This week our church is doing VBS, and guess what the theme is! The armor of God! If you have been a follower of Jesus for a while, I am sure you have heard about the armor of God and seen how important it is in the life of every believer. However, I want to focus specifically on the armor of God as it relates to women. I’ve also included a full Armor of God prayer for women at the end with a free printable, so be sure to grab that!
Meaning of the full armor of God
So, in case you’re not very familiar, what is the armor of God? The whole armor of God is what the apostle Paul refers to in Ephesians 6:10-20. This is spiritual armor that all Christians, not just women, should put on to fight the attacks of Satan. God’s armor is a great way to gain spiritual protection in everyday life.
God’s armor for women
I feel like before you’re ready to pray for the armor of God for yourself, you need to know more about it. To start, What does it mean to put on the armor of God? Well, when Paul talks about this armor, each piece corresponds to a piece of armor that a Roman soldier would have actually worn. As women, we need to be aware of these pieces and bring them into our lives so that they can be used to combat the spiritual forces of evil.
Unfortunately, it is far too easy for the enemy’s lies to cause us to question God’s truth and lose important spiritual battles. That’s why we need the full armor of God in our daily lives.
What are the 7 parts of the armor of God?
According to Ephesians 6, it is seven pieces of the armor of God. I want you to know that some people say there are six pieces of the armor of God because they don’t consider prayer to be one piece of armor. However, I will cover it as part of the armor of God. As a Christian woman, putting on the armor of God is a great first step in fighting the real enemy in the battle of spiritual warfare.
1. Belt of truth
What would you say is the truth? Today’s culture may tell you that the truth is what you decide is right for you. However, God’s truth is unchangeable and that is what we are talking about. What does God say in His Word, the Bible? That is where our truth must come from.
The Roman soldier’s belt is the first piece of armor he would put on, and the other pieces of armor hang from it. The belt helps support the weight of the chest plate and provides strength to the soldier’s core so that he does not collapse under pressure. This power then flows to the rest of his body.
As Christian women, we wear the belt of truth by measuring EVERYTHING by the standard of God’s spiritual truths in the Bible. Women tend to measure things based on feelings, but our feelings and emotions are constantly changing. However, God’s truth never changes. His truth must surround us like a belt. God’s standard of truth enables us to be stable in a changing world. His truth helps us to be aware of false doctrines that are entering the church of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Breastplate of righteousness
Another piece of the armor of God is the breastplate of righteousness. First of all, what is ‘justice’? Justice is doing what is right before God and others. In short, it is how the truth is lived. Without the belt of truth we just talked about, you have to bear the weight of righteousness on your own strength. We can’t possibly bear that! Therefore, we must ensure that our righteousness is connected to God’s truth (see Romans 10:3,4).
The breastplate protects the heart and other vital organs. Our spiritual heart is the center of the soul, so we must protect ourselves with God’s righteousness. This righteousness is only found through Jesus and not in our own made-up version of righteousness.
3. Shoes of the gospel of peace
A soldier’s shoes had straps that wrapped around their ankles, along with some spikes that gave them a firm grip. Think about the support they would give. Just like the soldier, we must have a firm grip in a world that simply exists terribly unstable. We must be able to stand firm when necessary, but also move forward at a steady pace when necessary.
Satan wants to steal this peace that allows us to remain steadfast. In women, he often tries to cause worry, fear, discord, or even fuss to trip us up. His goal is the opposite of peace. Therefore, we need our shoes to keep us grounded and moving forward in the Christian life.
4. Shield of Faith
The next bit of the armor of God is the shield of faith. Faith can easily be defined as what you say you believe in action. Your faith is tied to your perception of God, so your faith doesn’t have to be great. However, it MUST be rooted in a good and great God. Priscilla Shirer says, “The truth of God’s character and His Word provide the framework through which our faith can blossom and prosper.” This shifts the focus of faith from us to God and our trust in Him.
The Roman shield that Paul is talking about is a large shield that covered most of the body. The enemy shot fiery arrows at his opponent to distract and cause chaos and distraction. It’s so cool what the soldiers would do! They wet their shells and closed them over and around themselves like a turtle’s shell. Can you just visualize it? The flames would die out as they sank into the wet wood.
Satan is the one who shoots fiery arrows of lies and deception at us. Dear Mom, take up your shield of faith so that these arrows can be extinguished!
As mothers, unless we prioritize our relationship with God, it can easily fall by the wayside. Learn more about grow closer to God. As we grow closer to Him, we also become better wives and mothers.
5. Helmet of salvation
I certainly wouldn’t want to go into battle, spiritual or otherwise, without a helmet! The helmet of salvation is not just about a one-time prayer after hearing the good news of Jesus. It is also an ongoing process of becoming more like Him. I Thessalonians 5:8 calls the helmet the “hope” of salvation.
Our helmet is meant to protect our minds from Satan’s lies. What are some lies you believe? Some common lies for women include: “I am unworthy, incompetent, or unimportant.” Instead, knowing our identity in Christ will help us hear who He says we are. Instead, God tells us that we are loved, chosen, forgiven, and holy.
Choose to put on your helmet. Renew your mind in who God says you are. Because our thinking affects both our minds and our bodies, we have to be careful about what goes into it. Philippians 4:8 (NIV) says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
By putting on the helmet of salvation, we can protect ourselves from the devil’s wiles with the spirit of Christ. He is the father of lies and will do anything to keep you from believing who God says you are.
6. Sword of the Spirit
Finally we come to the sword of the Spirit, the only offensive weapon in the armor of God. The sword referred to here is a short sword intended for close-up combat. Our passage tells us what the sword is…the word of God, which is the Bible! How powerful is that??!! The living word of God has enormous power as a weapon against the powers of this dark world.
God’s Word is “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword.” Hebrews 4:12. Jesus used Scripture when Satan tried to tempt Him. This is the example we must follow. Some specific ways to take up the sword of the Spirit are by reading the Bible and gaining knowledge of God, memorizing Bible verses, and asking God’s help in applying them.
7. Fervent prayer
Now let’s pray! Prayer is the thing that ties everything together. Verses 18-20 tell us what our prayer should look like. Our prayer must be constant, in the Spirit, pleading with God for the saints (all Christians). There are many types of prayers we can pray, but let’s pray specifically as we put on every piece of the armor of God for women. We must also pray for boldness in proclaiming the Gospel and perseverance in the Christian life. Pray that we will have the power of God in our lives so that we can stand against the devil’s schemes.
Daily Armor of God for Women
Now that you know what the armor of God is and how it can help you, it’s time to pray woman prayer in the full armor of God to help you remember to gird yourself daily with every piece of armor God has given us.
Note that you really need that put on the full armor of God. The individual armors are useful in themselves, but they don’t protect you completely. To be fully protected, you need the full armor.
As God helps you every day, remember to gird yourself with every piece of armor God has given you. Daily prayers will help keep the armor of God fresh in your mind and heart. Try this Armor of God prayer for women to get you started.
Make sure you download this FREE Printable Armor of God Prayer. Place it somewhere where you will see it often so that you will remember what God’s armor is and what it helps you do.
I highly recommend further study of the armor of God The armor of God study by Priscilla Shirer. If you want to know more about fervent prayer, watch the movie War room is fantastic. Following the film is the book Fieryalso by Priscilla Shirer.
As a woman of God, are you putting on every piece of the armor of God? What armor do you find difficult to put on? What ways have you found to help you? renew your mind or memorize Scripture? Comment below.
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