The Armor God Gives Is The Armor God Wears

There are several historical records of a Bible stopping a bullet. The above picture tells the story of a Civil War soldier who carried a New Testament in his uniform shirt pocket during battle. That New Testament quite literally saved his life, not once, but twice.

Walter Jones’ story is a great illustration of the Bible’s place in our spiritual life. In Ephesians 6 Paul describes our Christian life as spiritual warfare. Just as Private Jones’ New Testament saved his life from enemy gunfire, the right use of the Word of God can save us from the schemes of the devil. If you knew in advance that at some point this month you would be in a place where gunfire would erupt, would you go about your days the same, or opt to leave your house protected in bullet-proof Kevlar and armed for conflict?

The Apostle Paul warns about how Satan shoots at us with the intent to kill. He also writes about how we can be equipped to stand strong in the midst of the attack. Every day we venture out into a world that is not our home, with the possibility of encountering an unseen enemy who is looking for our weak points and taking aim. But, every day we can gear up before we walk out the door by digging into the Word of God.

Let’s look at Ephesians 6:10-17 and some additional verses to learn what the Bible says about spiritual warfare and how we can survive the conflict unharmed: When we think about the Armor of God, we think of Ephesians 6, and the armor that God gives. However, there is an Old Testament passage that Paul likely drew from, so let’s look at Isaiah 59:14-20 and the armor that God wears. This passage also refers to a breastplate of righteousness and a helmet of salvation (Isaiah 59:17).

But notice the context; God sees that no man is righteous enough to save Israel, neither is any man able to intercede (Isaiah 59:16). So God goes to battle. And He puts on His armor to redeem Zion (Isaiah 59:20). His breastplate of righteousness. His helmet of salvation. This is the armor God wears to accomplish the salvation of His people.

In light of Isaiah 59, Ephesians 6 takes on a greater depth of meaning. The armor of God isn’t just the armor He gives, it’s the armor He wears. So as we face an unseen enemy, let us not rely on our own self-righteousness. Instead, let us put on the armor of God, His righteousness and salvation, provided freely through the gospel and “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might” (Ephesians 6:10).

Gear Up and #ReadYourBible  

For continued study on the Armor of God theme, check out Romans 13:12, 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, 1 Thessalonians 5:8, Hebrews 4:12, & Isaiah 52:12.