong.”

When the enemy suggests, “You are a failure!” Refute him with the truth that says, “No! According to Romans 8:37, I am more than a conqueror!”

When the enemy tells you, “You are rejected!” You can fight back with the truth that says, “No! According to Ephesians 1:6, in Jesus I am accepted.”

When the enemy suggests that, “You are not important!” You can refute him with the truth that says, “No! According to Deuteronomy 7:6, I am God’s treasured possession!”

When the enemy tries to convince you that, “Nobody likes you.” You can fight back with the truth that says, “No! According to Psalm 17, I am the apple of God’s eye.”

When the enemy tells you that, “You are a victim!” You can fight back with the truth that says, “No! According to 1 Corinthians 15:57, in Christ, I am victorious.”

7. Next time the enemy tells you that, “You are all alone!” You can refute his lies with the truth that says, “No! According to Joshua 1:5, I am never alone.”

Satan is the author of the deception that imprisons us, but our God is the author of the Truth that empowers us. Let’s declare His goodness and His faithfulness today. Because when we express God’s truth, we weaken the enemy’s lies that can quickly overtake our hearts.

Remember – God has already laid out his armor for you. Armor that is full of His mighty power. Armor that allows you to take a stand against the devil’s schemes. Armor that continually reminds you that your struggle is not of this world, but rather of spiritual realms. Armor that gives you truth and readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Armor that creates a shield around you and extinguishes any evil that comes in its path.

Today, when Satan whispers in your ear, remember who you are and what you’ve been given through Jesus Christ. And when you’re tempted to crumble underneath the feet of disappointment, rejection, loneliness, fear, remember there is hope that’s found in Jesus, and raise a hallelujah louder than the unbelief.  

God has already equipped you. Go into today believing that, friend.