Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. — Ephesians 6:11

(Please open your Bible to Ephesians 6 and read verses 10–20 before we begin our study.)

Have you ever been discouraged by your failure to feel protected from the attacks of the enemy? Many times I’ve been surprised at how subtle, mischievous and downright vicious he is. Let me remind you that the enemy wants everything. He is territorial and his desire is to take everything you have, chew you up and spit you out. He is a liar, a thief and a murderer. Never forget you are in a battle until you are in Jesus’ arms. Until then, engage in the battle; get your back off the wall and stand in victory.

Jesus knew as He left this earth we would need a ton of protection — so much so that He promised to send a Comforter to help us. He knew we would need it! But He also asked us to be very careful and put on spiritual protection specifically designed to help us.

In the passage above Paul says we need to “put on” our armor. This is where he clearly points to our responsibility to put on the protection Jesus has provided. The phrase “whole armor” is the word panoplia and refers to a Roman soldier fully dressed from head to toe. *