Spiritual Armor
The believer is engaged in a war and the armor and weapons used in this war are spiritual rather than natural. Therefore, the believer must learn about their spiritual weapons and armor and know their purpose and how to employ them in order to have success in their battle against the devil.
Below are scriptures which mention the spiritual armor of God. God commands the believers to put on the whole armor of God so that they will be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph. 6:10-18 (NKJV)-M
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and [after having done all that you know to do then take your stand in faith and never be moved.]
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace (with God);
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which, you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
According to the above scriptures there are six-pieces of spiritual armor and these are:
1. Belt of Truth
2. Breastplate of Righteousness
3. Gospel of Peace Military Footwear
4. Shield of Faith
5. Helmet of Salvation
6. Sword of the Spirit
Satan is a spiritual creature so he cannot be harmed with natural weapons and he also cannot be killed because he is eternal being. He can however be defeated if the believers of Jesus know how to use their spiritual weapons and know how to deploy their spiritual armor in a fight against Satan.
The belts fits around the waist or center part of the human body so the belt of truth represents truth in the core or heart of the believer. The expression “Get to the heart of the matter!” speaks of the core or central important part just like the heart of man is where his motives reside and is the core of his human makeup.
The belt of truth represents the believer having truth in their innermost being. God’s word is truth and without God’s word within their hearts the believer will be filled with spiritual defilement from the devil and be deceived to fulfill the devil’s agenda on the earth.
This also relates to having no sin within their hearts because sin opens the door to the devil and gives the devil power over those who harbor unrepentant sin in their lives.
John 14:30 (NASB)
30 “I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me;
Satan had nothing in Yeshua because Yeshua was without sin so Satan had no power over him. When humans sin and break God’s laws this opens the door to the devil to have authority over them. It is important for the believer to confess and forsake sin and walk in God’s grace by repentance so that the devil has no opportunity to wreak havoc in their lives.
The scripture above refers to Satan as being the ruler of this world. Satan gained control over the world’s system when Adam committed high treason in the Garden of Eden and obeyed Satan to eat the forbidden fruit. Since that time the earth-lease granted to Adam by God was usurped by Satan who became the god of this world’s system.
Genesis 1:26 (NKJV)
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
God gave the first man Adam dominion over all the earth and over all of the creatures living on the earth.
Genesis 1:28 (NKJV)
28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Adam was given dominion by God over everything on the earth but this dominion was later lost to Satan when Adam used his human freewill to obey the devil and thus Adam made Satan his master. The dominion once possessed by Adam over the earth was given to Satan who then became the god of this world’s system.
Luke 4:5-7 (HCSB)
5 So he took Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 The Devil said to Him, “I will give You their splendor and all this authority, because it has been given over to me, and I can give it to anyone I want.
7 If You, then, will worship me, all will be Yours.”
Satan tried to tempt Jesus into worshiping him in exchange for power over the world’s kingdoms. Satan said that these kingdoms on earth were given over to him and therefore he could give them to whoever he wanted. This was in fact true because Satan had usurped this authority away from Adam by deception and when Adam used his human freewill to disobey God this made Satan his master instead. The devil holds the power of the world’s system and the kingdoms of the world on earth under the earth-lease of Adam which Satan now holds.
Revelation 12:12 (HCSB)
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the earth and the sea, for the Devil has come down to you with great fury, because he knows he has a short time.
Satan is aware that his earth-lease usurped from Adam will soon expire and he will come to an end of his demonic operations on earth. Therefore, Satan seeks to push his agenda as far and as fast as he can and this is the reason why unregenerate humans are constantly pushing toward building a global godless society on earth and seek to cull out those who worship the God of Israel. These godless unbelievers constantly drift toward the fulfillment of the agenda of their father the devil.
2 Corinthians 4:4 (NASB)
4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Satan is referred to as being the god of this world and he blinds the minds of the unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel and be saved. He rules and manipulates unregenerate humans to fulfill his evil agenda on this earth.
But the battle of the believer is not against these unregenerate humans who are deceived to fulfill the plan and agenda of Satan. Instead, the real enemy is the devil who inspires these wicked men.
Luke 23:34 (NIV)
34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
When the Gentile Roman soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross and were gambling for his clothing Jesus prayed for them because they did not know what they were doing. The same is true of all unbelievers who actively work toward fulfilling satanic agenda on the earth. They do not know what they are doing but instead they are deceived by their father the devil to do his will.
2 Timothy 2:26 (NASB)
26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
Humans can be deceived to fulfill the will of the devil on the earth. By deceiving evil men in positions of authority Satan can cause wars and poverty and much human suffering resulting in millions of people to perishing on earth.
John 10:10 (NASB)
10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
The thief Satan only comes to kill and steal and destroy and by deceiving wicked humans he can create wars and human suffering and abuse and poverty and sickness and misery on earth.
Ezekiel 7:15 (NASB)
15 ‘The sword is outside and the plague and the famine are within. He who is in the field will die by the sword; famine and the plague will also consume those in the city.
Typically, when war comes (the sword) then it will be followed by famine because farmers cannot grow crops or raise livestock with bombs falling and bullets flying. So when people are weakened by hunger then plague comes and hundreds of thousands of people perish by disease. It is a combination of these three disasters of sword, famine, and plague that decimate human populations during world-wars and also during the many civil wars that are fought on earth. Satan is the instigator of all wars which have his signature written all over them as these wars fulfill the satanic agenda of killing and stealing and destroying as human lives are lost and great human suffering and misery become rampant upon the earth.
Revelation 20:3 (NKJV)
3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
During the 1000-year Millennial reign of Jesus on the earth, Satan the deceiver will be imprisoned in a bottomless pit. During this time Satan will not be able to deceive the nations into causing wars any longer. Only when Satan is imprisoned then there will be no war on the earth.
Revelation 20:7-8 (NASB)
7 When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison,
8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.
Notice that at the end of the 1000-years Millennial-period Satan will be released from his prison and he will immediately go forth to deceive the nations to gather them together for war. Satan is the author of all war and when he is not around all wars cease. Satan is the one who instigates war by deceiving unregenerate men to fulfill satanic agenda to kill and steal and destroy on earth via wars.
Revelation 12:9 (NASB)
9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
Satan is referred to as a dragon and as the devil and it is he who deceives the whole world into wars and strife and fighting and greed and abuse which creates all of the human suffering on the planet.
John 8:44 (NASB)
44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Satan is a liar and is the father of lies. He deceived Eve to break God’s laws in the Garden and this brought a curse to the entire earth! Satan continues to deceive humans throughout all history until present times. Humans who are deceived by Satan are not even aware that they are fulfilling satanic agenda. It is for this reason that the war of the believer is not against flesh and blood (or natural humans) but instead the warfare is against the spiritual beings who deceive these humans to fulfill satanic agenda on the earth.
Truth in the Innermost Being
God desires that people keep and maintain truth within their innermost being. God’s word is truth and when believers study and memorize and meditate on God’s word then God’s word is like a light which drives away all darkness and deception within them.
For example, if someone meditates on murder until they become inflamed with anger they might go out and physically commit murder. Those who commit murder are those who were meditating on the devil’s thoughts and satanic lies and deception until they put into practice what they were thinking and commit actual murder. So, murder started in the thoughts of the human mind, then they meditated on these thoughts until they eventually became so enraged that they acted on these thoughts and committed murder.
But murder first started when the devil inserted murderous thoughts into their human mind and instead of casting down these wicked imaginations the person mediated on them and eventually acted on them to commit murder. Thus Satan the murderer inspires humans to commit murder and violence on the earth. Satan’s only weapon is the deception which he inserts into the human mind using thoughts as a vehicle of his evil ideas.
The Belt of Truth
The belt of truth has a wide application for the believer because it speaks of having truth in their innermost being and also meditating on truth in order to counteract the lies and deceit of Satan. If satanic lies are not stopped it can lead to all kinds of evil including wars and fighting and even murder!
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NASB)
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
To have an open mind is a curse because this means the human mind is open to all of the thoughts and suggestions of the devil. People with an open-mind are easily deceived by Satan to fulfill his satanic agenda on the earth.
But the believer is not supposed to have an open-mind but instead they are to guard their minds like a soldier standing at the city gates with weapons in his hand. The soldier is to challenge anyone trying to enter and stop those who are unauthorized from being admitted. In the same way, the believer is to guard their minds and cast down any thought or imagination that is contrary to God’s word. In this way they will stop the devil’s thoughts in their minds by immediately casting them down before they can be acted upon. Acting on demonic thoughts will result in all kinds of fighting and wars and murder and theft and destruction and crimes of all kinds. Those who have been meditating on the devil’s lies for a long time may even have a structure of deceit built within them that is like a fortress and must be demolished by the truth of God’s word.
John 8:31-32 (NKJV)
31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Jesus said that those who are his disciples will abide in his word. This means that the believer will read and study and memorize and meditate on God’s word continually and so they abide in God’s word. To meditate in God’s word means to mutter it and think upon it over and over again. This is like a cow chewing his cud which breaks it down so that he can digest it and turn the grass into milk. In the same way, the believer should meditate on God’s word continually so that truth and light will be released in their minds. The truth of God’s word dispels all of the darkness of the devil and puts a stop to all satanic deception. If the believer will first memorize scriptures then they will be able to mediate on these scriptures all day long. They can do this while they work because the word of God is in their minds and they can meditate on that which they have memorized. This releases truth within them as they meditate on God’s word.
John 17:17 (NKJV)
17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
God’s word is truth and the word of God will enlighten them and protect them from the deception of the enemy so that they will not fulfill satanic agenda on the earth.
Psalm 51:6 (NASB)
6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.
Having truth in the innermost being means that the believer has first memorized scripture then meditated on it until the truth of God’s word gets down into their human heart. This is how they put the truth of God’s word into their innermost being. This truth will dispel the darkness of demonic lies and keep the believer safe from satanic deception.
Having the belt of truth as part of their spiritual armor speaks of having truth in the innermost being of their heart through scripture memory and meditation. (The human heart is the center of their being where their motives reside.)
Light and darkness cannot dwell in the same place at the same time and neither can truth and deception exist in the same place at the same time. If a believer fills themselves with the light of truth of God’s word it will drive out all spiritual darkness and deception of Satan from their minds and from their hearts.
Spiritual Cleansing
I know of a man who memorized large amounts of scripture and could even quote entire chapters and books of the bible. He said that when he started doing a lot of scripture memory that he began having vile and filthy dreams. But soon these dreams ceased and it seemed he was cleansed spiritually. I believe this was because the immoral filth and defilement that comes from living on the earth within the devil’s corrupt world system will cause spiritual defilement within humans. But when this man memorized large amounts of scripture then this defilement was washed away. The filthy vile dreams displayed the defilement that existed in his heart prior to being cleansed away by scripture memory and meditation. Once this was accomplished the bad dreams stopped indicating he was cleansed by God’s word.
Humans cannot cleanse spiritual defilement using soap and water like they do when they wash away the filth of their outside natural human body. Inward spiritual defilement can only be cleansed away by the Word of God.
Ephesians 5:26-27 (NKJV)
26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
The body of the Messiah is corporately comprised of all of the believers on earth and these believers are being cleansed and sanctified by the washing of the water of God’s word. The word of God is like spiritual soap and water which can cleanse away all inward spiritual defilement from within the hearts of believers.
The world’s system is full of spiritual defilement because Satan is the god of this world’s system and he seeks to defile humans and send them to hell. Worldly news and music and television and internet and videos and worldly advertising and godless education are all part of the defilement process of the world’s system to fill humans with spiritual defilement. Only the word of God can cleanse away spiritual defilement from within the hearts of the believers.
Ephesians 6:14 (NKJV)
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
So the first piece of spiritual armor listed is the belt of truth which speaks of having truth in the innermost being or core of human makeup which is the heart.
John 7:38 (KJV)
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
The KJV speaks of living water coming from the belly signifying that it is from the innermost being of a believer. So, the belt of truth is placed around the waist or the “belly” of the believer signifying his innermost being.
John 7:38 (NASB)
38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'”
The NASB translates this scripture to read, “From his innermost being” so this relates to the belt of truth which is placed over the midsection or center of a human.
Psalm 51:6 (NASB)
6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.
Again, it is evident that God desires the believer to have truth in his innermost being which speaks of the core or central part of human makeup which is the heart. The heart of humans can contain defilement from the world’s system which is entirely immoral and defiled. It is for this reason that the believer must first memorize and then meditate on God’s word in order to get the light of God’s truth into their hearts where it can drive out all darkness and defilement placed in the heart by the devil.
Joshua 1:8 (NASB)
8 “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.
God gave Joshua instructions to meditate on God’s word day and night. He was to speak God’s word and be careful to do all that was written in God’s word. This was the reason that Joshua and (Caleb- who also meditated on God’s word) were the only ones to enter the Promised Land. The other Israelites who were meditating on the thoughts and imaginations of the devil failed to enter their Promised Land. They were all rejected and died off in the desert because they could not believe that God would give them the land. They were defeated in their minds by listening to satanic thoughts and they quit without a fight and even wanted to return to Egypt to become slaves again. Those believers who do not keep the truth of God’s word in their innermost being will be defeated by Satan. Satan is a deceiver and he will fill their minds with satanic thoughts of defeat and failure and cause them to perish without entering the Promised Land of good things God had in store for them on earth.
It is for this reason that the belt of truth is so vital and important as a part of the spiritual armor of the believer. If the believers do not have the truth of God within them then they will never be cleansed from spiritual defilement and will remain as a vassal of the devil to fulfill his satanic will on the earth.
Romans 10:17 (NKJV)
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Faith will grow in the hearts of the believers as they meditate on God’s word. Faith comes by the word of God so the word of God is the source of all faith. This is why Joshua and Caleb had faith but the rest of the Israelites did not.
Numbers 14:6-10 (NASB)
6 Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes;
7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.
8 “If the LORD is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey.
9 “Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.”
10 But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the LORD appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.
Only Joshua and Caleb meditated on God’s word and only Joshua and Caleb had faith that God would bring them into the Promised Land. The rest of the congregation remained faithless because they never meditated on God’s word but only meditated on the thoughts and imaginations of the devil. So, when Joshua and Caleb spoke according to God’s word, the people wanted to stone them to death. Those who are carnal minded are opposed to those who are spiritual minded like Joshua and Caleb were.
Romans 8:6-8 (NIV)
6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;
7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.
8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
Those who are controlled by the sinful nature have a sinful mind that is carnal and filled with natural thoughts and defilement of the devil. Such people cannot please God because they are at war in their minds against everything that God has said. Carnal minded people have sold their minds to the thoughts of the devil and are unable to think anything positive that is in agreement with God’s word. Such people become carnal minded because they never meditate on God’s word and have no faith in their hearts as a result. Such people cannot please God and so they will be rejected and never enter their Promised Land God has in store for them on earth.
This is all related to the belt of truth which speaks of the truth of God ‘s word in their innermost being. If they do not guard this truth within, they will become reprobate and defiled and deceived by Satan to fulfill the devil’s agenda on the earth.
The breastplate covers the heart and protects the vital organs of the soldier. The spiritual breastplate of righteousness speaks of protecting the heart of the believer or protecting him where the seat of his human will resides. In the heart of the believer they can feel either conviction of the Holy Spirit for sin or condemnation from the devil. Conviction however is different than condemnation because the Holy Spirit will convict a believer of sin and as soon as they repent then the conviction ceases. But condemnation comes from Satan and he will accuse them and condemn them day and night without stopping. Condemnation from Satan can destroy a believer by causing them to despair of life and burdens them to no end. Satan will seek to condemn the believer about anything and everything because his only goal is to repress the believer and burden them with shame and guilt to render them ineffective and unable to operate in life.
1 John 3:20 (NIV)
20 whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
The heart of humans can condemn them if they feel guilty about something. But the mature believer will learn to recognize the difference between condemnation that came from the devil and conviction that came from the Holy Spirit. If they have already repented of sin and asked God to forgive them then their heart should no longer have any more conviction. If this continues however after they have already repented then it is no longer conviction of the Holy Spirit but condemnation of the devil designed to destroy them.
When a believer prays his early morning prayers before going to work or school or starting their day, they should not forget to put all the full armor of God.
Ephesians 6:11 (NASB)
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
The believer is to put on God’s armor by understanding what each piece of armor does. The breastplate of righteousness is designed to protect the heart of the believer from the condemnation of the devil. The breastplate of righteousness protects their heart and “righteousness” means that they have been made righteous by God’s grace.
Hebrews 10:19-20 (NIV)
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,
20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,
When Jesus made a sacrifice of himself for all humanity it was at this time that he paid for the sins of the whole world. This means that all sin past and present and future of all generations was forgiven so that whoever will call upon his Name will be saved and washed from all sin. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross enables believers to enter into the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus who washes them from all sin. They are therefore made righteous by faith in Jesus who washed them from all sin by his blood atonement and sacrifice.
Matthew 27:50-51 (NIV)
50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.
When Jesus gave up his spirit and died on the cross, at that moment the (heavy veil or curtain) which separated the Most Holy Place from the rest of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. This signified that the way was made clear for humanity to approach God because of the atonement made by the blood sacrifice of Jesus.
Hebrews 9:2-3 (NASB)
2 For there was a tabernacle prepared, the outer one, in which were the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread; this is called the holy place.
3 Behind the second veil there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies,
It was the second veil of in the temple in Jerusalem which was torn in two pieces from top to bottom (which separated the Holy of Holies) which signified that the way to God was now made open by the blood sacrifice of Jesus.
Hebrews 9:7-8 (NASB)
7 but into the second, only the high priest enters once a year, not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance.
8 The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing,
Only the high priest entered the Holy of Holies in the temple once a year but no other person was allowed to enter this area. The curtain which separated the Holy of Holies prior to the death of Jesus signified that the way into the holy place was not yet made available to humanity. But after Yeshua died on the cross and shed his blood for humanity then this veil was torn from top to bottom signifying that the way for humanity to enter into God’s presence is now made available through Jesus.
Isaiah 59:1-2 (NASB)
1 Behold, the LORD’S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.
2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
God is a holy God and sinful man cannot stand in God’s presence. Sin separates humans from God so that God will not hear them. But when Jesus paid the price for the sins of all humanity this opened the door for those who believe in Jesus to be washed from all sin and thus, they could enter into God’s presence by the sacrifice of Jesus.
Romans 5:19 (NKJV)
19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
Adam fell into transgression and brought a curse to the entire earth and all humans after Adam were born with the sin of Adam. The disobedience of Adam made many sinners in all of the following generations on earth after Adam. But in the same way Jesus made many righteous by the sacrifice of himself on the cross. All those who call upon the Lord can receive the free gift of righteousness paid for by the sacrifice of Jesus.
Romans 10:11-13 (NIV)
11 As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile–the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,
13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Salvation from sin is made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus whose blood made atonement for all of the sins of humanity. Whoever will call upon his Name will be saved and washed from their sin because righteousness is available to whoever will receive it by faith as a free gift.
Genesis 15:6 (NKJV)
6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
Abraham believed God (before he was circumcised) and it was accounted to him as righteousness. The word “righteous” means to be in right-standing with God and not being separated from God by sin. Abraham was made righteous by an act of faith simply by believing in God.
Romans 4:3 (NKJV)
3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
In the same way all those who believe in God’s son Jesus can receive righteousness as a free gift just as Abraham became righteous simply by believing.
Romans 3:21-24 (HCSB)
21 But now, apart from the law, God’s righteousness has been revealed—attested by the Law and the Prophets
22 —that is, God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, since there is no distinction.
23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
24 They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Righteousness is made available to all humanity whoever will believe in Jesus the Jewish Messiah. It is therefore important for the believer to know and understand that they have been made righteous by believing in Jesus and receiving the free gift of righteousness by faith. Knowing therefore that they are made righteous by a gift of God’s grace, the believers can walk in confidence before God without any condemnation.
Zechariah 3:1 (NASB)
1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.
In this scripture a high priest named Joshua was standing in heaven and Satan was also standing at his right hand to accuse him. Satan is the accuser and that his name and this is his job description. He does nothing except accuse the believers in an effort to immobilize them with guilt and condemnation.
Revelation 12:10 (NASB)
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.
This scripture reveals that Satan is the accuser who accuses the believers day and night before God. It is for this reason that the believers must be aware of the spiritual armor called the breastplate of righteousness because will protect their heart from the accusation of the enemy.
Zechariah 3:3-4 (NASB)
3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel.
4 He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.”
In this vision, the prophet Zechariah saw that Joshua a high priest was clothed in filthy garments. This speaks of human sin which defiles people and makes them unfit to stand before the Holy God. But then a command was given to remove the filthy garments of Joshua and God said that he had taken away his iniquity. Being clothed in a pure white robe speaks of the righteousness of God that is received by faith.
Matthew 22:11-13 (NKJV)
11 But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.
12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.
13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
In this parable, a king held a wedding feast and came to inspect the guests and he found a man who was present who was not wearing a wedding garment. No one was to enter the feast without a wedding garment and so this parable speaks of the righteousness that is a free gift received by faith. There will be no one in heaven who has entered without the free gift of righteousness. This man without a wedding garment speaks of someone who failed to appropriate the free gift of righteousness by faith. Just as in this wedding in this parable, those guests who entered were all given a free wedding garment to cover them. So, they were all wearing a pure white garment that represents righteousness and moral purity that is without spot or blemish.
Revelation 21:2-3 (NKJV)
2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
A bride prepared for her husband wearing pure white represents purity and holiness and this is why the color white represents purity.
Zechariah 3:5 (NKJV)
5 And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the LORD stood by.
In the vision of the prophet Zechariah, he saw them place a clean turban on the head of Joshua and put clean clothing on him after they had removed the filthy clothing.
Zechariah 3:4 (NKJV)
4 Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.”
Again, we see that the filthy garments represent human sin because when they removed the filthy garments the Lord said that they removed the iniquity or sin of Joshua.
The believer must understand that their sin (filthy garments) have been removed and replaced by righteousness (clean garments). This is done by having faith in Jesus and receiving the free gift of righteousness that comes by faith. They did nothing to earn it but it was given freely to them just like a king who handed out free wedding garments to all of the guests who arrived at his wedding feast. This speaks of how the believers are made righteous by grace and therefore there is no longer any condemnation for them.
Romans 8:1 (NASB)
1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
There is no more condemnation for those who are in Jesus the Messiah because their sins have been washed away by the blood atonement of Jesus.
In order for a believer to put on the breastplate of righteousness they must know and understand that they were made righteous by faith.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
The righteousness of the believer is a free gift from God and not a result of works or anything that they could do to earn it. They only receive it as a free gift like a guest at a wedding feast who is given a set of pure white wedding clothes without having to pay anything for them.
The reason that the believers have to put on the full armor of God (which includes the breastplate of righteousness) is because they are involved in a war and their enemy seeks to destroy them.
Revelation 12:10 (NASB)
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.
Again, we see that Satan is called the accuser and he accuses the believers day and night. If the believers do not put on the breastplate of righteousness then their heart will not be protected and they will be open to the condemnation of the devil who will condemn them for anything and everything imaginable!
But when the condemnation comes, the believer can rebuke the devil and tell him to shut up because they were already made righteous by the free gift of salvation which they received by having faith in Jesus the Jewish Messiah.
How does a believer put on the breastplate of righteousness which God commanded him to put on? They put it on by acknowledging that they were made righteous by faith in Jesus. This knowledge therefore will protect their heart from the condemnation of the devil much like the breastplate of a Roman soldier can protect his heart from arrows or darts or sword strikes to his heart. The believer must renew their minds with the word of God to know that they are made righteous by faith and therefore they are free from any condemnation of the devil.
Those believers who cannot overcome the condemnation of the devil will be destroyed by it. They will become so oppressed and miserable that they will be incapable of having any joy or living their lives to the fullest. Those believers who fall into condemnation of the devil are those who have no knowledge that they were made righteous by faith in Jesus.
Hosea 4:6 (NASB)
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
God’s people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge. If the believer has no knowledge that they have been made righteous by faith then they will be open to the condemnation of the devil which can destroy them.
If the believers will renew their minds to their righteousness by faith then they will be like a soldier wearing a breastplate which protects their hearts from injury. The breastplate of righteousness is a piece of spiritual armor that protects the hearts of the believers from condemnation of the devil. They are righteous by faith and that righteousness will cancel out satanic condemnation and allow the believer to rebuke the devil and silence his accusations and cause them to go on to live a successful and victorious life.
The image above left is a recreation of a military-type of boot once worn by Roman soldiers complete with hobnails in the soles. The statue (shown on the right) from that period of time shows a similar type of footwear depicting what Roman soldiers commonly wore in their day.
Gospel of Peace Military Footwear
Ephesians 6:15 (NLT2)
15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.
The peace that comes from the good news refers to the peace which Jesus made between God and man by the sacrifice of himself. Jesus removed the enmity that once existed between God and man by removing the sin that separated humans from God.
Isaiah 59:2 (NASB)
2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
Mankind were separated from God by sin but Jesus came to earth and offered himself as a sacrifice for sin and thus paid the price for sin by making atonement with his blood.
Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV)
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
The chastisement for our peace refers to the punishment that was paid to purchase peace with God for all humanity for anyone who would accept this salvation as a free gift.
In order for the believer to put on the military footwear of the gospel of peace it means that they acknowledge that Jesus purchased salvation for them on their behalf and made their peace with God.
It is said that the words “Punji-stake” may have entered into the English language as early as the 1880’s with the British Indian Army which encountered such stakes used in traps found in the Punjab state of India. But the practice of crippling the enemy with spikes may have dated back for thousands of years possibly even before the Roman era. The image above on the left shows an example of sharpened stakes placed in a pit which when contaminated with excrement would cause infection to any soldier who stepped on one. These stakes can pierce through the sole of a regular army boot. The image on the right shows a US soldier being prepared to be evacuated by helicopter after stepping on a Punji-stake during the Vietnam conflict.
During the Vietnam conflict the US Army provided soldiers with jungle boots designated as being “Spike Protective” which incorporated a steel shank in the sole which would stop Punji-stakes from penetrating the soles of the boot. The images above show Vietnam jungle boots with the “Spike-Protective” designation indicating they are made with steel shanks in the soles.
Having protection against Punji-stakes was important because a soldier whose foot was pierced with a Punji-stake would be crippled and unable to walk on his own. If the wound was not treated right away then he may even lose his foot to infection or gangrene.
Spiritual Punji-Stakes that Cripple
In the same way that soldiers in Vietnam were in danger of being crippled by Punji-stake traps, so the believer can also be disabled or crippled by spiritual Punji-stake traps of the devil. The believer is to walk in the righteousness that they received by faith in Jesus the Jewish Messiah. But if they forget about their redemption, they could easily fall prey to the tactics of the devil to cripple them with condemnation.
In order to put on their “Spike-Protective” military footwear the believer should pray the scriptures daily that are related to walking in righteousness. To be righteous means that they are in right standing with God.
1 John 3:21 (NKJV)
21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.
If the heart of the believers does not condemn them then they will have great confidence toward God. It is therefore important that the believer be aware of their righteousness which comes by faith in Jesus the Messiah.
Hebrews 4:16 (NASB)
16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
The believer is to draw near to God with confidence and come before the throne of grace to receive mercy and grace to help in time of need. The believer can come to God with confidence because they are in fact washed from all sin by the sacrifice of Jesus which made them holy.
The devil however will try to set a trap for the believer and try to condemn them about anything or anything possible in order to cripple them with condemnation. If they are crippled with condemnation, they will be ashamed to come to God and therefore they cut themselves off from going to the throne of grace for mercy and help in time of need.
This is just like the natural Punji-stake trap which was a pit full of sharp spikes that would disable and cripple any soldier who stepped in one. A soldier with a hole in his foot can no longer march and his wound will soon become infected. The devil also seeks to disable the believer so they will not be able to march with confidence to the throne of God because of feeling condemned.
In order to put on the military footwear of the gospel of peace a believer must pray and give thanksgiving to God that he was washed by the blood of the Lamb (Jesus) and therefore his sin is washed away and he can come to God with confidence.
The knowledge that the believer is washed by the blood of Jesus is the avenue by which they can appropriate the spiritual footwear which is “Spike-protective” against the crippling effects of the devil’s condemnation.
1 John 1:9 (NASB)
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Should a believer step into sin then they only have to confess their sins to the Lord and he is faithful and just to forgive them from all sin and cleanse them from all unrighteousness. In this manner, the believers can walk in holiness and purity before God and come to God with confidence knowing that they are forgiven. This is the way to close the door on the devil and stop his crippling effects of condemnation. If the devil proceeds to condemn the believer after they have repented then they can simply rebuke the devil in the Name of Jesus and tell him to be silent!
The spiritual armor of the believer is appropriated by faith and putting on the military footwear of the gospel of peace relates to the fact that the gospel of Jesus has made peace between God and mankind so humans no longer have to be repressed by demonic condemnation for sin. Stepping into the devil’s trap of condemnation is like stepping into a pit full of Punji-stakes which can cripple the believer with condemnation. Knowing that they are forgiven and meditating on scriptures that relate to redemption is the way to put on this piece of spiritual armor which is called the gospel of peace military footwear.
Above is an image of what Roman shields looked like in the day. These protected from flying projectiles like arrows or stones and also aided in combat to stop sword blows until the opponent could be neutralized.
Ephesians 6:16 (NKJV)
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
The scripture commands the believer to take up the shield of faith which is part of the full armor of God. The shield is needed by the believer to stand strong after they have done everything else they know to do. If they will continue to stand strong and not give up then they will see the victory.
Ephesians 6:13 (NKJV)
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
After the believer has done all they know to do then there is nothing remaining for them to do except to stand in faith and not be moved.
The flaming darts of the evil one are designed to move a believer off their stand of faith. This is where the saying comes from about distractions that are like little fires that demand your attention. If a believer becomes distracted by all of the little fires from the flaming darts of the enemy they might panic and drop their shield of faith and turn tail and run. If they turn their backs on the enemy they will easily be cut down with arrows to their unprotected backsides. Dropping the shield of faith is like exposing their necks to the sword of the enemy or exposing their hearts to arrows. Standing in faith entails not being moved off of the word of God which gives them the victory. If they give up that is when they give the devil license to destroy their lives.
The helmet of salvation is a piece of armor which deals with the human mind. The mind of the believer is the battle ground of Satan because if the devil can control the thoughts of the mind then he can control the person.
The children of Israel were defeated in their minds because they did not guard their thoughts and cast down the evil imaginations of the devil. They imagined that they would be defeated by the giants in the Promised Land and that their wives and children would be taken as spoils of war. They spoke out these demonic thoughts and so they received what they spoke from their mouths.
Numbers 14:26-31 (NASB)
26 The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
27 “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me.
28 “Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the LORD, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will surely do to you;
29 your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me.
30 ‘Surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.
31 ‘Your children, however, whom you said would become a prey—I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected.
The children of Israel got what they said after they spoke out the evil imaginations of the devil which were inserted into their minds. All of them were rejected by God except Joshua and Caleb who meditated on God’s word and dispelled the evil imaginations of defeat from their minds.
The believer must focus their minds on what God has said about them and cast down every demonic imagination that is contrary to what the Lord said in his word.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NKJV)
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
The helmet of salvation deals with protecting the human mind from the thoughts of the enemy. The believer is to cast down all arguments and everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. The helmet of salvation speaks of guarding the human mind from satanic thoughts. The believer is to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of the Lord. This means that whenever a thought is inserted into their mind, they are to judged that thought. If that thought is not in agreement with God’s word then it should be cast out of their minds immediately. That is how to have a guarded mind and this will keep them from being defeated by the onslaught of demonic lies that attacks their minds daily. This is why believers must put on the helmet of salvation and meditate on things related to their redemption and cast down all thoughts that are contrary to the truth of God’s word.
Ephesians 6:17 (NKJV)
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
The scripture says that the sword of the Spirit is the word of God. Satan is a spirit being so he cannot be harmed by a natural sword made out of steel. The weapons of the believer are not natural weapons used against natural enemies but instead they are spiritual weapons used against a spiritual adversary who is Satan.
Matthew 4:3-4 (NKJV)
3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ “
When Satan assaulted Jesus with demonic lies, he tried to get Jesus to turn the stones into bread and thus use God’s power for selfish motives or to display power. Jesus did not let the lies of the devil go unanswered but always responded with the word of God and said, “It is written!” Jesus then quoted the word of God in the correct context in order to dispel the deception of the devil. Jesus used the word of God like a sword against the lies of the devil every time he said, “It is written!”
Matthew 4:5-7 (NKJV)
5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,
6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ “
7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’ “
The devil was also able to quote scripture and the devil also said, “It is written!” in order to twist the truth by quoting the scripture out of context with a misapplication! But again, Jesus responded to the devil’s lies by saying, “It is written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ” Jesus always used the word of God like a sword to counteract the deceptions of the devil and even the demonic and twisted misapplication of God’s word.
Matthew 4:8-10 (NKJV)
8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ “
Again, Jesus resisted the devil’s lies with truth by quoting the word of God saying, “It is written!” and giving the correct application of God’s word.
Revelation 19:15 (NASB)
15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.
The sword that comes from the mouth of the Lord is the word of God as he quotes the truth of God’s word to cancel out counteract all of the lies of the devil. The devil has no other weapons other than deception and the truth of God’s word will dispel demonic lies every time.
In the same way the believer is also to speak God’s word against every demonic thought that is inserted into their minds. They are to say, “It is written!” then quote the word of God. It is of vital importance that the believer memorize and meditate on scripture for this reason. The word of God is the sword of the spirit and with this sword they can defeat all of the lies and deceptions of the devil.
Overview
The scripture commands the believer to put on the full-armor of God and not leave any piece of armor missing.
Ephesians 6:11 (NKJV)
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Unless the believer puts on the full armor of God, they will not be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. The armor of God is meant to counteract and cancel all of the deception and demonic schemes designed to defeat them.
Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
The believer does not fight against natural enemies of flesh and blood like humans but instead their enemies are spiritual. These enemies are demonic principalities and powers and rules of darkness of this age and spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places. It is a spiritual war and therefore the believer needs to employ spiritual weapons and spiritual armor to fight against these evil spiritual forces aligned against them.
Ephesians 6:13 (NKJV)
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Repeatedly the word of God commands the believer to take up the whole armor of God.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NKJV)
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
The weapons that the believer uses against spiritual darkness are those that dispel demonic deception and lies. These weapons are not carnal or natural weapons which have no effect on spirit beings like demons. These are spiritual weapons and these are necessary for the believer to employ or else they will be defeated by the enemy.
Ephesians 6:13-17 (NKJV)
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
There are six pieces of armor that the believer must put on daily and none of these articles should be forgotten.
1. Belt of Truth
2. Breastplate of Righteousness
3. Gospel of Peace Military Footwear
4. Shield of Faith
5. Helmet of Salvation
6. Sword of the Spirit
These all work together and overlap in purpose. The belt of truth speaks of the truth of God’s word but the helmet of salvation also speaks of keeping the truth of God’s word within the human mind. The sword of the spirit refers to speaking God’s word of truth by saying, “It is written!” against every demonic lie that confronts the believer. The breastplate of righteousness protects the heart from condemnation of the devil but also the military footwear also protects the believer from the crippling effects of demonic condemnation. The shield of faith is above all the military gear and is the most important because it is the last resort to use after everything else has been done. After they have done everything the believer must simply stand their ground and not be moved. No matter what kind of flaming darts or small fires beg to be put out, the believer should not be moved by what they see and not be moved by what they feel and not be moved by what they hear. They are to just stand their ground and keep their confession according to God’s word and never speak out the devil’s words of defeat.
The children of Israel were not defeated until they spoke out the devil’s thoughts and negative imaginations that were inserted into their minds. It was then that they were hung with the tongue when they spoke out and confessed the devil’s words and that is when they were rejected by God as a result. God gave them what they said and so they never entered the Promised Land that was prepared for them. These demon-thought talking people all died in the wilderness without seeing any of the blessings and wealth that belonged to them.
Only Joshua and Caleb spoke positive words that were in line with what God said. Only these two men had faith because they meditated on the word of God (the Torah) day and night. The word of God is like light which drove out all of the darkness of demonic thoughts from their minds. Only Joshua and Caleb entered the Promised Land out of that entire generation of over 600,000 men!
The same is true of believers because only those who use their spiritual weapons (like Joshua and Caleb) will enter their Promised Land. The majority will not see their Promised Land because they will never use their spiritual resources to defeat the deception of Satan. Those who do not take up the full armor of God are guaranteed to fail. It is for this reason that the scriptures command the believers to take up the full armor of God and leave no part of armor out of their spiritual resources.
The battle with the devil is like a game to see who will give up and quit. If the devil can get the believers to be moved by what they see then they will be defeated.
Matthew 14:28-31 (NKJV)
28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Peter actually got out of the boat and was walking on the water toward Jesus . He was walking on the word spoken by the Lord which was “Come!” But when Peter took his eyes off the Lord and began to look at the wind and the waves of the sea then he began to be afraid and began to sink. This is an illustration of the flaming darts of the enemy which seek to distract the believer away from their focus of faith. If the believer is moved by what they see or by what they hear or by what they feel then they will become frightened looking at all of the flaming darts in their shield. Once they give up and lay down their shield of faith and turn their backs and run, then they will be shot down with arrows to the back. If they will not give up and not be moved from their stand of faith then they will win every time! So, the shield of faith is above all or the most important part of the armor because without it all of the other pieces of armor would be rendered worthless. Once the believer drops his faith then he will be defeated.
All six parts of armor are all related to the word of God including the shield of faith.
Romans 10:17 (NKJV)
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Faith comes by hearing the word of God so the faith shield is also empowered by God’s word. All of the six pieces of armor are over lapping and related to the word of God and together they make the believer invincible as long as he never drops his shield of faith and does not quit before he has the victory. Typically, Satan will assault the senses of the believer to scare them off their stand of faith using outside symptoms. But if the believer understands how faith is operated then they will not be moved by what they see or by what they hear or by what they feel. If they will not be moved then the devil is a defeated foe and they will have victory every time.