There is a war going on every day, and sadly, most Christian leaders aren’t aware of the battles surrounding them, and many who are aware are not trained or equipped to fight such battles.
I don’t want that to be you!
Life is a battleground. The secular values of the world directly oppose God. I want you to be both trained and equipped to be part of an army of Christian leaders who will stand against the world’s values! (See last week’s article What Does It Mean to Be the Powerful, Inspired Leader God Intends You to Be?)
The Whole Armor of God
A soldier must enter a battle with the proper training and equipment to be successful. In his final remarks to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul used an analogy of a soldier putting on their armor to describe how Christians must prepare for the battle against the world’s values. He admonished the Ephesians to be strong in the Lord and to put on the whole armor of God so they could stand their ground against their common enemy, Satan. He wrote:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:10-17)
In this passage, Paul describes six articles of clothing and equipment that comprise the full armor of God needed to stand against Satan’s attacks.
1. Belt of Truth
“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist”
The first piece of armor is the belt of truth. We begin with truth because everything that is not the truth is a lie. Jesus said Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44).
2. Breastplate of Righteousness
“with the breastplate of righteousness in place”
The breastplate protects the heart from attack. Scripture refers to the believer as having received the righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). So, in daily spiritual battles, the breastplate of righteousness protects the heart from Satan’s attacks.
3. Gospel of Peace
“and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.”
Proper footwear both protects the soldier’s feet from injury and ensures a solid foundation. Throughout the Scripture and especially in Ephesians, we are instructed to “stand” and to “stand firm.” As Christians, the gospel of peace is our sure foundation.
4. Shield of Faith
“take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
Roman soldiers would tip their leather shields in water before a battle so the shields would extinguish flaming arrows. The shield of faith regularly dipped in the water of the Word of God protects the entire body from Satan’s attacks.
5. Helmet of Salvation
“Take the helmet of salvation”
A helmet protected the soldier’s head and face. Without a helmet, any blow to the head could easily result in death. The helmet of salvation protects the soul of the Christian from death stemming from Satan’s attacks.
6. Sword of the Spirit
“and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
The soldier’s sword is both a defensive and offensive weapon. Paul tells us that the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. God’s Word is our offensive and defensive weapon to combat the evil of the secular worldview. Christ Himself defeated Satan using scripture three times (Luke 4:1-13).
Put On the Whole Armor of God
Roman soldiers knew their armor provided a measure of protection that made the difference between possible survival and certain death. They would never willingly go into battle without all of their protective armor.
This is precisely why Paul tells us not only to put on our armor but to put on the whole armor of God. Every piece of the armor of God has a distinct and specific purpose in our battle against the evil of the secular worldview.
No member of the army of God should consider stepping into battle without each piece of the armor of God, beginning with:
- the belt of truth to protect us from Satan’s lies,
- the breastplate of righteousness to protect our hearts,
- the gospel of peace to provide a sure foundation,
- the shield of faith to extinguish the flaming arrows of Satan’s attacks,
- the helmet of salvation to protect our soul from death, and finally,
- the sword of the Spirit, God’s Word.
Christian leaders need every piece of the armor of God to stand against the “devil’s schemes successfully.”
Discussion Questions
These questions can serve as a useful framework for guiding a thoughtful and engaging discussion about the article and how its insights and perspectives apply to our lives today.
- As a Christian leader, how can you ensure that you and your team are aware of the spiritual battles happening around you?
- What steps can you take to train and equip yourself and your team to fight against the secular values of the world as a Christian leader?
- How can you incorporate the six pieces of the armor of God into your leadership style to protect yourself and your team from Satan’s attacks?
- What are some practical ways to ensure that every member of your team has every piece of the armor of God in their spiritual arsenal?
- How can you cultivate a culture of truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God in your organization as a Christian leader?
More Articles
I have written several articles on this topic. You can find them by typing “power and influence” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are five of my favorites.
- #512: Do You Realize God Made You to Influence the World?
- #503: 4 Leadership Lessons from Jesus’ Performance Reviews
- #476: Your Light in The Workplace Has Never Been More Important Than Right Now!
- #445: Is Our Prosperity an Indication of God’s Blessing on Our Country?
- #404: Are Power and Influence Important to You?
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. Do you feel sufficiently trained and equipped with the whole armor of God to stand firm against the devil’s schemes?
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Category: Relationships | Power/Influence
Part of one’s faith armament should be education. One should read the works of leading atheists to know their arguments and how to rebut them, and read the work of leading apologists to digest their reasoning and thoughts. I find some of Jordan Peterson’s videos on faith to be quite elucidating, as well as Bishop Barron.
I agree education is so important! Peter said, “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). Sadly, far too many believers are not prepared, and worse, they are learning from their pastors. I’m familiar with Barron’s, Word on Fire, but not with Peterson – I’ll have to look him up.