WHAT ARE ALL THE WEAPONS OF GOD AND HOW TO USE THEM
What is Spiritual Warfare?
Spiritual Warfare is the battle between the kingdom of Light and the kingdom of darkness.
Satan and his demons seek to keep unbelievers in the darkness, render believers powerless
in sin and doubt, and destroy the believers of Christ that are to be the light in the darkness.
Satan wants nothing more than to bring defeat, for his main aim is to steal, kill, and destroy.
The forces of darkness don’t wait for us to be ready for their attack. They are ruthless,
determined, and very cunning. Satan could care less if we” feel” prepared, or prayed up for
our day. He prefers we’re not. God has given us his word and Spirit, powerful and true, so
we’ll have the wisdom and protection to stand against the enemy.
This enemy we face, no matter how cruel and vicious his schemes, can never chain our
spirits that have been set free by Christ.
Be strong in the Lord and 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 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.
The enemy wants to attack you not only with lies but also with impurity. He wants you to
read filthy magazines, watch immoral movies, and engage in all temptations of the flesh.
The bottom line is that Satan wants to get into your heart and mind.
The weapons of warfare or the whole Armor of God are:
- Belt of truth Ephesians 6:14
- Breastplate of Righteousness Ephesians 6:14
- Shoes of the Gospel Ephesians 6:15
Shield of faith Ephesians 6:16
Helmet of salvation Ephesians 6: 17
Sword of the Spirit Ephesians 6:17
Constant prayer Ephesians 6:18
Prayer is the greatest of all weapons
Prayer is not only another weapon, but the greatest of all weapons as it infuses the rest of
the armor with the power needed to fight the enemy.
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 prayer and requests. With this in mind be alert and always keep on praying.
Satan is looking for a crack in your armor. Don’t be fooled. Satan knows where that crack
is. If your heart is not pure before God, then you cannot win the battle. Satan is going to
fire flaming arrows of doubt at you. He wants to place subtle doubts in your mind about
God and his truth. He knows a spark can ignite a big fire. You will need to feed your faith
and starve your doubts. Are there any seeds of doubt in your mind today? If there are, you
cannot win the battle. When Satan comes against your tranquillity, he throws out stones
and briars of doubts and discouragement to cause you to stumble. The most important
thing for you to have at all times is an assurance of your salvation. Do you know that you
are saved and is your heart at peace? if not, you cannot win the battle.
If you are a believer living like salt and light in this dark world, you won’t go for long without
encountering obstacles and attacks. He ‘ll hurl straight in your direction. This battle is real,
its intense. Focusing here today, putting on his armor, staying alert, and praying, that God
will equip believers everywhere to “stand strong.” Satan is a loser. Jesus has already won
victory over him. And we are Jesus’s Children. You should not be afraid of him. In fact, he
should be afraid of you.
Sword of the Spirit
The word of God
When we are tempted, the most effective weapon that God has given to us as believers is
the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. Jesus modelled this so beautifully during
his temptation in the wilderness. When the devil tried temptation after temptation against
him, Jesus used the sword of the Spirit. Jesus spoke the word of God to Satan. Jesus said,”
My Children fall under the traps of Satan because they don’t know the scriptures and my
power.” The sword of the Spirit works. Memorize Scripture and use the word of God to
defeat Satan’s lies and attacks. God has a plan for our lives. The enemy has a plan for us
too. We just have to decide which voice we are going to listen to, and who we’re going to
choose to follow each day. And chances are, if we don’t make a determined choice to
follow God, we may eventually fall into the evil one’s trap. God gives specific instructions in
his word; he gives us all we need to stand strong in this life. Yet all too often we race
through busy, full days, ill equipped, unprepared, or simply not aware of what we’re up
against, or who the real enemy even is.
How to use the sword of the Spirit?
We must read the “Sword” in context
To properly wield this weapon, we must learn all we can about it, including the
context of certain passages.
We must learn as much as we can about the sword
We should study the sword daily. We read our bibles and study commentaries and
hear sermons preached on the word, so we can gain an understanding of Scripture.
1 Peter 3:15 calls us to be ready to give a reason for the hope that we have. But if
we don’t have a solid knowledge of scripture, we may not be able to give proper
explanation.
Atheist and those of other religions will often twist scripture or point out more
difficult passages or problems. We must be ready to give an answer to these difficult
questions, through engaging with God’s word every day. We must also be ready to
spread the Gospel, through an understanding of it. We learn scripture so we can
help elucidate its meaning to seekers and those who wish to understand it. (Acts 8:
26-40)
We must ask God to reveal himself through the sword
We may not have all the answers. But, when we’ve accepted God as Savior of our
lives, his holy spirit reveals his character and his plan for our lives through scripture
(1 Corinthians 2:10-15)
By spending time with God in his word every day, we learn more about him, and
grow closer in relationship with him. All in all, we must put on any piece of the
armor through prayer and through regularly engaging with scripture, including the
sword of the Spirit.
Meanings of each of the weapons of God and how to apply it
The belt of truth
The Lord knew our loins (refers to the lower back but includes the crotch area)
needed to be wrapped in truth, regardless of our culture and time, the lord has seen
all our paths and how they have hurt and derailed us. He knows we need truth. Our
identity is more than our sexuality, but this is one facet of our lives that we often view
as a definer. The first area of life in which the enemy frequently attempts to rattle is
our sense of identity. And the things about sex are easy pickings for him. We need
the truth about who we are. And only Jesus is the truth that sets us free.
How to apply it
Pursue the truth on a specific topic, but don’t forget to grab hold of the fullness of the
scripture. Don’t just study the parts that come easy for devotional reading. Press
into the whole counsel of God’s word.
Pray with God’s word. Use the word of truth as a template to guide your prayers.
Memorize the truth for quicker access when you need it. Cover your world with
scripture on Post-it notes, screen savers, décor, and anything that will help you
remember God’s word in the spiritual battle.
Breastplate of righteousness
Righteousness means being made right. Sometimes scripture refers to righteousness
that Christ gives us- his righteousness that God carries out through us, like “the
righteous acts of the saints” (Revelation 19:8)
In daily spiritual battles, both varieties of righteousness protect the heart. We need
the complete righteousness that comes as a response to God’s gift. The enemy
tempts us with all kinds of sinful entanglements, but righteousness protects our
hearts. God’s instructions are often viewed as Killjoys or burdens. But obedience to
God protects your heart from being wounded by sin.
How to apply it.
Soak in and obey instructions from the Lord. If an area of life feels like it gets easily
tangled up in sin, ask a church leader to share some scriptural truths that might help
you walk in the Lord’s plan more fully.
Ask a trusted person to pray for you if you struggle with obedience. All Christians
struggle, but none were meant to struggle alone. We make easy targets for the
enemy when we do not obey God.
Shoes of the Gospel of peace
Peace is an attribute of the Lord’s very person and character (Galatians 5: 22) In
Greek, “Peace” means oneness or wholeness. The Gospel, which means good news,
is the forgiveness of sins and access to and oneness with God through faith in Christ.
This oneness with the Lord produces peace.
Ephesians repeatedly reminds us to “Stand “and “stand firm.” One of the easiest
ways for the enemy to succeed in shaking us loose from standing firm is to tempt us
with worry. When we carry anxiousness and worry with us, we are robbed of peace.
But the Gospel of peace keeps our feet anchored and standing firm.
How to apply it
Ask the Lord daily to remind you of his gospel work on your behalf
Set your security and identity in his work and not yours
Surround yourself with scripture about the truth of your place with Christ into
your heart. And remove the input that steals your sense of security in Christ.
Shield of faith
Roman soldiers carried shields that were covered with heavy animal hide. Before a
battle, they would dip their shields into the water so that when fiery darts hit them,
the wet hide would extinguish the darts.
Similarly, a Christian’s shield of faith needs to be regularly dipped in the water of
God’s word to be replenished and fully functional- because “faith comes by hearing
and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10: 17)
How to apply it
If your faith feels less confident than you wish it did, ask the Lord to increase
your faith (Mark 9:24)
Find verses that feed your faith and fill your world with them
Set you Faith in God’s righteousness, not on a circumstance
Helmet of salvation
Salvation comes the moment we place our trust in Jesus’s death and resurrection as
the payment for our sin. But salvation is also worked out through a lengthy process
of sanctification
The helmet of salvation (like the breastplate of righteousness) rests on the work of
Christ to save us, but also involves us as we journey with the Lord and allow him to
work that salvation into every part of our thoughts. The battlefield of our mind is
the primary place spiritual battle is fought. The Lord works his freeing truth into our
perspectives while the enemy fights for strongholds to bind us (John 10:10)
How to apply it
Surrender thoughts that don’t line up with the Scripture. As Colossians 3:2 says,
“set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
Remember the Lord’s character and faithfulness in scripture as well as in your life
experience.
Wash your mind with the renewing of God’s word. As Romans 12:2 says, “Do not
conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- his good,
pleasing and perfect will.”
Sword of the Spirit
When we are tempted, the most effective weapon that God has given us as believers
is the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. Jesus modelled this so beautifully
during his temptation in the wilderness. When the devil tried temptation after
temptation against him, Jesus used the sword of the Spirit. Luke 4: 1-13
When the devil tempted him three times, Jesus responded with the truth of God’s
word – every time.
PRAYER
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for equipping me with everything I need to win my battles
this day! I praise you that I am protected today by the armor of God. I now claim
your promise that no weapon formed against me shall prosper. Isaiah 54:17. In
Jesus mighty name. Amen.
Remember this day that the battle we face may be more about what is unseen than
what we see before us. And when we resist the enemy, God’s word tells us, He has
to flee (James 4:7)
Stand strong
Your never alone
He loves you
He fights for you
Don’t be afraid of them, the Lord your God himself will fight for you “Deut 3:22.
I hope I was able to answer all your doubts. Your feedback is valuable. Do feel free to
write and let me know if you want to read about any particular topic. I will be glad to
here from my brothers and sisters. May the peace of the Lord be with you all.
