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’m sure you’ve heard about the armor of God and seen how important it is in the life of any believer. However, I want to focus on the armor of God specifically as it relates to women. I have 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 Full Armor of God
So, in case you’re not as familiar, what is the armor of God? The whole armor of God is what the apostle Paul is referencing in Ephesians 6:10-20. This is a spiritual armor that all Christians, not just women, should be putting on to combat Satan’s attacks. God’s armor is a great way to have spiritual protection in everyday life.
God’s Armor for Women
I feel like before you are 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 is talking about this armor, each piece matches a piece of armor that a Roman soldier would have actually worn. As women, we actually need to be aware of these pieces and put them on in our lives so they can be used to combat spiritual forces of evil.
Unfortunately, it’s way too easy for the lies of the enemy to get us questioning God’s truth and lose important spiritual battles. Because of this, we need to put on the full armor of God in our daily lives.
What are the 7 Pieces of Armor of God
According to Ephesians 6, there are seven pieces of the armor of God. I will let you know that some people say there are six pieces of the armor of God because they don’t count prayer as a piece of armor. However, I will be covering it as a piece 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 truth is? Current culture may tell you that truth is whatever you decide is right for you. However, God’s truth is unchanging and that’s what we’re talking about. What does God say in His Word, the Bible? That is where our truth needs to come from.
The Roman soldier’s belt is the first piece of armor that he would put on, and the other pieces of armor hinge on it. The belt helps bear the weight of the breastplate and gives strength to the soldier’s core so that he doesn’t buckle under pressure. This strength then flows to the rest of his body.
As Christian women, we put on 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 ever-changing. However, God’s truth never changes. His truth needs to surround us like that belt. God’s standard of truth allows us to be stable in a changing world. His truth helps us to be aware of false doctrine that is invading 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 “righteousness?” Righteousness is doing what is right toward God and others. Basically, it is how truth is lived out. Without the belt of truth that we just talked about, you’re left to carry the weight of righteousness on your own strength. There is no way we can carry that! Because of this, we need to have our righteousness attached to God’s truth (see Romans 10:3,4).
The breastplate is what protects the heart and other vital organs. Our spiritual heart is the centerpiece of the soul, so we need to 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 up their ankles, along with some spikes that would give them a firm grip. Think about the support that would give them. Just like the soldier, we need to have a firm grip in a world that is very unsteady. We need to be able to hold firm when necessary but also walk forward at a steady pace when we need to.
Satan wants to steal this peace that allows us to stand firm. In women, he often tries to cause worry, anxiety, discord, or even busyness in order to trip us up. His goal is the opposite of peace. That’s why we need our shoes to keep us grounded and going forward in the Christian life.
4. Shield of faith
The next piece of the armor of God is the shield of faith. Faith is easily defined as what you say you believe in action. Your faith is tied to your perception of God, so your faith doesn’t need to be big. However, it DOES need to be rooted in a good and big God. Priscilla Shirer says, “The truth of God’s character and His Word provides the framework that allows our faith to flourish and thrive.” This turns the focus of faith off of us and onto God and our reliance on Him.
The Roman shield Paul is talking about is a large shield that covered most of the body. The enemy would shoot fiery arrows at their opponent in order to distract and cause chaos and diversion. It’s so cool what the soldiers would do! They wet their shields and interlocked them over and around themselves like a turtle shell. Can you just picture it? The flames would be extinguished as they sunk into the wet wood.
Satan is the one shooting fiery darts of lies and deception at us. Dear Mama, take up your shield of faith so that these darts can be extinguished!
As moms, unless we prioritize our relationship with God, it can easily fall by the wayside. Learn more about growing closer to God. As we grow closer to Him, we become a better wife and mother as well.
5. Helmet of salvation
I sure wouldn’t want to go into battle, spiritual or otherwise, without a helmet! The helmet of salvation isn’t just about a one-time prayer after you’ve heard the good news of Jesus. It’s 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 are “I’m unworthy, incapable, or insignificant.” Instead, knowing our identity in Christ will help us hear who He says we are. In contrast, God tells us we are loved, chosen, forgiven, and holy.
Choose to put on your helmet. Renew your mind in who God says you are. Since our thinking affects both our mind and our body, we need to be careful with what’s going into it. Philippians 4:8 (ESV) 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 wiles of the devil with the mind of Christ. He is the father of lies and will do anything he can 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 of the armor of God. The sword referenced here is a short sword meant 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 as a weapon has mighty power against the powers of this dark world.
God’s Word is “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword,” according to Hebrews 4:12. Jesus used scripture when Satan tried to tempt Him. This is the example we need to follow. Some specific ways to take up the sword of the Spirit are by reading the Bible and obtaining the knowledge of God, memorizing Bible verses, and asking for God’s help in applying it.
7. Fervent Prayer
Now we get to prayer! Prayer is the thing that ties everything together. Verses 18-20 tell us what our prayer needs to be like. Our prayer needs to be constant, in the Spirit, and petitioning God for the saints (all Christians). There are many kinds of prayers we can pray, but let’s specifically pray as we put on each piece of the armor of God for women. We also need to 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 in order to stand against the schemes of the devil.
Daily Armor of God Prayer for Women
Now that you know what the armor of God is and how it can help you, it’s time to pray a woman full armor of God prayer to help you remember daily to gird yourself with each piece of armor that God has given us.
Notice that you need to actually put on the full armor of God. The individual pieces of armor are helpful on their own but won’t fully protect you. You need the full armor in order to be fully protected.
As God each day to help you remember to gird yourself with each piece of armor that 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.
Be sure to download this FREE printable Armor of God prayer. Place it somewhere you will see it often so that you will remember what God’s armor is and what it helps you do.
For further study of the armor of God, I highly recommend The Armor of God study by Priscilla Shirer. If you want to learn more about fervent prayer, the movie War Room is fantastic. Tying in with the movie is the book Fervent, also by Priscilla Shirer.
As a woman of God, are you putting on each piece of the armor of God? Which piece of armor do you struggle to put on? What are some ways you have found to help you renew your mind or memorize Scripture? Please comment below.
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