Put on the Whole Armour of God as the Body of Christ in Spirit by Means of Prayer

Spiritual warfare is not an individual matter but rather, it is Christ’s bride being a corporate warrior, for only the Body can put on the whole armour of God; we need to be in our spirit and pray-read the Word of God to put on the whole armour of God as the Body to fight the spiritual warfare.

Amen, Lord, keep us in our spirit today! Keep us praying over Your word! And keep us in the Body! Amen!

The best way for us to apply all the items of the spiritual armour on the Body of Christ is prayer. The best way for us to grow in life unto maturity is prayer.

The best way for us to contact the Lord is through prayer. The best way to live the Christian life is prayer. We need to learn to have all kinds of prayer, both prayer that is the pouring out of our heart before the Lord and the specific prayer that deals with God’s enemy.

On the one hand, we need to converse with the Lord concerning all the things related to our daily living, the people we meet, the things we do, the places we go, and the things happening to us.

On the other hand, we need to be specific with the Lord concerning our growth in life; we need to ask the Lord to grow in us, spread in us, and make His home in our hearts.

Even more, we need to be joined to the Lord in spirit as we pray-read the Word of God, taking the word of God by means of all prayer and petition.

And we do this not just for ourselves but for all the saints; we are not individualistic Christians but Christians who are in the Body of Christ, members of the Body of Christ, and we pray in the Body and for the Body.

None of the members of our body seeks to have its own development and increase apart from the rest of the body; this would be monstrous to watch.

Rather, our whole body grows together, builds itself up together, eats together, speaks in oneness, and does everything in oneness, for it is one body.

In the same way, we as the Body of Christ need to grow together, do things together, live together, and be one in spirit; all that we do needs to be in spirit, not just being physically together, but in the mingled spirit!

Hallelujah, the Body of Christ is real to us in our daily living when we are in our spirit!

Praise the Lord, we can touch the reality of the Body of Christ when we live and walk according to the mingled spirit!

May we be such ones today, those who live and walk in the mingled spirit so that we may be in reality the members of the Body of Christ growing in the Body, functioning in the Body, and also fighting the spiritual warfare in the Body!

Spiritual Warfare is a Matter of Christ’s Bride being a Corporate Warrior: the Whole Armour of God is for the Whole Body of Christ!

In Ephesians 6:10-20 we see that the church as the bride of Christ is the corporate warrior of God, putting on the whole armour of God and fighting the battle in the Lord.

The first thing we need to realise is that the whole armour of God is not for any individual Christian; it is for the Body and in the Body.

Spiritual warfare is not an individual matter; we don’t suit up or gear up with our weapons and then go as a lone ranger to fight the battle in the Lord.

Rather, spiritual warfare is a Body matter, for the whole armour of God is in the Body and for the whole Body to wear.

Spiritual warfare is a matter of Christ’s bride being a corporate warrior (Eph. 6:13).

We may love the Lord and we may think we’re ready to fight the spiritual warfare, so we may try to put on the whole armour of God and go out there to fight the battle.

If we do this on our own, if we fight the battle as individual Christians, we are defeated; it is very dangerous for us to be isolated from the army, to be apart from being part of the corporate warrior.

No soldier today in a modern army would enter into battle by himself; rather, he would fight as part of a well-trained and fully equipped army.

We believers in Christ are both the loving bride of Christ and the army of God, the corporate warrior fighting the battle in the Lord and in the Body.

If we separate ourselves from the church, we are defeated; if we fight the battle in the Body and as the Body, we gain the victory.

We need to be formed corporately into an army and together fight against the enemy.

God’s enemy, Satan, needs to be dealt with, and the way this takes place is not by God Himself dealing with Satan but the church being used by God as His army to fight against the enemy.

God would not lower Himself to deal with one of His creatures; He wants a creature – man – to become His corporate warrior to deal with another creature – Satan – and bring in the kingdom of God.

However, Satan is strong, and no individual spiritual Christian alone can deal with Satan; it takes the whole Body of Christ putting on the whole armour of God to stand in the victory of Christ and deal with God’s enemy.

When we remain in the Body, when we remain in the army, we have the necessary protection; however, if we separate ourselves from the church, we are defeated.

May we realise that spiritual warfare is a Body matter.

The church is a corporate warrior, and we as believers in Christ make up this corporate warrior; after we have been formed corporately into an army, we will be able to fight against God’s enemy.

If we realise this, if we see that spiritual warfare is a Body matter and we are members of the Body, we will remain in the church life, be one with the Lord and one with the saints, and we will declare and apply the victory of Christ.

The whole armour of God is for the whole Body of Christ; we cannot bear God’s armour when we’re apart from the Body, when we’re not in a proper relationship with the Body, or when we’re disconnected from the Body.

Only the bride of Christ, as the corporate warrior, can wear the whole armour of God.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that we need to be with the saints all the time or go to all the meetings all the day and all the time; rather, we need to be in our spirit and be properly related to the fellow members of the Body of Christ, for the reality of the Body of Christ is in our spirit.

Lord Jesus, we exercise our spirit and stand one with You and with the Body of Christ. Hallelujah, we are members of the Body of Christ, and together we are the Body as the corporate warrior fighting the spiritual warfare. Amen, Lord, we stand in the Body by being in our spirit and we put on the whole armour of God. Hallelujah, the armour of God is for the Body of Christ, not for any individual Christian alone! We are one with You, Lord Jesus, in spirit. We are one with the saints and we deal with any issues between us and other members, for we want to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace. Oh Lord, we claim Your presence in the Body and we stand in the reality of the Body. We take up the whole armour of God as the Body of Christ so that we may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Hallelujah, we are in the Body, and the armour of God is on the Body! Praise the Lord, we fight the battle in the Body, not on our own!

Put on the Whole Armour of God as the Body of Christ in Spirit by Means of Prayer

In order for us to fight the spiritual warfare, we need to put on and apply the whole armour of God (Eph. 6:11). However, we do not put on separate pieces of armour, as things in themselves, and then they fit together somehow to protect us in spiritual warfare.

Rather, we as the Body of Christ put on Christ Himself as the whole armour of God; Christ is the armour of God for the Body of Christ to put on in spiritual warfare.

We need to have Christ as the whole armour of God being applied to us. Ephesians 6:14-17 reveals six main aspects of Christ as the armour of God for the Body of Christ.

First, we need to stand, having girded our loins with truth; second, we put on the breastplate of righteousness. Third, we shod our feet with the firm foundation of the gospel of peace.

Fourth, we take up the shield of faith, with which we are able to quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. Fifth, we receive the helmet of salvation, and sixth, we receive the sword of the Spirit, which Spirit is the word of God.

God in Christ as the reality in our living is the girdle that strengthens our whole being for the spiritual warfare (v. 14).

The breastplate of righteousness covers our conscience and guards us from Satan’s accusations; this girdle is Christ as our righteousness (v. 14; 1 Cor. 1:30).

Christ is the peace for us to be one with God and with the saints; this peace is the firm foundation that enables us to stand against the enemy (Eph. 2:15; 6:15).

We fight in peace and with peace; we are firmly established in peace and we preach the gospel of peace.

We don’t mainly attack in spiritual warfare but we stand; our footing, our position, is the most important thing, and peace anchors us in this war. We have peace with God and peace with one another.

Faith is a shield against the flaming darts of the enemy; the Author and Perfecter of such faith is Christ (v. 16; Heb. 12:2).

We have the shield of faith, and Christ is the Author and Perfecter of our faith.

The helmet of salvation that covers our mind is the saving Christ whom we experience in our daily life (Eph. 6:17; John 16:33).

Finally, we receive the sword of the Spirit, which Spirit is the word of God; this is our offensive weapon with which we cut the enemy to pieces (Eph. 6:17).

We receive the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit by means of all prayer and petition.

The means by which we receive all the aspects of the armour of God is by praying in spirit.

How are we girded with truth? By means of praying in spirit over the truth in the word of God until it becomes our reality in our daily living.

How do we apply the breastplate of righteousness? It is by exercising our spirit to pray and receive Christ as our righteousness, even to have Him lived out of us as our righteousness.

How do we have a firm footing, being shod with the gospel of peace? It is by exercising our spirit to pray and be at peace with God and with man, for His peace is in our spirit.

How do we receive the shield of faith? Faith doesn’t originate with us; we need to exercise our spirit to receive the shield of faith by praying over God’s word.

As we pray-read the Word of God, we are infused with faith, which is Christ Himself, as our faith becomes our shield to reject any fiery darts of the enemy.

How do we receive the sword of God? It is by means of all prayer and petition, praying at every time in spirit and watching unto this in all perseverance concerning all the saints (v. 18). Amen!

In other words, we believers in Christ are in the Body, and as the Body we put on the whole armour of God, which is Christ, by means of praying at all times in spirit.

To receive the whole armour of God, we need to pray at all times in spirit; we have a regenerated spirit, and in this spirit we pray to receive and apply the whole armour of God, remaining and standing in the Body of Christ.

When we simply call on the name of the Lord, O Lord Jesus, we turn from any vanity in our mind and touch the Lord in spirit, and Christ as the armour of God is applied to us! Amen, how enjoyable and practical this is!

As we take the word of God by praying in spirit, we spontaneously contact Christ as the life-giving Spirit.

Our praying and our reading become living, and we’re empowered by Christ and covered with Him as our armour.

Our realisation is that we’re in the Body, and as the Body, Christ covers us as the whole armour of God, so we can fight the battle in the Body by the virtue of the Head!

May we all learn to apply Christ as the all-inclusive armour in the Body and for the Body so that, as the Body, we would fight the battle in the Lord!

Lord Jesus, we exercise our spirit as we pray over Your word so that we as the Body of Christ may put on the whole armour of God! Hallelujah, God in Christ is the reality in our living to be the girdle that strengthens our whole being for the spiritual warfare. Amen, Lord, we take You in spirit through much prayer as the breastplate of righteousness covering our conscience and guarding us from Satan’s accusations! We exercise our spirit to shod our feet with the firm foundation of the gospel of peace. Amen, Lord, You are our peace with God and our peace with man, and this peace is the firm foundation enabling us to stand against the enemy! We exercise our spirit to receive You as our faith as a shield against the flaming darts of the enemy! Amen, Lord, we take You as our saving Christ experienced by us in our daily life, our helmet of salvation covering our mind! We exercise our spirit over Your word, Lord, to receive the Spirit as the Word of God, the sword, to cut the enemy to pieces! Amen, Lord, we remain in the Body and we apply Christ as the all-inclusive armour of God to fight the spiritual warfare in the Body!

Read this article in the Romanian language – citiți acest articol în limba română la următorul link, Ca Trup al lui Cristos, ne îmbrăcăm cu întreaga armură a lui Dumnezeu în duh prin rugăciune.

References and Hymns on this Topic

• Inspiration for this article/sharing comes from the Word of God, the enjoyment in the ministry, a sharing by the brother Minoru Chen in this conference, and portions from, Life-study of Ephesians, pp. 793-796, by Witness Lee, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, The Maturity of the Bride (2025 Memorial Day Blending Conference), week 6, The Bride as the Corporate Warrior – day 5.
• Similar articles on this topic:
  – Spiritual warfare being a corporate matter, a portion from, Basic Principles for the Practice of the Church Life, Chapter 6, by Witness Lee.
  – Quenching the Flaming Darts of the Enemy, via, Shepherding Words.
  – Spiritual warfare, a portion from, Spiritual Man, The (3 volume set), Chapter 18, by Watchman Nee
  – Ephesians (Program #58) – The Application by Prayer, via, Bible study radio.
  – Spiritual warfare being against the evil spiritual forces, a portion from, Basic Principles for the Practice of the Church Life, Chapter 6, by Witness Lee.
  – God’s Faithfulness and Our Perseverance in Prayer, via, Living to Him.
  – The economy of God to produce the church as the Body of Christ in Ephesians, article by Ed Marks in, Affirmation and Critique.
  – Why Read the Bible? To Slay God’s Adversary! More via, Holding to Truth in Love.
  – Precautions in spiritual warfare, a portion from, Spiritual Man, The (3 volume set), Chapter 18, by Watchman Nee.
  – Fine Linen for the Bride and the Army, via, New Jerusalem blog.
  – The whole armor of God – a portion from, Basic Principles for the Practice of the Church Life, Chapter 6, by Witness Lee.
• Hymns on this topic:
  – Fight the battle in the Body! / By the virtue of the Head; / Standing firmly with the Body, / Into vict’ry you’ll be led. / For the Body is God’s armor, / Not for anyone alone; / When you wrestle in the Body, / All its benefits you own. / ’Tis the Church on Christ established / Satan shall not overpow’r; / ’Tis the Body built together / Which resists the evil pow’r. (Hymns #885 stanzas 2-3 and chorus)
  – Body, house, new man the Church is, / Bride, and temple, and yet more: / She’s the army too which fighteth / All God’s foe to triumph o’er. / She is clothed with all God’s armor, / In His mighty strength is strong, / Standing in the Lord, resisting, / With all prayers she fighteth on. (Hymns #823 stanza 9)
  – Looking unto Jesus, / Never need we yield! / Over all the armor, / Faith the battle-shield! / Standard of salvation, / In our hearts unfurled, / Let its elevation / Overcome the world. / Looking unto Jesus, / Never need we yield! / Over all the armor, / Faith the battle-shield! (Hymns #644 stanza 1 and chorus)