30 Sept. The spiritual armour provided by God
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his great power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can fight against the devil's evil tricks."
"Our fight is not against people on earth, but against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world's darkness, against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world."
"That is why you need to put on God's full armour. Then on the day of evil you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing."
"So stand strong, with the belt of truth tied round your waist and the protection of right living on your chest. On your feet wear the Good News of peace to help you stand strong."
"And also use the shield of faith with which you can stop all the burning arrows of the Evil One. Accept God's salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
"Pray in the Spirit at all times with all kinds of prayers, asking for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready and never give up. Always pray for all God's people."
(Ephesians 6:10-18)
In his Letter to the Ephesians, Paul urged all believers to put on the spiritual ‘armour' of God “so that you can fight against the devil’s evil tricks” and the “spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world” (Ephesians 6:11-12).
Paul was writing to a city dominated by the presence of thousands of pilgrims visiting the Temple of Artemis – the multi-breasted goddess of fertility. He probably recalled his battle with the silversmiths who made popular images of Artemis (see Acts 19:23-41), and he remembered that spreading the Good News about Jesus is a constant battle against other spiritual powers.
So Paul urged all believers to put on the spiritual ‘armour' of God in order to fight against spiritual forces in the heavenly world. Paul likened this spiritual ‘armour’ to the equipment worn by Roman soldiers – with whom every resident in Ephesus would have been very familiar.
This ‘armour of God’ consists of ‘wearing’ truth like a belt and righteousness like a breastplate. The soldiers belt held everything securely in place – like the truth of God’s word; and a soldier’s breastplate deflected arrows – just like righteous and honourable behaviour deflects the criticism of false accusations.
Those wearing God’s armour step out in shoes that announce the good news of peace. They bear their faith like a shield – to ward off attacks by the devil. Because they have been saved by the death of Jesus, their salvation is like a helmet that protects them from blows, and when they speak out the word of God, it acts like a sword, cutting down the opposition.
Finally, all those who fight to spread the Good News about Jesus should pray at all times for God’s help.
The photo shows the original cult statue of Artemis from the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus.
You can read more from Paul's letter @ https://www.thebiblejourney.org/…/15-pau…/the-armour-of-god/