The Whole Armor of God

There is a life changing principle within the texts of Eph. 6:10-20, which talks about the armor of God. When we understand this principle and learn how to truly live it out in our lives our lives are never the same again. The purpose of the armor of God is so that we can stand up against, overcome, and see through the scheming’s of the devil (v. 11). You can study through the armor and find that it’s of the upmost importance that we continually put all of the armor on.


However, the principle I want to specifically focus on is found in verse 12 which says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” The principle that I don’t wrestle against flesh and blood is so freeing. It means that when someone or a group of people say or do something to me that seems to be mean, offensive, or a personal attack I don’t have to react because my battle is not against that individual or individuals. I can know that Satan is trying to get me to react in the flesh, but I know that it’s a spiritual battle. A battle that I can prayerfully turn over to God to guide me through by way of the Holy Spirit, and brothers and sisters, He will give you a way of escape (1 Cor. 10:13).


How does this principle work? Please read carefully Rom. 6:3-14. It’s quite simple! If self is dead how can self react or be defensive of self? If I have to rise up and defend myself it means I’m allowing the old man/woman to come back to life. We have to constantly be pushing self back into the grave of baptism. Paul said “I die daily (1 Cor. 15:31, also see Gal. 2:20). How was it that Christ and so many of the martyrs, while they were being so horribly mistreated, could pray specifically for those injuring them and for God not to hold that specific sin against them? Self was dead. Their focus was on spiritual things rather then on the flesh.


Of course, there is the other side of this as well, if we’re dead to self we are not going to say hurtful and offensive things to each other either. Imagine if all of us, all of God’s people, were able to apply this principle on a continuous basis in our daily lives. How different would our churches be?