Young People’s Blog

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6:18).

Here we have one final part of the armor of God, and it is perhaps the most important of them all. We cannot use any of the armor of God in our own strength; we need the Lord’s strength. That is why prayer is so important in our lives, for prayer is a recognition of our weakness, and expresses our dependence on the Lord. We may put on all of the armor, and feel that we are ready to meet the enemy. However, we must remember that the battle belongs to the Lord.

David was confident when he went out against Goliath, and knew that even a giant could not fight against the Lord. But David depended on the Lord; he did not depend on his own skill with a sling, or anything like that. When Goliath was defeated, David gave the Lord the credit for it.

Let us remember to pray every day, and perhaps several times a day. Even a short prayer is all that is needed when we are faced with a difficult situation in our lives!

“And [take] the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).

Here in this verse we have the one offensive weapon that the believer can use. Notice that it is a sword, but not a literal one made of metal. No, it is the sword of the Spirit, for it can be used effectively only by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the Word of God, used by the Spirit of God, and it is very powerful.

However, we cannot use the Word of God if we are not familiar with it. We cannot quote a verse from God’s Word is we have never read it, and walked in it. If we try doing this, we will end up feeling awkward, and perhaps using the wrong verse, or quoting it wrongly. No, we must be walking with the Lord in order to use His Word properly, and then, when we need that sword, it will be there for us. The Spirit of God will give us the right verse to use for that occasion.

“Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done” (Luke 22:42).

When the Lord Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed earnestly to His Father about what was before Him at the cross. Did He realize that it was all necessary? Yes, indeed He did. But as One who was holy, and abhorred sin, He shrank back from being made sin for us, and from suffering the awful judgment of God against sin.

Was there no other way that sin could be put away? No, there was not, and thus our blessed Lord Jesus submitted to the Father’s will, and went willingly to the cross. He did this, not only for our sakes, but for God’s glory. What a wonderful work He did on that cross, in those three hours of darkness!

“And take the helmet of salvation” (Ephesians 6:17).

Every soldier needs a helmet, for it is important to protect our head. Even in construction projects, or riding a bicycle, it is considered important to wear a helmet. Here it is called the “helmet of salvation.” What does that mean?

We have salvation as a free gift, and in order to accept it, we had to realize that we could do nothing to save ourselves. Now it is ours—secured to us by the finished work of Christ on the cross. We have nothing to fear, for nothing can take away our salvation. We can never lose it, and this is a real helmet on our heads.

More than this, we can “live out” our salvation in the sense of living in the enjoyment of it, even when we are in conflict with the devil. He wants to take away our enjoyment of our salvation, but with our helmet on, we are protected from all this. Yes, we do not have strength of our own, but the certainty of our salvation depends on Christ, and not on us.

“Besides all these having taken the shield of faith with which ye will be able to quench all the inflamed darts of the wicked one” (Ephesians 6:16 JND).

Next the soldier must have a shield. The helmet and the breastplate stay in one place, but the shield must be moved around by the arm, for the fiery darts of Satan can come from any direction. Satan will try to discourage us by telling us that the Christian pathway is not worth it, and that we should not be so careful to honor the Lord in everything. He will tell us that we should relax and enjoy the things of this world sometimes. Satan will try to persuade us that the Lord is not going to keep His Word and bring us all the way home safely.

The shield of faith reminds us that God is always for us, and that the battle is His, not ours. We are always on the winning side with the Lord, and with all the armor on, Satan cannot attack us successfully. We must always remember this, and remember that while the Lord may test our faith, He will never disappoint our faith.

“And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15).

 Although it is always a good thing to preach the gospel, this part of the armor does not really mean that. It is connected with what we had yesterday—the breastplate of righteousness. If we have done something wrong, then we have a bad conscience, and cannot really go out boldly before this world. We are afraid that someone will expose our bad conduct.

However, if we have a good conscience, then we are at peace—at peace before the Lord, and at peace before others too. Then we can walk in peace. Yes, we are still soldiers, with defensive armor and an offensive weapon. But we are not, like some people in this world, “looking for a fight.” Rather, we walk in peace in this world, because we are above all the things that this world goes after. We live here in this world as ambassadors for Christ, but our home is in heaven.

“Having on the breastplate of righteousness” (Ephesians 6:14).

The word “righteousness” always involves more than one person, for in order to be righteous, it means that I must be right and honest in my dealings with another person.

It is most important that we, as Christians, be righteous in our relationships with other people in this world. If we have told lies, or cheated someone, or been guilty of anything to do with others that is not right, the world around us will be quick to recognize it. Then our testimony is spoiled.

An older brother once told us how he worked in a machine shop as a young man. It was a rough place, yet he tried to act as a Christian should. But one day his boss was unreasonable with him, accusing him of misplacing a particular big wrench. The young brother found the wrench and when he gave it to his boss, said, “There’s your old wrench!” Immediately the boss said to him, “Oh, you’re supposed to be a Christian! Is that the way a Christian should talk?” Needless to say, the young brother was ashamed of himself, and apologized.

To be righteous in all our ways in this world is an important part of the Christian’s armor.

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God…stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth” (Ephesians 6:13-14).

In this day of long-range missiles, rockets, and bombs of various kinds, wearing armor does not really offer much protection. However, in the days of hand-to-hand fighting with bows and arrows, swords, and spears, armor was quite important. It offered protection to various parts of the body, and often kept the soldier from serious injury.

It is the same in the Christian life. There is spiritual warfare in the Christian life, and we must be prepared for it. In the list of various kinds of armor, the first item mentioned is having our loins girt about with truth. The loins are that part of body between the lowest ribs and the hip bones, and are associated with strength. In eastern lands in the Bible they often wore loose clothing when they were relaxing, but when they went to work, they tightened that clothing so that they could work better.

In the same way the truth from God’s Word strengthens us, and keeps us being “carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14). We need the truth of God’s Word in order to work for the Lord, and to resist the lies that Satan is always trying to persuade us to believe. This is one good reason to read God’s Word every day!

“For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers” (1 Peter 3:12).

On Saturday we wrote about the Lord’s all-seeing eyes. Today we read that His ears are open as well. They are always ready to listen to our cries and prayers.

Just as Mr. Pinkerton in the 19th century became known as “the eye,” detective Burns in the early 20th century became known as “the ear.” He had primitive listening devices that could be planted in a light fixture or even in a pocket and could pick up, although perhaps with a lot of static, private conversations he wanted to hear.

How wonderful that we can have a direct line 24/7 to the ear of the God of the universe! He made us, He knows us, and He loves us. There is no static in His almighty ear! Don’t forget to talk to the Lord Jesus, not just when you might be in trouble or worried, but as friend to friend. It is an immense privilege.

“Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me” (Lamentations 3:19-20).

Although the prophet Jeremiah wrote this many centuries before the Lord Jesus lived on this earth, these words were spoken prophetically about the Lord Jesus. It has now been many centuries since the Lord Jesus suffered on Calvary’s cross, but He has not forgotten. He remembers what happened there, and wants us to remember too.

Gall was a bitter poison that was offered to the Lord Jesus by the Roman soldiers, while wormwood is a bitter herb sometimes used as a medicine. Both gall and wormwood are mentioned in Scripture as being something bitter that is endured.

It is a privilege to come together and remember what the Lord Jesus went through that we might be saved.