“Every warrior of God walks in the victory Christ has already secured.”
Every Christian constantly experiences spiritual warfare from Satan, aimed toward stealing, killing, and destroying the success of the ambassador of Christ in being salt and light to the world. In response to these battles, the Christian ambassador must become a strong Christian warrior who habitually puts on the armor of God: the same armor Jesus used in disarming Satan’s power when Christ resurrected from death at the cross.
Our identity is as ambassadors of Christ. That is who we are; we must live it out properly. As Christian ambassadors, it is our responsibility to properly embody and convey the message through knowledge, wisdom, and character, despite our personal fears and our flesh. Being an ambassador requires self-mastery of the flesh by daily choosing to crucify the desires of the flesh through the Spirit and by facing the fears of potential rejection and persecution from being known as ambassadors of Christ. Denying self, cross-bearing, and following Christ – that is what we must do to be an ambassador of Christ. To deter our success as ambassadors, the devil often uses spiritual warfare against us.
Therefore, we must become Christian warriors who courageously demonstrate loyalty and obedience to God, despite our battles against the flesh, world values and ideologies, and Satan. Through the power of the Spirit within us, we must constantly strive for self-mastery of the old self through daily crucifixions of the flesh and its desires. And through daily putting on the armor of God and practicing specific spiritual disciplines, we must stand firm, resisting the devil through the power of the cross, until the devil flees. Even if Satan doesn’t destroy us, he wins if he prevents souls from receiving our message of reconciliation.
“The armor of God turns ordinary believers into mighty warriors of God.”
The Apostle Paul faced enormous spiritual warfare, yet he was one of our great ambassadors of Christ. In Ephesians 6:10-20, Paul instructs us to be a Christian warrior by “being strong in the Lord, putting on the full armor of God”:
“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. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”
The armor of God represents “spiritual resources available to protect us against the evil of the devil”. Each piece of armor characterizes “a spiritual reality of a specific theological virtue or divine provision that safeguards the believer’s mind, heart, and standing before God”:
- The Belt of Truth: Represents integrity and the foundational reality of God’s Word. The belt of truth represents the foundation of truth in one’s life, essential for spiritual warfare. Through the belt of truth, we live with integrity and reject false teachings.
- The Breastplate of Righteousness: Protects the heart through a life of moral uprightness and the imputed righteousness of Christ. Specifically, this armor piece protects the heart from condemnation and guilt, while emphasizing the significance of righteousness in our spiritual lives.
- The Shield of Faith: Used to “extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one,” representing trust in God’s promises. The shield of faith offers protection against spiritual attacks, helping Christians stand firm in their faith.
- The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace: Provides the stability and readiness to move and share the message of reconciliation, by helping the Christian to stand firm in their faith and walk confidently in the truth of the gospel.
- The Helmet of Salvation: Protects the mind from doubt and the fear of condemnation. Generally, this helmet “provides spiritual protection and security, reminding believers of their identity in Christ.”
- The Sword of the Spirit: Identified as the Word of God, the only offensive weapon listed, used to counter deception and temptation.
‘In the armor of God, every warrior is invincible.”
‘The LORD is a warrior; Yahweh is his name!” (Exodus 15:3)
The armor of God represents the same armor Yahweh Warrior wore in defeating all of His people’s enemies in past history. When Paul instructs us to “put on the full armor of God”, he is exhorting us to be “clothed in the attributes of God as a victorious Yahweh Warrior who historically triumphed over chaos and national enemies”.
The armor of God also represents resurrection power: the same power God used in resurrecting Christ from the cross. The resurrection represents the final defeat of Satan: Christ’s resurrection took away Satan’s power to hold sinners to the debt of their sins and trespasses, bringing public shame to Satan,” breaking the devil’s grip on humanity and freeing believers from his influence” (see also Colossians 2:13-15).
If Christ hadn’t resurrected, He wouldn’t have defeated Satan, and if Christ weren’t a victor over Satan, the armor of God would become useless to us. But Christ disarmed the power of Satan when Christ resurrected; therefore, when we put on the armor of God, the Christian “fights from a position of victory rather than for victory.”
Because Christ defeated Satan, the devil’s primary weapon in spiritual warfare toward us is limited to “schemes, deception, accusation, and deception”, rather than “raw power.” However, without putting on the “full armor” consistently, we will remain vulnerable to these aforementioned tactics he uses against us, which seek to destabilize our peace, faith, and assurance of victory. Again, the devil cannot destroy the Christian, but he can potentially deter us from being an effective ambassador through his tactics, leading us to live fearful, defeated, and unsuccessful Christian lives.
“You are a warrior of God, not because you feel strong, but because He is your strength.”
In our own strength alone, we are powerless against the devil and his tricks. But through the power of Christ and of the resurrection, and of the power of Yahweh Warrior, we can, as we put on the armor of God. The spiritual reality of the armor of God is that its power is not derived from the person who wears it, but from “its divine origin and also the finished work of Christ”, which entails the Great Exchange and the resurrection of Christ.
“I can do all things through the power of Christ, which gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). The Christian warrior’s strength is not self-generated, but from the power of Christ giving us strength. We don’t fight the battle against the devil; the Lord does. We must be “strong in the Lord and in the strength of His power.” We do this through absolute obedience, reliance, and faith in the Trinity’s power. If we try to face our battles in our own strength and willpower, we are doomed to failure and defeat.
To stand firm, we must depend on the power of the armor of God and resolutely believe we will be victorious in the end.
Links:
Great Exchange, Reconciliation, Christian Ambassadors In Demand
Being An Effective Christian Ambassador
The Armor of God, Part 2: The Christian Warrior Preparing For Battle
Sources:
This articles sources are found on The Armor of God, Part 2: The Christian Warrior Preparing for Battle.