And at this point we could very well ask - "Well, how then can I stand firm?' 'How on earth can I do these things - it just seems too much for me to bear?"

Well, Paul says in this final section - 'By putting on the Spiritual Armor of God.'

Now, when it come s to warfare, armor is very important. Tanks are built with material that repels bullets. That's why armies developed armor-piercing missiles. In the Middle Ages the soldiers wore chain armor to prevent a spear or arrow piercing the body of the soldier. At the time of Paul writing this letter, the Romans wore various types of protection to ensure prevent possible death during battle. Even Andrew's pig dogs have armor in the form of a wide leather collar to protect the dogs getting their throats slashed by pig tusks. You see armor serves to protect us in battle. But, if Andrew did not put on the wide leather collars, or if a soldier didn't put on his armor - they were and are at a high risk of being injured and even death.

In the same way, we as Christians are in a Spiritual warfare. We cannot afford to let our guards down. Now, just let me paint a picture for you. Imagine an army who said, 'no, I don't feel like listening to my commander today - his instructions are just too hard to follow.' Or 'Nup, don't feel like taking my gun to the front today - too much hard work carting it around the place.' Or 'No guys, you go out and fight and tell me how it goes - I want to go to the beach and lay in the sun today.' Is that how an army operates?

No. If the army operated that way, then they would be in great trouble. In fact the enemy would see their laziness and work out a means to bring them down. Folks why do we as Christians treat, at times, our relationship with God so haphazardly? Paul warns us - 'for goodness sake people, don't you know your enemy the devil prowls around like a Lion ready to kill its prey. Your struggle isn't with each other - it is with the evil spiritual forces in the heavenly realms. So here is some practical advice - put on the full spiritual armor of God so that you can stand firm."

So what is the purpose of this spiritual armor?

It is to:

• Help us stand against the devil's scheme's
• Help us stand firm against attack. This means it enables you to stand your ground, don't retreat.

So let's read this passage. Ephesians 6:10-23.

Truth or sincerity is what girds us. God desires truth, that is, sincerity, in the inward parts of our lives. A Roman soldier found his belt to be an essential part of his armor. His belt gathered his armor together and secured his sword to his side. The belt also served to secure long garments so that they would not interfere with fighting. The belt tied it all together. In the same way, it is truth that illuminates our way and enables us to be ready to fight.

Now, Paul could be referring to two things here.

First is the truth of God. That is, that we would know the truth of God. The fact is, truth exists whether people know it or acknowledge it. God's word is truth. Truth has backbone to it: it can be discovered, accepted, and applied, or it can be covered over, rejected, and ignored. But whatever your response to truth --- it is still truth.

Hopefully, you will not only discover the truth, but will choose to receive the truth. Jesus said, "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). Knowing the truth can set us free. Satan's lies only bind us up like slaves. Truth reveals what is real. It casts its light on the situation and enables us to walk safely.

Secondly, the truth lived out. The focus is on our conduct. So, the emphasis is on living the truth in our daily lives. The belt of truth means that we live honestly, in integrity, and without hypocrisy. Truth mustn't just be something possessed, it must be applied to our lives. The Roman soldier's belt did him no good until it was tightly drawn around his waist. So too, our belt of truth is tightly fastened when we live honestly. When we walk in integrity in all of our relationships, we are utilizing the belt of truth. When we quit playing games, and walk consistently, whether people see us or not, then we are using the belt of truth. Without it, the other armor will not stay in place.

For the Roman soldier, the breastplate protected the vital organs. The heart, lungs, kidneys, stomach, and other organs were covered by this vital piece of armor. The point which Paul is making is that the breastplate of righteousness is essential for the Christian to avoid a mortal wound. It is righteousness that protects us in the vital areas of our relationship with God so that the life of Christ within us is not severed.

So, what is this righteousness? Well, one thing it isn't is our own righteousness. Our righteousness was not sufficient to save us, and our righteousness will never be sufficient to keep us. Isaiah likens our righteousness to "filthy rags." So, the righteousness spoken of here is not our own, rather it is the righteousness of Christ which is in view.

In 2 Corinthians 5:21 we read, "He made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in him."

Christ is the true righteous one. And He has put into our lives his righteousness. Because of Jesus' work on the cross, we can now receive His righteousness. He died there for us in our place. He now gives us His righteousness.

1 Corinthians 1:30 says, "It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption."

When we receive Christ, we receive His righteousness. Now we can trust in Christ's finished work for us.

This leads us then to His working in us. His righteousness, in our lives, enables us to turn away from sin and to experience fellowship with a God. We have been set free from our former way of life. Now we can say no to unrighteous living and yes to God. And that is the call for every believer. If we are to defeat the attack of the enemy, we must put on the breastplate of righteousness. If we don't then we will be susceptible to every temptation Satan brings along.

The wonderful thing about all of this is that the Word of God tells us that we have been liberated by the grace of God. This grace has been extended to us, not so we could take advantage of it and sin, but so we can break free from sin. In fact, we have already been set free. The challenge is to live like who we really are to be.

If we live as who we really are, then we will put on the breastplate of righteousness. We will live depending on the righteousness of Christ, and walk in that righteousness in our daily lives. As we do, the breastplate of righteousness will protect us against the enemy.

The Roman soldier wore a certain kind of shoe. It was an open-toed spiked shoe that laced up past his ankles. Now, ther are all kinds of shoes for all kinds of purposes. There are dress shoes, work shoes, and athletic shoes - some people even have bedroom slippers. As I said, these different types of shoes serve different purposes. The Roman soldier's shoe was an important piece of equipment. It served much the same purpose as a football player's spiked shoe. It was made to help the soldier stand his ground and advance. He needed traction. Most of the combat was hand-to-hand. Armies would surge toward one another and be locked in combat. A soldier could not afford to be pushed backwards - He could not afford to slip down - otherwise he was dead meat. The same is for us.

We must put on the boots of peace. Part of your being equipped for spiritual battle is having your feet fitted with the readiness that come from the gospel of peace. It is the gospel of peace which enables us to stand firm. We can stand secure knowing that we have peace.

There are two qualities of peace that we experience. The first is peace with God. Paul says in Romans 5:1, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,"

Because of the good news of the Gospel, we can now experience harmony and peace with God. Where there was once conflict between us and God due to our hardened hearts, there is now peace - we enjoy fellowship with God. We are secure in knowing that our eternal destiny is certain. We can stand in that certainty and know that we are ready to meet whatever challenge comes our way.

The second aspect of this peace is the peace of God. Philippians 4:7 says, "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Not only do we experience peace with God, but we also experience the peace of God. Peace with God means that our struggle with Him is over. The peace of God means that we experience His peace even in the most trying circumstances. It is the peace of God that causes us to have that calm, assured confidence that enables us to handle the situation.

When we find ourselves in trying circumstances, it is not unusual for us to begin to fall apart. Sometimes people even get somewhat hysterical. You might say to a person like that, "Get a grip!" Well, how can someone get a grip if they have nothing to grab on to. Knowing Jesus gives us something to hold on to. And the peace of God keeps us from becoming hysterical in the first place. It helps us to get a grip on life.

This is precisely having your feet fitted with the readiness that come from the gospel of peace will do for you. It will enable you to stand firm. It will give you traction in life. It will enable you to advance against the enemy on any terrain. Whatever your circumstances, you will stand firm.

The shield for a Roman soldier was a valuable piece of equipment. The kind of shield, which is spoken of here, was a large shield approximately 2 1/2 feet wide and 4 1/2 feet high. It was made of a solid piece of wood and covered with metal or leather. The soldiers used these shields to stand behind. Often they would stand side-by-side with their shields together, forming a long protective wall against the barrage of enemy arrows.

Now, many of these arrows were wrapped in pieces of cloth and soaked in a tar like substance. The tips would be set alight and the arrow shot at the enemy. These flaming missiles could inflict serious damage on unprotected soldiers. However, well-equipped soldiers, with leather-coated shields soaked in water, had a good defense. When the arrows would strike these shields, the wet leather would extinguish them.

Our shield is a shield of faith. This faith is a simple trust in God. In the book of Habakkuk, the prophet makes a declaration that is the basis for our walk with God. He says, "The righteous will live by faith" (Habakkuk 2:4). This statement is quoted 3 times in the New Testament in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38.

It is by faith that we enter the Christian life. It is by faith that we receive salvation and continued blessings from God. This isn't just some kind of head in the clouds type of faith though - it is faith in Jesus Christ. And so just as the air we breath, though unseen, maintains life in us, so faith in Jesus Christ enables the believer to maintain his or her eternal life with God.

By faith we are able to see the unseen. We are told we are to walk by faith, not by sight. Faith liberates us from trusting in what appears to be true and frees us to trust in what God says is true. Faith is a childlike trust in what God has said. It means we choose to believe Him. And it is this faith that acts as a shield enabling us to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. These arrows may be the temptations that are shot at us by Satan. They can be the temptations to doubt God. Or they could be the temptations to disobey God. Whatever the temptation, the shield of faith will stand between us and it.

Like any shield though, this shield must be deliberately taken up. We must intentionally stand behind what we believe. If we truly believe God and live in obedience with Him, then the flaming arrows of the evil one will be smothered.

There wouldn't have been one smart Roman soldier who would even have considered going into battle without his helmet. One strike to the head by a sword or club would probably be fatal. But, with the helmet on, the Roman solider could fight with a certain amount of confidence. And this is what the helmet does for us. It gives us confidence.

It is the helmet of salvation. When it speaks of salvation, there are several aspects of salvation in view. We are justified by faith in the finished work of Christ. This means we are forgiven and made right with God.

We are sanctified or set apart for God's purposes by the ongoing work of the Spirit. This work continues for our entire Christian life.

We are glorified when Jesus returns to receive us to Himself. Therefore, our salvation becomes complete. In this passage the primary focus is the assurance of salvation in all of its dimensions.

The assurance of salvation gives us confidence in God. We will need this confidence in the midst of the satanic attack. And this attack comes primarily to our minds. Because of that, we see the significance of Paul saying we need to wear the helmet of salvation.

Satan loves to see us living in discouragement and doubt. He points out all of our failures and faults, and anything else which seems negative. He wants us to doubt our salvation, to doubt God's goodness, to doubt God's Word, and to be just generally depressed. Throughout history almost all of God's chosen servants have suffered times of discouragement and depression.

Sometimes this discouragement will come after great success. Elijah won the battle against Baal on Mt. Carmel and immediately after ran for his life from Queen Jezebel. He wanted to die, but God would not let him die.

You know, there may be times in your life when you feel like that. It is then that you need the helmet of salvation. Satan will try by every means at his disposal to discourage and defeat us. But it will be the helmet of salvation that will give us our assurance in Christ.

Jesus died on the Cross in order to give us this salvation. When He died there between those two thieves, He made the greatest statement about His love for us and about His desire to save us that could ever be made. If we want assurance, then we need to look no further than the Cross of Christ. It is an indisputable historical fact that Jesus died on that Cross. He died there for you and for me.

So, the helmet of salvation gives us the confidence we need to face the enemy. It gives us confidence and hope in that we are God's children.

Lastly, the Roman soldier carried a short sword strapped to his side. It was the most common weapon used in hand-to-hand combat. It was used both offensively and defensively.

Our sword is of the Spirit. It is a spiritual sword that can be used to defend ourselves against the blows of the enemy and to strike a blow ourselves. This sword of the Spirit is our Bible - the word of God.

Hebrews 4:12 describes the Scriptures this way: "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

It is abundantly clear that the Word of God is a spiritual weapon. We must learn to use it effectively to defeat the enemy.

Jesus used this spiritual weapon against Satan in the wilderness just prior to the commencement of his 3-year ministry that led to the cross. Satan was attempting to get Jesus to doubt God the Father. He was attempting to undermine Jesus' confidence in who He was. He said to Jesus many times, "If you are really the Son of God . . ." - this was his method of attack. In each instance Jesus blocked the blow with the Word of God. In every encounter He went on the offensive using the God's Word. He effectively destroy the arguments of the satan's by using the Word. There is no greater weapon in our arsenal then the the word of God.

A sword stored away in a closet does no good when you are under attack. In order to use this sword, it must be available to you - you must know it. It becomes available when you begin to become familiar with it. Only as you read, study, and meditate upon the Word of God, will you ever keep this sword in hand.

So, by becoming familiar with the word of God, you are storing away spiritual weapons for the Spirit to use. He will bring to your mind those passages that apply to the situation you are facing. Your mind will be trained to think like God thinks. You will be able to pierce through the lies and deceptions of the enemy.

So we find here that the believer's armor is all about our relationship with Christ. Each piece of armor stems from knowing Christ.

So, the key is to knowing God is knowing Christ. Our relationship with Him is at the center of all we do. And it is only in Him can we have peace in the midst of conflict; that we can live in righteousness in the midst of a sinful society; and that we can live in truth in the midst of worldly - believe only what you see - thinking.

So, in order to put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the boots of peace, we must focus our attention on our Commander in Chief, Jesus Christ. He will equip us for war. And we can live this way as we live in the context and guidance given through faith, salvation, and God's Word. All these things go together and they speak of our trust in God.

These things make up the essential basic armor for the Christian. If you are not living your life in these ways as a Christian, then you are susceptible to satan's attacks and your relationship with God will struggle. You will not make God-centred decisions, but decisions based only upon your circumstances. If you are in this type of situation, then you need to return to Christ - feed on His Word, spend time in communication with Him in prayer and listening to Him - allow the Holy Spirit to work in your life to shape you to be the person God created you to be.