Stand FirmSample

God gives us His Armour to Stand Firm

Standing firm can be hard! There is no doubt that life often feels like a war zone. We fight battles every day. Battles against things like tough circumstances, addictions, and sin.

Picture a Roman soldier and what they had to be prepared for in their battles. Imagine now that they did not have these things that equipped them. Would they be ready to fight and win these battles? Would they stand firm?

That’s why God gives us what we need to be equipped for our battles. This is called the Armour of God, and it includes: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit.

The belt of a Roman soldier was what held the whole armour together. In the same way, truth does this for us. When we have God's truth, we stand firm in who he says we are, and our armour holds together.

The Roman breastplate was crucial when in battle, almost impenetrable. Righteousness is being right with God, a gift given to us by Jesus - given to us so we can be protected from the damaging impacts of sin and other attacks, so we can stand firm.

Soldiers wore sturdy shoes to give them stability and endurance. God’s peace does the same for us, giving us stability to stand firm. When we carry the good news of Jesus, we bring peace into the chaos of life, as well as peace with each other, and be the church.

The Roman shield was huge and strong but with a weakness to flaming arrows. However, this shield promised to us is one that can extinguish flaming arrows. These flaming arrows can be things like doubt, but our faith in God can extinguish any attack.

The helmet of a Roman soldier protected the head and the neck. The salvation given to us by God protects us from our greatest enemy: death. We are gracefully saved by God through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, laying down his life so we can be saved from death. This salvation is a key part of God’s protection.

The sword was the soldier’s weapon. For us, the sword is our weapon against attack. The Word of God is sharper than a double-edged sword. We can trust that the Holy Spirit will guide us to use the word to extend the gospel into the lives of many around us. When we put on the full armour of God, we aren’t fighting our battles alone or unprepared. God himself equips us with everything we need to stand firm and overcome.

Questions

As you reflect on each piece of the armour of God, ask yourself: Am I putting on this armour daily?

How can I trust God more in the battles I’m facing?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for equipping me with your armour. Help me to stand firm in truth, live righteously, walk in peace, and hold strong in faith. Protect my mind and guide me with your Word. Strengthen me for every battle, reminding me that you are always with me and that even though I make mistakes you have saved me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.