Battle Ready: Standing Firm in God’s Armor

We live in a time when the lines between tragedy and atrocity feel painfully close. As my pastor this past weekend explained, tragedies—like hurricanes, wildfires, and natural disasters—are often beyond our control. But atrocities—those are the result of human choices. In many ways, they could be prevented.

I know I’m not the only one who has been feeling the heaviness of the last few weeks. The assassination of Charlie Kirk, fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska, and endless gun violence are atrocities that shake us to our core. The shock, grief, fear, and confusion that follow remind us that this world is broken and dangerous. The spiritual battles we face aren’t hypothetical—they are real and often brutal.

I remember moving to a new city completely alone, feeling isolated and afraid. I doubted whether I could do it. One day, I (embarrassingly) poured my heart out to a woman working at Bath&Body Works, crying over hand soap and telling her just how scared I was. She responded simply but powerfully: “When I’m afraid, I remind myself: I am shielded by the armor of God.” Nearly ten years later, I still whisper those words to myself when the world feels heavy.

Just like that woman, I want to give you a hug and say that same thing to you.

In Ephesians 6:10-20, Paul urges the believers in Ephesus to prepare for spiritual battle. Drawing imagery from Roman soldiers and Isaiah’s description of God’s own armor (Isaiah 59:12-20), Paul shows us that that when we surrender to Christ, we no longer fight for ourselves. Instead, we show up as His ambassadors, equipped in His strength.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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. 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. —Ephesians 6:10-20

Strength in the Lord

Paul doesn’t begin this passage by saying, “Be strong in yourselves!” He says, “Be strong in the Lord.” We often look to ourselves for strength, but all humans have limits. You can train your body, discipline your mind, and sharpen your skills, but you’ll eventually reach the end of yourself. God never does, though.

David knew this intimately, writing, “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Psalm 18:2). To be strong in the Lord means we lean into His unshakable, unlimited character when our own resources run dry. But God’s strength isn’t just downloaded automatically. We learn to walk in His power by studying His Word, praying His promises, and choosing daily to surrender. Just like a soldier trains with armor until it becomes second nature, we have to train our minds until truth becomes our default instinct. Strength in the Lord comes from knowing His voice better than the enemy’s.

Know Your Enemy

Paul definitely doesn’t sugarcoat it: “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.” Do you know what that means?

Your spouse is not the enemy.

Your boss is not the enemy.

That politician you disagree with is not the enemy.

The devil is. And, boy, is he cunning. Don’t minimize his schemes and influence. Satan rarely shows up dressed in red waving a pitchfork. He slips in through lies that sound almost true, temptations that seem harmless, and discouragement that feels justified. His favorite weapons?

Lies: convincing you that God’s Word can’t be trusted.

Temptation: making sin look sweeter than obedience.

Division: tearing apart relationships, families, and churches.

Discouragement: whispering that you’re too broken, too guilty, or too weak.

This is why we need to take our fight against him seriously. Every single day is a battlefield (or whatever Pat Benatar said). Sticking our heads in the and and pretending otherwise doesn’t make the war go away. It just makes us easier targets.

The Call to Stand

Paul uses a word in Ephesians 6:13 that echoes through this whole passage for me: stand. Not retreat. Not collapse in a puddle of fear. Not sit idly by. Stand.

The writer in me can’t help but notice the balance: the nouns in this text (armor, belt, shield, breastplate, etc.) represent what God has already given us through Jesus. The verbs (take up, put on etc.) tells us what we are supposed to do with them. The armor is God’s, but the responsibility to wear it is ours. A Roman soldier didn’t just wander out onto the battlefield hoping someone else remembered to strap on his gear for him. He prepared! He stood ready! In the same way, we can’t passively “fall into” God’s protection. We are called to actively lean into it through prayer and obedience that chooses Him even when our feelings push back.

Standing firm doesn’t mean we never feel weak. It means we refuse to fight in our strength. We plant our feet on the solid rock of Christ’s finished work and boldly declare: I will not move.

The Belt of Truth

“…with the belt of truth buckled around your waist…”

I am a big fan of the show Naked and Afraid. One of my favorite parts is finding out what survival tool the contestants chose to bring to help them survive 21 days in the wilderness. Someone usually picks a fire starter, machete, or even a mosquito net. The one tool I have definitely never seen chosen is a belt.

For a Roman soldier, the belt was no simple accessory. It was foundational. Not only did the thick strap support the sword and equipment, but it also held the whole armor together. Soldiers wore thick, cumbersome robes that would get in the way if not for the belt.

In our spiritual lives, truth does the same. Our culture loves to preach this idea that truth is subjective—you can “live your truth” while I “live mine.” But Scripture is very clear: Truth is not fluid. Truth is a person. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).

When we fasten on the belt of truth, we are refusing to let half-truths and distortions dictate our thinking. Don’t forget, the origin of sin began with a lie twisted just enough to sound believable. Satan still uses that tactic today. Yep, I’m pointing at your favorite news outlet.

Fastening on truth is a conscious, daily act. It means opening Scripture when we’d rather scroll through Instagram. It means reminding our hearts of God’s promises when our emotions scream otherwise. It means choosing to see the larger picture rather than being blinded by our own biases. It means declaring, “I will stand firm in truth even when the world mocks me for it.”

John 8:32—“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), Satan used a perversion of Scripture taken out of context. Jesus didn’t fire back with clever arguments but with the full truth of God’s Word. If Christ Himself leaned on Scripture, how much more do we need to?

The Breastplate of Righteousness

“…with the breastplate of righteousness in place…”

Roman soldiers wore breastplates that were typically made of iron or bronze metal that overlapped to connect the front and back, with rounded pieces used to protect the shoulders. By covering the chest, the breastplate protected the heart and lungs—vital organs that determined life or death. Without it one well-aimed strike could end the battle before it began.

For believers, righteousness is our breastplate. It works in two ways:

Positional Righteousness: Through salvation, Jesus clothes us in His righteousness. Paul writes, “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). We are saved through faith, securing our place in eternity with God.

Conditional Righteousness: Through sanctification, we live out righteousness daily. Romans 8:10 says, “If Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.” Our obedience is an overflow of gratitude for what Jesus has done.

When guilt and shame strike, our armor reminds us: “I am covered by the blood of Jesus. My heart is guarded, not by my performance, but by His perfect sacrifice.”

Proverbs 11:4-6—Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight, but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness. The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.

Isaiah 59:16-17—His own arm achieved salvation for Him, and His own righteousness sustained Him. He put on righteousness as His breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on His head.

Think of Peter denying Jesus three times. The enemy tried to crush him with shame. But when Jesus restored him by the Sea of Galilee, He showed that righteousness doesn’t simply collapse under failure—it’s upheld by grace.

Battle Drills

Soldiers didn’t just polish their gear to hang it up on the wall for show. They wore it into the fight. The same is true for our armor.

Fasten your belt! Write down three lies you’ve been tempted to believe and counter them with God’s truth. For example: “I’m not enough” —> “His grace is sufficient for me, for His power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Guard your heart! Ask yourself, are you living out of guilt or shame—or are you living out of Christ’s righteousness? When shame tries to take over, remind your heart, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

Stand firm! Don’t wait for a crisis to put on your armor. Be battle-ready.

And if you need a a resource to help you hold onto truth, consider using Fighting Words Part 1 and Part 2!

Check back next week for Part 2—Battle Ready: Equipped for Victory!