FULLY FORTIFIED

Put on the WHOLE ARMOR of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil – Ephesians 6:11

To experience the Fullness of God requires being FULLY FORTIFIED – putting on the WHOLE ARMOR of God (Eph.6:11). To fortify means to make strong; to secure a place by forts or high walls; or to give physical strength, courage, or endurance to a person or group of people. Here, the specific interest is in our Spiritual Fortification, which undergirds the security of our entire being – spirit, soul, and body (1The.5:23). Paul’s last instructions in his letter to the Ephesians were about spiritual warfare. For the Ephesians, this was already a very relevant issue. Ephesus was a very spiritualistic city, with lots of occult activity. Perhaps everybody in the church already knew the story about the demon that harassed the sons of Sceva (Acts 19:14-17). So they would have all paid attention when Paul began to talk about spiritual armor. Still, some people argue about the existence of demons!

Whether you believe in his existence or not, there is an enemy out there: Satan, the Father of lies, deceiver, and destroyer. His sole goal is to convince you to join him in rebellion against God so you can accompany him to hell. The Gospel is the power of God in your life; the way God reverses the corruption of sin and repels the power of Satan from you. It is the antidote that keeps death from corroding your life and Satan from manipulating your destiny. Each of the pieces of God’s whole armor is simply a way of applying the Gospel to a different aspect of your life. Paul was urging the Ephesians to take the things he had taught them about God and cover every aspect of their lives. The way you keep Satan’s corrupting influence out of your life is by saturating every aspect of your life – marriage, home, job, hopes, dreams, disappointments, weaknesses, worries, fears, failures, relationships, and pleasures – with the Gospel. Whatever part of you is not established in the Gospel is subject to manipulation of the enemy – can be demonized!

Paul was saying: Be saturated with the Gospel and it will be the Armor of God against Satan! Be filled with the Spirit and become resistant to Satan’s attacks. First, he gave two commands: “Be strong in the Lord… Put on the whole armor of God…” (vv.10-11). We often try to engage in life’s battles from positions of strength. Yet, the Word teaches us not to be strong in ourselves, but in the Lord; to let Him be our strength and security in every area. A great example in the Bible is Abraham. God told him that He was going to make his descendants innumerable. The problem was: Abraham received this promise when he didn’t have any kids; he was 90, and his wife 75. Being weak physically he had to be strong in God, and he became the father of faith. To have faith in God is to stand, where you are weak, covered in God’s strength. You cannot be strong in yourself and strong in God. Your present weakness is an invitation to trust God and wait on Him (Isa.40:31).

Putting on the Whole Armor of God is how you become strong in Him. Paul casts this Armor in military imagery: a belt keeping you girded and breast plate protecting you; shoes in which you are ready to run and fight, and a shield with which to deflect the enemy’s flaming arrows; plus a helmet and a sword. The belt of truth heads the list. That word ‘truth’ means sincerity as opposed to hypocrisy. A hypocrite is one who believes something inwardly and acts differently outwardly; a pretender. Are you a real Christian, or just playing about with Christianity? Ending the list is Prayer: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Eph.6:18). Why? Because the weapons are only mighty through God (2Cor.4:4-5). We are engaged in warfare but ultimately it takes the power of God to overcome. In Christ you are FULLY FORTIFIED. Stand to conquer by His Grace!