In my house, we are serious about protecting ourselves from the attacks of our adversary, the devil. We know that he is prowling around like a lion looking for something to devour – and he will take advantage of any perceived weakness. So we start our day by suiting up with the divine armor necessary to win every spiritual battle that comes at us.
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
The armor contains six pieces which we put on in this order:
- Belt of Truth – this is where we confirm out loud the truth about who we are in Christ. There are many wonderful affirmations that can be used here. A few examples are:
- I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
- I was created by God on purpose for a purpose
- God has given me all that I need to carry out the work that he has planned in advance for me to do.
- I am a son/daughter of Almighty God, and joint heir with Jesus Christ!
- I am loved and forgiven.
- I am a new creation in Christ.
2. Breastplate of Righteousness – we imagine the breastplate coming down over our chest. For this step, we remember that our right actions that protect our core from corruption. We sometimes repeat a few times, “Just do the next right thing, and the next right thing, and the next right thing.”
3. Shoes of Peace – some versions call these sandals, or leggings, but the point made with this piece of armor is that no matter what is going on around us, we can stand in complete peace. We remember Jesus’ words, “My peace I give to you, not as the world gives.” John 14:27 Not only can we stand in peace, but wherever we walk, we can further the work of peace in this world.
4. Helmet of Salvation: The helmet is received as a gift from Christ. We put it on our head to keep out the enemy’s attacks on our mind, and to keep our salvation always on our mind – knowing that this life is temporary and we have an eternal home with Jesus in Heaven waiting for us.
5. Shield of Faith – We pick up the shield to stop the flaming arrows of the enemy. With our shield held firm, we can also move forward in faith. We usually repeat the phrase “God is in control, God is in control,” several times as we step forward with confident faith. When a group of soldiers bands together, their shields can create a phalanx (pictured below), which creates an impenetrable wall of protection. This is what a devoted body of believers can do when they all put on their spiritual armor!
5. Sword of the Spirit – which is the Word of God. We hold our sword high and recite a memory verse or life verse that is meaningful for us at the time. Our family’s current verse is Matthew 28:18-20, the Great Commission: “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”
The older kids and I recite the full verse, while the little one recites just the end, learning that Jesus is with him always.
We have often used the music of Seeds Family Worship and The Rizers to help us memorize scripture! It’s fun, and it works!
Charmaine Rusin 