Whole Armor of G-d

Ephesians 6:10-17
Most important before you put on the whole armor of G-d, you must put on Y’Shua HaMashiach each morning before starting your day. Now you have Y’Shua under your armor.
There is a shield to protect you from the worst that life can offer from torturing doubt, from despair, from fear, even from death itself.
These seven brief devotional messages are based on Paul’s inspiring words: “Therefore take the whole armor of G-d that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Here is how we can acquire the truth, righteousness, faith, and hope that make up ‘the whole armor of G-d.’ We can stand firmly and confidently against all evil. “Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; above all taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of G-d.”
The reason for considering the putting on of the whole armor:
So that it may reawaken us to the wholeness of our faith.
So that it may reawaken us to the heroic aspects of our faith. The disciples had cut themselves off from their old social attachments. They had forfeited dear and vital friendships. They had to struggle against the pull of their old pagan associations, intensified by family feelings. There was the social stigma attached in this new Way sect. In another words they paid the price for their belief and anointing.
So that it may awaken us to the responsibility as well as the wholeness and heroism of our faith. The armor of G-d is not merely meant for our own protection, but it is to equip us to fulfill our duties as soldiers of Messiah responsible for others as we gather in fellowship of the responsible, for service. Being a Believer was once heroic business. Being a Believer was once responsible business. To put on the armor of G-d means enlisting for service. We are not all visible to one another, but we are all visible to G-d.
Attacks come in the form of persecution and through the fact that the believer must suffer injustice in the world. The means of Defense are ‘to be sober and watch” (1 Peter 5:8), for “the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” The constant danger that Satan may devour the believer, therefore one must watch constantly, like a soldier at his post (1 Thess. 5), and arm oneself with the armor of faith, love, and hope. Only with such armor can one withstand the “attacks of the devil” (Eph. 6:11). “Watch you, stand fast in the faith, be courageous and strong” (1 Cor. 16:13).
It is the attitude of a brave solider of G-d in battle with the devil. Thus the concept temptation has its roots in the imagery of a state of war between two powers in the world, that of G-d and that of Satan, in that the believer, as G-d’s soldier, is constantly exposed to the attacks of the devil and must therefore be watchful and armed at his post.
The believer should put his limbs in G-d’s service as weapons of righteousness and not as weapons of injustice in the service of sin. One can only be slave, servant of the one or of the other. There is no neutral position in this battle between the two powers in the world.
“Rejoice when you are exposed to divers temptations” (Jas. 1: 2,22). This is the pride of the experienced soldier, who has been tried in may wars and now deservedly receives the reward of the wreath of victory: “for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life.”
The situation of the believer in the world is, therefore, that of the soldier of G-d, who is at war with Satan and with his army on earth, the sons of darkness; he is constantly attacked by temptation to sin, by need, and by affliction.
Watching and praying is an essential means of help in the soldier life of the sons of light. Man is enslaved to the law of sin, as against the mind, though that man is the servant of the law of G-d. Flesh and mind are in battle with one another. (7:23). The same thing is said of flesh and spirit (Gal. 5:17), so until the end the spirits of truth and of perversion battle within the heart of man.
Satan attacks either the flesh, which is weak, or one’s own greed, through which one is brought to sin. But the believer must stand fast against all this, well armed with the spiritual armor, as the sober and watchful soldier of G-d.
The weight of the attack will not rise above that degree of power of resistance that is attainable by man. “G-d is faithful – He helps – He will not suffer you to be tempted above that your are able” (1 Cor. 10:13). G-d creates the possibility to escape, the ability to withstand.
Warriors have to stand firm now in the battle in the world and prove themselves – left more or less to their own devices. The community is saturated with the certainty that if it is victorious over Satan and sin, if it withstands the temptations, this is not in the least due to its own achievement, but exclusively to G-d’s deed and miraculous power.
“Who is not with Me, He is against Me” (Matt. 12:30 and Lk. 11:22). And indeed it is the war of G-d against Satan, in which you are to be G-d’s warrior. By His works, especially by casting our demons and by healing the sick, you attack the dominion of Satan, breaking into his house, and binding him and stealing his armament: “Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, unless he first binds the strong man? Then we can plunder his house” (Matt. 12:29).
The thunderstorm is on its way (Lk. 12:54), the battle is about to turn into its final stages.
There is no time to sit on the fence, get in or get out. The Father is recruiting soldiers who will wear His armor to the end of the race.
Suit of armor
My suit of armor was forged by the L-rd himself, given to me along with a shield to ward off the stones and arrows that come in life. It has served me well this armor of mine, we have gone many places, fought many battles, and I still go on, I know not why.
My armor still stands intact along with my shield, very tarnished and dented now, still trying to do the duty for which they were given me. I get struck more than I did in years gone by from the arrows that seem to come from everyway.
It’s not the armor or shield that fail, but the spirit of myself nor longer wanting to hold that shield of mine in the guard.
I arise each morning and I strap on this armor, pick up my shield to once more do battle for that day, both are dented and I wonder how much longer before they cannot withstand the blows. How long can the shield be put on guard? Only you, my Father, know, and I leave it in your hands.