Being a godly man is no walk in the park. You’re in a battle that you cannot win on your own. But, please, never forget this: you are not alone. And, if you know God, you have been given tools to see you through this war.


“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. —Ephesians 6:13  (ESV)

We’ve talked for the last few weeks about how you are at war. That you’re one job is to protect your family. If you recall, we also talked about how you’re fighting an invisible enemy. The enemy is not your wife or your kids. You say, “Great, Ryan. This is nice to know. But how am I to get through this battle you speak of?” Great question.

You are not alone. For the Christian, God has given you tools to access. We see in the Book of Ephesians, Paul’s writing from a prison in Rome. Ephesus was one of the top five largest cities in the world at the time of writing. Imagine, Ephesus had a 25,000 seat amphitheater and hosted athletic events. So, think the Olympics but with more war gear.

Ephesus was known for its worldliness. Paul saw this city as a place to do spiritual battle. A place with great opportunity to increase the Gospel. But, why was Paul writing about body armor and warfare? Perhaps because he was in prison chained to a guard wearing armor. More likely, Paul knew the Old Testament. He knew God called himself a “warrior” (Ex. 15:3). Paul knew David’s Psalm talking about being “clothed with strength for battle” (Ps. 18:39).

Here’s my point: what follows isn’t cute talk from Paul, but visual experience. Listen and see the way he speaks about Satan and armor and warfare—and never forget—the writer has and is living this example as a Christ follower.

 

14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, —Ephesians 6:14-17

 

Six things the godly man never forgets.

I’m an NFL fan. Think about it: what equipment does a football player wear? (base layer of padded compression stuff, pads, cleats, helmet; mouth guard, you get the idea. Each of these things are vital for protection and success—on defense and offense.

Let’s dig in to what the Bible says about the spiritual gear we are to use as we take our stand against our enemy. Remember, this battle is not against flesh and blood—but it’s no less real.

First, every part of the armor is vital for our fight against Satan. A football player can’t play without a helmet. He’d get hurt and sidelined immediately.

Second, Satan is tricky. He’ll look for a weak area in our lives and attack us. We need the full armor to be protected.

#1 The belt of truth

Why do we need a belt? To hold up our pants, duh. Seriously, this is more about tying the armor together so there are no openings an enemy could penetrate. Paul was writing—telling the Ephesians just how vital truth was. The Ephesian believers needed to be truth-speaking people.

As we wear this armor, we live in His truth. This means speaking His truth and modeling His character with our actions. Now is not a time to let Satan get a hold of what you say, how you act, or your attitude. Paul talks about the source of truth in Ephesians 4:21: “The truth is in Jesus.” When we know Jesus we know truth. Put the belt of truth on every single day.

The godly man seeks biblical truth and lives with integrity.

 

 

#2 The breastplate of righteousness

Roman soldiers understood the breastplate protected the chest—especially the heart—from arrows and such. Paul’s writing here, pulling from Isaiah 59:17, where God puts on “righteousness like a breastplate.” Put the breastplate of righteousness on so as not to give Satan any way into our hearts.

Righteousness is being right with God. The Bible talks a lot about the importance of our hearts. God wants us to come to him with clean hearts. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Spend time with God by reading his Word and praying—by living a “righteous” life.

The godly man guards his heart.

 

#3 The shoes for your feet

Soldiers must have the right footwear. Shoes are vital for protection and ability to do your job. Watch any apocalyptic movie—what’s the one thing they’re always looking for—socks and shoes. Footwear is vital—for everyday life—and especially for a warrior in battle.

What’s the real point of Paul talking about footwear? Paul’s pointing that we should be ready to go and share the Gospel. Imagine the soldier with bad footwear—having to walk long distance, over all types of terrain.

The godly man is ready to go with the Gospel. 

 

#4 The shield of faith

Shields protects you from arrows, swords, and other weapons of the enemy. God is our strongest and most faithful ally. Our faith in Him protects us from the enemy’s attacks. We also use our faith on offense as we go and share the Gospel with others.

The word Paul uses for “shield” is not a small shield. So don’t think of something small here. Think instead of Captain America’s vibranium shield. Something that covered most of the body. Scripture describes God as a shield (Prov. 30:5). Never forget that we have a shield who can protect us from everything that may come our way.

The godly man lives by faith in God. 

 

how to be a better father

#5 The helmet of salvation

The helmet protects our heads and our brains from getting hurt. A brain injury business. The NFL has a five-step concussion protocol once a player gets hit hard enough to have a concussion. When we put on the helmet of salvation, we protect our minds against all the things the enemy wants to tempt us with.

Soldiers in Rome had helmets made of iron or other strong material—with face guards. The helmet was so heavy, they would have softer material inside to aid in wearing comfort. God can protect our minds and thoughts. I guess what I’m saying is, be like The Mandalorian. Put your helmet on and don’t take it off for anyone or anything! This is the way. : )

The godly man allows the spirit to control his mind and thoughts. 

 

#6 The sword of the spirit

The soldier’s sword cuts into the body, the Spirit’s sword (God’s Word) cuts into our hearts. Scripture says the Word of God is “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).

When we read the Bible, God convicts us about what is right and wrong in our actions, thoughts, and attitudes. This is why we should be in the Word daily and use the Word to point people to God. We don’t persuade people to come to God with our beautiful, poetic words. No, God does that with His Word. Know the Word. Share the Word. Boom.

The godly man knows and correctly uses God’s Word.

 

Recap: 6 things the godly man never forgets

#1 The belt of truth: The godly man seeks biblical truth and lives with integrity.
#2 The breastplate of righteousness: The godly man guards his heart.
#3 The shoes for your feet: The godly man is ready to go with the Gospel.
#4 The shield of faith: The godly man lives by faith in God.
#5 The helmet of salvation: The godly man allows the spirit to control his mind and thoughts.
#6 The sword of the spirit: The godly man knows and correctly uses God’s Word.

 

Question: Which piece of armor do you need to work on or practice with to be more ready for battle? Tell us on twitter @manhoodjourney or you can always email me.

 

The Mission

Want to dive into more resources to help you put on the armor of God? Here are a few options:

 

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