The believer has access to a spiritual arsenal, with a great store of fearsome spiritual weapons. They are not like the Bazooka’s, the AK-47’s, the Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM), or any of the dreaded Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD’s), but they are more powerful, and can cause more havoc than any of these physical, earthly and carnal weapons. In the realm of the spirit, our spiritual weapons can cause explosions that shake the devil’s kingdom; they attack principalities and powers that control cities, and cause spiritual “coup d’etats”, and overthrow the powers of darkness.
THE TOTALITY OF THE WEAPONS
Our spiritual weapons are all-encompassing, leaving the believer with no other option than to win. You have all you need to win every battle you face, no matter how great it is. Like any earthly army, you have both offensive weapons and defensive weapons. Ephesians 6:13-17 refers to the defensive weapons as the armour of God, which you must put on in order to stand, when the enemy attacks.
EPHESIANS 6:13-17
Therefore take up the whole armour of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
You cannot win the battle without the armour. It is God’s armour, which He has provided for you, but you must put it on. The amour in Paul’s days was a set of metal uniform, consisting of many parts. Any part of the armour could not be left behind. All the various parts had to be fitted together to fully prepare the soldier for war. It was unsafe for any soldier to go to war with only a part of this important defensive weapon. In the same way, you must know all the parts of God’s amour and be completely armed so that you can withstand the tricks and deceptions of satan who operates with thousands of tricks to make you fall.
DEFENSIVE WEAPONS
There are five defensive weapons mentioned in Ephesians 6:13-17. These are Truth, Righteousness, Preparation of the Gospel, Faith and Salvation.
Truth
Truth is compared to the belt in the armour. The belt holds the various parts of the armour together. The belt secures the armour at the waist and helps you to move freely on the battlefield. Jesus said the knowledge of the truth shall make us free (John 8:32). This means that being untruthful and dishonest puts us in bondage. Truth or sincerity is therefore your strength, and holds all your weapons in place. Being sincere with yourself, and with one another is a very powerful defensive weapon. Being dishonest however opens a gap in your defensive armour. Anyone who is serious about casting the devil out of his life has to be truthful and honest to God and others.
Righteousness
Righteousness is like the breastplate in the armour. Righteousness refers to the imputed righteousness of Christ. It is also the experiential righteousness, which is borne by the believer, as he yields to the Holy Spirit. In simple terms, righteousness means living and doing the right things.
The breastplate protects the heart. Likewise, righteousness keeps your heart from being injured by any of the arrows of the devil, which he sends against you. Without righteousness, your life will always be vexed or provoked with the things of this world. Without righteousness, you can easily be enticed by the world and the flesh, and that will weaken you against the enemy. Walking in purity and holiness is a weapon which the enemy finds difficult to contend with. Holiness draws us closer to God because God is holy. It is written in Hebrews that we cannot see God is we are not holy (Hebrews 12:14), meaning we will be cut off from God’s grace if we walk in sin. Decide today that you want to live your life as a pure and holy person, and you will experience joy every day because of the victories you will see around you.
Preparation of the Gospel
A preparation or resolve in your heart to adhere to the true gospel and abide by its tenets, without compromising with the world, is another weapon. It is compared to the shoes in the armour. The shoes in Paul’s days were made of brass, and were very effective in protecting the soldier against any traps and sharp sticks or objects, which the enemy would secretly lay in the way to obstruct him from attacking. Preparation of the gospel gives you a leeway, making you move swiftly and confidently in your attack against the enemy. When this weapon is in place you are also more able to move away from the enemy’s onslaughts. Inherent in the message of the Gospel is the power to save (Romans 1:16), and therefore carriers of the Gospel walk in the power of God. That is why the preaching of the Gospel is associated with miracles, signs and wonders (Mark 16:15-18). The devil is afraid of anyone who is passionate about the Gospel. Therefore, without a resolve in your heart to spread the Gospel message everywhere, you cannot be fully guarded against satan and his demons. It is a fact that Christians who are regularly preaching the Gospel are not easily overpowered by the devil. Preach the Gospel wherever you are and more victories will be yours!
Faith
Faith is the shield, which forms a very vital part of the armour. With the shield, you can turn every way to block the fiery darts and any of the attacks of the enemy. The fiery darts of the enemy are his evil desires and temptations, which are sent to hurt and destroy you. Your trust in God and belief in His word, His promises and His warnings prevent you from falling into the devil’s temptations. The just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17), because we are nothing and we cannot please God if we fail to walk by faith (Hebrews 11:6). Without faith, you are weakened against the enemy and you will always fall when you are tempted. It is sad to say that some believers see temptation as an opportunity to sin. God would have provided a way of escape, but they would not take advantage of it. They always say, “Pastor, the temptation was so strong, I couldn’t resist…” Such people have no faith; they do not trust God. Without faith, you will always be a victim of the devil’s fiery darts. We need our faith to keep resisting the devil.
1Peter 5:8-9a
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring loin, seeking whom he may devour. RESIST HIM, STEADFAST IN THE FAITH…
Salvation
The helmet protects the head, so the scripture compares our salvation to the helmet in the armour. We have hope for eternity because of our salvation. For you to maintain your position and win on the battlefield, you have to be assured of the fact that you are saved; you need to be well-founded and properly anchored in the hope of your salvation. You must understand that you are God’s child, and are being prepared for an eternal home, where there will be no sorrow, weeping or death. The devil creates a gap in your armour, and weakens you, anytime he is able to make you feel there is no hope of eternity for you. Paul said that if a future hope did not exist for believers, we would be of all men the most miserable. (1Cor 15:19). Thank God, there is hope life everlasting. You should not allow anything to stop you from believing that your labour in the Lord will not be in vain, and that God has a better place for you after death.
1CORINTHIANS 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Any believer who is not sure of his salvation is therefore a weak Christian, and is easy prey for the devil. If anyone says he is a Christian, but he does not know how one gets saved, it is likely he is not saved. Such a person cannot engage the devil in spiritual warfare. I have met some people who say they are believers but who are not sure whether they will go to heaven or not. Some so-called Christians even think that people of other non-Christian religious faiths will all be in heaven if they do good to others. It is very unfortunate for anyone to think this way because the Bible is clear as to who will inherit eternal life in heaven. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour you do not qualify for Heaven no matter how nice or good you are. Dear brother or sister, you have to be sure of your salvation and be sure of your place in heaven because it is fundamental to your security and victory in this life.
***** This article was culled from the same author’s new book, ‘Trampling Over Demonic Spirits’. The book can be purchased on the Amazon bookstore through this link
Rev Alfred Osafo-Yeboah is the senior pastor and founder of the Refreshing Word Ministries (Evergreen Church), a ministry committed to transforming people and directing them towards God’s purpose for their lives. He is a Conference Speaker, Bible Teacher and Pastor. He is also devoted to ministerial and leadership training. He and his wife Gloria and children reside in Tamale, Ghana.
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