The Armour Of Light

The Armour Of Light

The night is far spent, the day is at hand:
let us therefore cast off the works of darkness,
and let us put on the armour of light.
Romans 13:12

Ephesians 6:10-12 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

This passage is a very familiar one to most Christians, one that many keep coming back to over and over again to help them fight their daily spiritual battles. I have written several studies on the various components of the armour, so I won't list them again here, but I wanted to bring out a few newer points that I have been pondering on.

Whose armour is it? The Lord's. Whose strength and might do we go in? Christ's. The word power in verse 10 is Strong's #1743 and means "to empower; enable, increase in strength, make strong." The word for might also means "ability." We are to face each day with the strength and ability which the Lord offers all His children. There are to be no despairing thoughts of "I can't do it" in our Christian walk; we can do all things through Christ which strengthens us! If you need strength, wait on the Lord, and He promises to provide. (See Isaiah 40:28-31)

We know our fight isn't against the people we see around us, but is in reality against the spiritual forces of wickedness which we cannot see. The Devil wants to get us to lay down our weapons, and stop fighting, but God's Word teaches us otherwise. Romans 13:13 says:

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

When we wear the whole armour of God, then the Lord says we will be able to withstand in the evil day, in the time of trouble and temptation. The word for withstand here is Strong's #436 which means "to stand against; to resist."

In studying this passage about resisting Satan and his spiritual forces (devils, unclean spirits, fallen angels), two other verses immediately come to mind. These verses also contain the same word in Greek:

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

1 Peter 5:8-9 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

How do we resist the devil? By submitting to God; by humbling ourselves before Him (see the context of both passages quoted above), and by seeking and obeying His will. When the devil seeks to ensnare us, we will have the Lord's strength to resist him with. We need to be in prayer continually, and in the Word of God daily. There is no victory apart from the Word of God! When the liar and enemy of our soul tries to deceive us with his wiles or discourage us, we can overcome him by clinging to God's Word, by claiming His promises, and by reminding ourselves of His truth.

Ephesians 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

According to this verse, it is the shield of faith that quenches all the fiery darts of the wicked! What are you waiting for, get in the Book! See what treasures Jesus has waiting there for you today! Stand strong and serve Him today in His might.

Written November 18th, 2002
By Jerry Bouey

For more on this theme:
The Armour Of God
Is Your Armour On? (Includes audio of sermon preached in 2023)