The Whole Armor

This 7-day devotional is a deep dive into the key elements that every Christian needs to walk in power and live a victorious life in Christ. 

In life, you may face rough patches and experience trials, but the secret that will help you get out of the valley situation, is knowledge of the word of God and application of key principles. 

Let’s dive in to learn how we can put on the whole armor of God.

Verse of the Day:

“So stand ready, with truth as a belt tight around your waist.” (Ephesians 6:14a) Good News Translation.

Truth is a piece of the armor that a Christian needs to fight the good fight. The bible encourages you to wrap truth like a belt around your waist. The purpose of a belt is to keep your pants up and your clothes in place. In the same way, the truth will protect you from dropping your values. 

The amplified version describes this as “personal integrity and moral courage.” This is the courage it takes to stand for what is right, follow your core values and debunk anything that sways you away from the truth you believe. In life, you will be faced with choices that will test your value system. 

I remember a time when I had to meet a certain number of hours at work, in order to achieve my utilization goal. I tried so hard to meet the goal, but life kept throwing curveballs my way and I just could not catch up on my hours. There were days that I could not work a full 8 hours either due to childcare constraints or unexpected family emergencies. I was very worried as I saw my utilization numbers plunging, but I never inflated my work hours. I kept trusting God that He would come through for me before the deadline. Thankfully, as we were getting closer to the end of the reporting period, I got staffed on a new project, which allowed me to work overtime to meet my utilization goal. 

As a Christian, you have to stick to your values no matter how hard the situation may seem at the moment. God is the master planner and He always has a way out of every impossible situation, so remember to put on the belt of truth! 

Prayer:

Dear God, I thank you for opening my eyes to understand your word today. I ask for the grace to stand for the truth at all times. May my words, deeds and actions always put a smile on your face. This I pray in Jesus’ Name. AMEN!

Verse of the Day:

“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place.” (Ephesians 6:14) NIV.

The second piece of the armor is righteousness. Righteousness simply means right standing with God. We have been called to live a life that reflects the nature of God. The book of Ephesians instructs the believer to put on righteousness like a breastplate. A breastplate was a piece of the armor worn by Roman soldiers back in the day, to protect important parts of their bodies such as the heart, the lungs and other vital organs. 

In the same way, you have to put on righteousness by living your life in a way that pleases God. You have to protect your heart from bitterness, anger, strife and other things that may prevent you from walking in righteousness. Today, I want you to search deep in your heart and ask God to purge your system of everything that does not glorify His name and help you to live righteously each day. 

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I come before you as your child and I ask for grace to walk righteously. Lord I want to live a life that is pleasing in your sight. Help me to shed off everything that does not glorify Your name and in turn, I put on righteousness as my breastplate. All these I ask in Jesus’ Name, AMEN.

Verse of the Day:

“For shoes, put on peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.” (Ephesians 6:15) New Living Translation 

Devotional:

The story of salvation is good news because it tells us of the great love that God showed to us by sending His only son to die for our sins. It is a gospel of hope, redemption, and peace. Jesus died to reconcile you to the Father and so, as part of your Christian armor, you should always remember to carry the gospel of peace everywhere you go. 

In practical terms, your faith walk should be so compelling, that it draws others to want to know the reason why you have peace in the midst of the storm, joy overflowing, and hope for tomorrow. When you think about spreading the gospel, do not limit it to just the traditional way of evangelism. Rather, your life should speak volumes. So today, remember to put on your shoes and take a stand for the good news. 

Prayer:

Dear God, I thank You for sending heaven’s best to die for my sins. I am grateful for Your love and I declare that I will share this good news with others. I will walk in Your ways and listen to Your voice. This I pray in Jesus’ Name, AMEN. 

Verse of the Day:

“At all times, carry faith as a shield; for with it you will be able to put out all the burning arrows shot by the evil one.” (Ephesians 6:16) Good News Translation. 

Faith is protective gear. As a Christian, it is important to build up your faith so that when the arrows of temptation, trials, and disappointments are thrown at you, you will be able to stand firm. 

To get started, all you need is just a little faith. The bible says that “if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20). Personally, I have experienced moments in my life where I had to rely on my faith to get me through tough times. 

There was a particular time when I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and I had to go on a stringent diet. There was also a risk that my baby would be born prematurely, but I kept confessing the word of God. Thankfully, the baby was born at full term, and the diabetes ceased a few weeks after the delivery. 

I encourage you today to keep the faith. As you begin to trust God in little things, your faith will continue to grow to the point that you can trust him with the big things. 

Prayer:

Dear God, I thank you for assuring me from your word, that my faith can move mountains even if it is as small as a mustard seed. I pray that my faith will be strong and unshakable. May I learn to trust you in the good times and the bad times. I pray that my faith will stand the test of time in Jesus’ Name, AMEN. 

Verse of the Day:

“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17) Amplified Version.

Salvation is a free gift from God. It is available to anyone who believes in their heart and confesses with their mouth that Jesus is Lord. As a Christian, you are to put on salvation as a helmet. A helmet protects the brain which is also the seat of your mind. The enemy often attacks the mind with negative thoughts (e.g. thoughts of failure, defeat, depression, and suicide). 

To counter the negative thoughts, you need to constantly renew your mind with the Word of God. You must also understand the gift that you received through salvation. Jesus bore the shame and pain for your sake so you can live a victorious life. 

This means that when the negative thoughts come your way, you must remind yourself that you are precious to God. You are royalty because the King of the Universe gave His son for you so that you can become a member of God’s family. Let this truth sink deep into your heart and remember to put on your helmet today!

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I thank you for the gift of salvation. I am grateful for the new life I have been given as a result of the death and resurrection of Your Son Jesus Christ. I declare that I belong to the family of God. May I always remember my heritage and walk in dominion all the days of my life. In Jesus’ Name, AMEN.

Verse of the Day:

“And the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17b) New King James Version.

The word of God is one of the strongest weapons you can use against the enemy. Even Jesus used the word as a defense when He was tempted in the wilderness after fasting for 40 days and 40 nights (Matthew 4: 1-11). 

To live a victorious Christian life, you need to fill your heart with scriptures about God's promises, and God's power to protect, provide, and deliver. Learn to spend time daily in the word. It does not have to be elaborate or ceremonial. I personally spend about 5 -10 minutes each morning reading the word and another 5 minutes thinking about how I can apply the scriptures to my everyday life. Also make it a habit to memorize scriptures. This will help you overcome difficult times in life. 

As part of your Christian Armor, I encourage you to hold fast to the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. Let studying the word become a part of your daily routine and incorporate scriptures into your vocabulary.

Prayer:

Dear God, I thank you for your word that is filled with promises about my future and lessons to encourage me each day. I ask for grace to study and understand the scriptures. May I apply it to my daily Faith Walk in Jesus’ Name, AMEN.

Verse of the Day:

“And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and He wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the devil throws your way.” (Ephesians 6:10-12) The Message Translation.

The journey of life requires adequate preparation. Just like a soldier prepares for battle, a Christian should also be well equipped to win in life. As part of the series, we learned about various pieces of the Armor that come together to make up the Whole Armor of God. 

I encourage you to…Put on the whole Armor of God: 

• Gird your loins with truth

• Put on the breastplate of righteousness 

• Let your feet be fitted with the gospel of peace

• Carry faith as a shield

• Take the helmet of salvation

• Use the word as a sword 

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I thank you for giving me the full armor of God. I pray that truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God will continue to be my garment and I declare that I will live a victorious life in Jesus’ Name, AMEN.