In exhorting us to take up the whole armor of God in Eph. 6, Paul puts the offensive weapon, the sword of the Spirit, at the very end.
First, he encourages us to be girded with the truth (living Christ as the reality), put on the breastplate of righteousness (apply the blood of Christ to our conscience), have our feet shod with the gospel of peace (stand in peace toward God and man), take up the shield of faith (exercise our spirit of faith to believe in God and in His word), and receive the helmet of salvation.
The helmet of salvation covers our mind from any attacks of the enemy – God’s salvation is the saving Christ we experience in our daily life, and this salvation covers us and protects us from any anxiety and negative thoughts injected by the enemy.
After we put on all the defensive items of the armor of God, we can receive the sword of the Spirit, which Spirit is the word of God, by means of all prayers and petition (Eph. 6:17-18).
How do we fight against the enemy? It is by the word of God – and not merely the written word of God, the “logos” (the constant, written word of God in the Bible), but by the instant word of God, the “rhema” (the word of God spoken to us and made living to us).
This means that we need to take the word into us by means of all prayers and petitions, making it living and active to kill the adversary within us and the enemy outside of us. It is by prayer that we practically apply all the items of the armor of God. We need to persevere in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving.
Receive the Helmet of Salvation
The helmet is a very important part of the armor, covering our head from any attacks of the enemy. The helmet of salvation (Eph. 6:17) covers our mind, our mentality, from any negative thoughts shot by the evil one.
Many times we have some doubts, worries, anxieties, fear, and other weakening thoughts in our mind – they are NOT our thoughts, but they have been injected by Satan into our mind to weaken us and usurp us.
We need to protect our mind and cover it against all the attacks of the enemy by enjoying the daily salvation of Christ (John 16:33). We need to experience the saving Christ in our daily life as our salvation, and this One will defeat the enemy and cover our mind with His salvation as a helmet.
Don’t believe the enemy’s lies. Don’t listen to the thoughts of doubt, fear, and worry. They are not your thoughts, and this is not how you think. Reject Satan’s thoughts and doubts by experiencing Christ daily as your salvation!
Receive the Sword of the Spirit, which Spirit is the Word of God
Among all the items of the armor of God, only the sword of the Spirit (which Spirit is the word of God) is the offensive weapon.
As we put on the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation, we are completely protected and covered. Then, we may receive the sword of the Spirit (see Eph. 6:17).
This means that Christ as the Spirit and the word furnishes us with a sword as an offensive weapon to defeat and slay the enemy. Our offensive weapon is NOT anything of ourselves, but something we receive – the sword of the Spirit!
When the constant word in the Bible (the “logos”) becomes the present, instant, and living speaking of the Spirit (the “rhema”) to us, this word is the sword that cuts the enemy into pieces.
As we receive the word of God into us by means of all prayer and petition, the word of God becomes the sword of the Spirit to kill the adversary within and the enemy without.
We need to discover the secret of transforming and converting the constant written of God into the present, living, and instant speaking of the Spirit that becomes our offensive weapon.
Don’t just “read the Bible”, and don’t just “read some verses again and again” – exercise your spirit, touch the Lord, and let Him speak to you instantly, presently, and livingly! This becomes your sword to kill the enemy, and you will overcome him by the word of your testimony (Rev. 12:11)!
Applying the Armor of God by Persevering in Prayer
How do we apply all the aspects of the armor of God practically? The way is given to us by Paul in Eph. 6:18 and Col. 4:2 – persevere in prayer. As believers in Christ, our spirit is willing, but our flesh is weak (Matt. 26:41), and the course of the whole world is in opposition to God and against our prayer.
All the items of the armor of God are being applied to us by prayer – not merely by understanding them or apprehending them mentally, but by praying them into us and into our experience.
Even though there’s a strong stream flowing downwards in this world, we “row the boat upstream” through persevering in prayer. Prayer makes the armor available to us in a practical way, and prayer is the unique way to apply Christ as the armor of God.
God and Satan are hostile to each other, and we as the third party need to persevere in prayer and stand on God’s side so that His enemy would be defeated (Col. 4:2; Eph. 6:18; Matt. 26:41; cf. Eph. 5:14; Rom. 13:11-14). We even need to make a vow before the Lord concerning our prayer life, telling Him,
Lord, I am desperate concerning my prayer life. I give myself to You that I may have a prayer life and persevere in prayer. Lord, keep me in the spirit of prayer. Even if I forget this or neglect this, remind me! Lord, I come to You and ask You that You would remind me to pray! Lord, don’t let me go – remind me to pray! I know that even if I forget, You won’t forget. Remind me again and again about prayer!
It is through prayer that we can set our mind on the things which are above, where Christ is (Col. 3:2; Heb. 7:25; 8:2; cf. Acts 6:4). It is through prayer that we can enter into the Holy of Holies and come forward to the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace for timely help (Heb. 4:16).
It is through prayer that we experience being one with the Lord and we have fellowship with Him, knowing what is in His heart.
It is through prayer that we enjoy God’s presence, God’s word, God’s salvation, God’s reality, God’s righteousness, God’s covering, and every part of the whole armor of God. God needs our prayer – He wants us to watch and pray!
This means that we need to be awake, focused, and we need to have the spiritual insight to discern the stratagems of Satan and to expose his aim and his method of work. Our body needs to be awake, our mind needs to be focused, and the intuition of our spirit needs to be keen to have a direct sense and knowledge of God and His purpose.
Lord, make us men of prayer. We want to learn Christ as the reality is in Jesus, so that we may be girded with the truth. We apply Your efficacious and precious blood to our whole being so that we may have Christ as our breastplate of righteousness. We want to deal with anything between us and You and us and others so that we may stand in peace, taking Christ as our firm foundation of peace, our shoes in war. Lord, we take up the shield of faith by exercising our spirit of faith to believe in You and in Your word. Save us daily in Your life, dear Lord, and cause us to experience the daily saving Christ so that we may take Christ as our helmet of salvation. Oh, Lord, we want to receive the word of God by means of all prayer and petition so that we may have the instant, present, living word as our offensive weapon to defeat the enemy! Lord, we want to cooperate with You to apply the whole armor of God to the Body of Christ so that You may have a corporate warrior, the one new man, to defeat Your enemy and bring Your kingdom in!
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Inspiration: the Word of God, my Christian experience, bro. Ed Marks’ speaking in the message for this week, and portions from, Life-study of Ephesians (pp. 546-548), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Entering into the Fourth Stage of the Experience of Life to Arrive at a Full-Grown Man for the Fulfillment of God’s Purpose, week 5 / msg 5, The Fourth Stage of the Experience of Life (4) – Spiritual Warfare.
- Further reading: recommending msg. 65 in, The Life-Study of Colossians (by Witness Lee).
- Hymns on this topic:
# Salvation’s helmet on each head, / With truth all girt about, / The earth shall tremble ’neath our tread, / And echo with our shout.
# 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.
# Pray, without ceasing pray, / Your Captain gives the word; / His summons cheerfully obey, / And call upon the Lord: / To God your every want / In instant prayer display; / Pray always; pray, and never faint; / Pray, without ceasing pray.
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