Armor of God
In order to protect ourselves against this, it is necessary to take up the armor of God that is described in Ephesians 6:14-17. As Christians, we should realize that we need every single piece of the armor mentioned here, “that [we] may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). We wrestle “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). That is not a battle against flesh and blood, but against invisible spiritual beings that are hostile against anything that is connected to God: His Word, His purpose, His people.
The evil day
Paul urges us to take up the whole armor,
“that you may be able to withstand in the evil day”
Ephesians 6:13
Every Christian experiences evil days, difficult times or periods of heavy pressure. Since three out of six pieces of the armor of God have to do with such days, with periods of despondency and depression, we will take a closer look at those:
The breastplate of righteousness
The breastplate of righteousness, that protects a vital organ: the heart. This breastplate is all about the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe (Romans 3:22), “for with the heart one believes and is justified” (Romans 10:10). This righteousness does not come from good works, but from faith and love – “faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6).
The shield of faith
The shield of faith, that protects our whole being. The shield referred to in these verses is a large oval shield that could cover a soldier completely. Using this shield of faith means being aware that we can trust God at all times. Our faith is a firm knowledge that He exists, and that we can find rest in Him. Putting our trust in God means that we firmly believe what His Word says about His love and His promises, and that this has a prominent place in our lives. This is more important than our own emotions, since these are unstable and often forget about the facts in God’s Word.
Redemption sets you in the hand of God
Our redemption is a fact. The word “redemption” actually means “buying back”. The precious blood of Jesus pays the price of a ransom, releasing us from bondage to sin and death. This fact is described in Psalm 107:2: “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy” (NKJV). If you feel overwhelmed by your emotions, remind yourself that you are no longer under the power of the enemy, but in God’s hand – from the moment you surrendered completely to Jesus Christ, so that He could be Lord over your life. Read and share.
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