The spiritual armor of God is the armor that every born again Christian received from God and needs to put on and walk in. Because when you become born again, you enter spiritual warfare, ahakoa e hiahia ana koe ki te kore ranei. If you don’t acknowledge the spiritual war between the Kingdom of God and darkness and be passive or you don’t know how to fight and use the spiritual weapons, then it won’t be long before you’ll be taken captive and become a prisoner of the enemy the devil. When this happens, your spirit may be saved, but you will live in bondage of the devil and he and his minions will torment your soul and body. No reira, arise and put on the whole armor of God so that you will be able to stand in the evil day. Let’s look what the Bible says about the armor of God and how you put on the armor of God.
The spiritual warfare and the armor of God
When you become born again in Christ and are transferred from the darkness into the Kingdom of Light, you become an enemy of the devil and all those, no te pouri. You shall no longer walk in darkness, but you shall walk in the Light.
Hei hanga hou, it’s important that you know your place in Christ, noho ki roto ki a ia (te Word), and be a soldier of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God.
As you go into the war zone, you want to be protected in the best way possible.
Inaianei, you want to have the best protection and the best weapons to stand and overcome the enemy and to be victorious.
You don’t want an armor that has holes in it, Kāore! You want the best armor there is. You want an armor, that provides full protection so that nothing touches and no one harms you.
The only armor that fully protects you in the spiritual warfare is the armor of God.
When you put on the whole armor of God and use His two-edged sword, instead of your own blunt sword, then you become invincible.
How to prepare for the spiritual battle?
You prepare for the spiritual battle by training and disciplining yourself in the Word and through prayer. So that you are always prepared, protected, strong and ready for the spiritual battle.
You will be on the battlefield all the time, 24 hāora i ia rā, for as long as you live. No reira, you can’t take off your armor of God before you go to bed and put it back on in the morning. KĀORE! No te mea ko te tikanga, that the devil (your enemy) can attack you during the night.
The armor of God should always be on, ao, pō.
Why is it called the spiritual armor of God?
It is called the spiritual armor of God because the armor of God is not meant for the natural man (te tangata kikokiko tawhito), engari mo te tangata wairua. It’s the armor of God for the new man, who is born of God and belongs to the Kingdom of Heaven. Your warfare takes place in the spiritual realm and not in the natural realm.
Me mohio koe, that the devil is already defeated by Jesus Christ, by His blood and His redemptive work
Jesus took away the devil’s authority, his legal right. Heoi ano, the devil still has the ability and still goed around as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, until the devil is cast into the eternal lake of fire and brimstone. (Panuitia hoki: Has Jesus bound the strong one or do you have to bind the strong one?).
What is your task and mission? Your task and mission is to stand in the Truth and remind the devil of the blood and victory of Jesus Christ and the devil’s defeat and that he has no legal authority anymore, and he must go away.
I roto i a te Karaiti, you have received all power over the whole army of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you, as long you stay in Christ (Ruka 10:19).
You are called to preach the gospel and truth of God and reconcile people to God. You are called to deliver people from the power of darkness and set them free from any bondage of the devil and bring them into the Kingdom of God.
I Epeha 6:10-20, Paul wrote about the spiritual armor of God and the first thing he wrote is to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
How to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might?
You will be strong in the lord and in the power of His might if you rely on Him and stay on Him. Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth and as long as you are Noho ana i roto ia ia, you also have all authority, all power, in heaven and on earth.
Heoi ano, you must abide and stay in Him (te Word), and not leave Him. Because if you leave Him, and rely on yourself and your own knowledge, whakaaro nui, mana, hinengaro, tikanga, you lose your spiritual authority and become powerless.
How do you stay in Christ? Ka mea a Ihu:
He that eats My flesh and drinks My blood, dwells in Me and I in him. Na te Matua ora hoki ahau i tono mai, e ora ana ahau i te Matua: na ko te tangata e kai ana i ahau, ka ora ano ia i ahau (Hone 6:56,57)
Why do you have to put on the whole armor of God?
You have to put on the whole armor of God so that you can stand against the wiles of the devil in the evil day. Na te mea kaore koe e raru ki te kikokiko me te toto (iwi). But you wrestle against spiritual powers, ki nga rangatira o te pouri o tenei ao, ki te kino wairua i nga wahi tiketike.
They are God’s enemies and because you are born again in Christ, they have become your enemies too.
Only when you put on the whole armor of God, you will be able to stand and fulfill your task and mission.
What does the Bible say about the armor of God?
The Bible says about the spiritual armor of God the following:
Na reira e tu, he mea whitiki o koutou hope ki te pono
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the truth. Therefore it’s important to walk in the truth of the Word of God. As soon as you deviate from the Bible and go your own way and rely on yourself and the wisdom and knowledge of the world, you don’t walk in the truth anymore, but in the lie.
You serve the Almighty God of truth. In Him is no lie. Before your repentance, you were a child of the devil, who is called the father of lies. But you are no longer a child of the devil, who speaks lies. You are a child of the living God, who speaks the truth.
You have received God’s nature through the resurrection of your spirit from the dead and the abiding of the Holy Spirit. No reira, you will speak the truth and walk in the truth of the Word, instead of speaking lies and walking in the lies of the world.
No more lies, also means, no more lies, not even a little white lie. Since a little white lie is a lie.
You shall also keep your promise(s) because if you don’t do what you say and promise, teka koe. Therefore be careful what you say and promise to others. It’s better to not promise anything than to make a promise and don’t keep it. (Panuitia hoki: Do you keep your promise?).
But it’s not only about speaking the truth, but also walking in the truth. This means that you walk after the Spirit according to the Word of God in the truth of God and be a doer of the Word.
You don’t walk after the flesh and what the world says anymore. Because if you do, you shall depart from the truth of God’s Word. Only when you walk in the truth, your loins will be girded and you will not stumble and fall. (Panuitia hoki: ‘He aha te tikanga o te hope o te roimata me te pono?’).
having on the breastplate of righteousness
You have been made righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ. This means you are heoi ano he tangata hara and don’t live under the law of sin and death anymore. When you became born again in Christ, you crucified your sinful flesh in which sin and death reigns. (Panuitia hoki: He aha te tikanga kia noho i raro i te ture?).
You have not become righteous by your own works but by faith in Jesus Christ and through His sacrifice and blood. Na te whakapono me te whakahoutanga i roto ia Ihu Karaiti, Kua whakatikaia koe i roto ia ia. You can’t get there, because you are already there.
The devil shall try to convince you and make you believe that you are not righteous and holy, but that you are still a sinner and always remain a sinner. Engari he korero teka tena!
You must know that the devil will always try to accuse you in your mind and put you down and put feelings of guilt and condemnation on you. But as long as you stay in Christ and walk after the Spirit in righteousness in the truth of God, the accuser has no legal right to accuse you.
I roto i a te Karaiti, you have been delivered from the sinful flesh and the power of sin and death. You have been made free from all guilt, shame, and condemnation of your old life.
Now that you have been made righteous in Christ, you shall walk righteous (Aue. Roma 6::12-23, 1 Koriniti 15:34, 2 Koriniti 5:21, 1 Timoti 6:11-12).
You are no longer a sinner, who walks after the flesh and habitually live in sin. But you have become a new creation, who is seated in Jesus Christ. and made righteous. No reira, you shall walk after the Spirit in obedience to God in righteousness and not after the flesh in disobedience to God in sin. (Panuitia hoki: ‘What is the breastplate of righteousness?')
Your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace
Jesus commanded, to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature and teach the nations (Aue. Matiu 28:19-20, Mark 16:15). Since this is the commandment, that Jesus has given to all His disciples, tae atu ki a koe, this will be your mission.
Ki te tino aroha koe ki a Ihu, as you say you do, then you will do, ko ta Ihu i whakahau ai ki a koutou kia meatia. Just go your way and you will meet people, to whom you can share and bring the gospel of peace.
Especially in the world today, truth and peace are something that all people are looking for. Heoi ano, many times people look in the wrong places and are influenced by deceptive doctrines and false religions.
That’s mainly because many Christians don’t do what Jesus has commanded them to do. They are more focused on themselves; their personal life and family, than on lost souls that wander around (Panuitia hoki: Mena kei te noho puku nga Karaitiana, Ma wai e whakatu nga whakarau i te pouri?).
It is not difficult to bring and preach the gospel to the people. If your heart is full of Jesus, you will speak about Jesus. J
Don’t let fear hold you back, but be a witness of Jesus Christ and tell the people about Jesus Christ and what Jesus has done in your life. Heoi ano, don’t turn the gospel into heated debates. Ka kite koe i to kitenga, that a person is not willing to receive the gospel, then don’t get pushy, but stop.
The gospel is a holy matter, if people don’t want to receive it, then that is their choice. You can never force a person. (Panuitia hoki: ‘What does it mean your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace?').
I runga ake i nga mea katoa, ka mau ki te whakangungu rakau o te whakapono
The whole gospel revolves around faith in Jesus Christ, te Word. Before Jesus’ crucifixion and before Jesus was scourged at the whipping post, Jesus confirmed people’s belief and unbelief. There were people, who didn’t believe in Jesus Christ, but there were also many people, who believed in Jesus Christ as the Healer, te Mesia, and Son of God and turned to Him. They acknowledged His authority and believed the living Word of God.
To believe the Word of God and have faith in the Word of God, Me mohio koe ki te kupu a te Atua. To faith in Christ; te Kupu a te Atua, is your shield of faith and is needed. Why is the shield of faith needed? Your shield of faith is needed to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. What could these fiery darts of the wicked be?
The fiery darts are coming from the wicked. ‘Poñeros’ is the Greek word for ‘wicked’.and means a.o. whakakino, ko tena, kino, kino (mea), more evil, kino (mea), hae, hae, malignant, bad, whakapouri, kino, moepuku, kino, worthless, nanakia.
These fiery darts not only come directly from the devil, but might also come from the people around you with whom you are close. They will often unconsciously fire a fiery dart at you. But when you stay in the truth of God’s Word and stay in Christ then you will not be hit.
Believe what the Word of God says and not what the people or the world (pūnaha) kī.
If you believe what the Word says, and stay in the Word, then no dart can harm you. But if you leave the Word, by believing the words of the world above the Word of God, and act upon these words, then these fiery darts will hurt you. (Panuitia hoki: ‘He aha te whakangungu o te whakapono?’).
Take the helmet of salvation
The helmet of salvation protects your mind (o koutou whakaaro) ma te whakapono ki a ia. You can only overcome the spiritual battle in your minds (o koutou whakaaro) na Ihu Karaiti; te Word.
Engari me tatou, Ko wai o te ra, kia mataara, te tuku i te kouma o te whakapono me te aroha; and for a helmet, Te tumanako o te whakaoranga. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, tera, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him (1 Teharonika 5:8).
No te mea ahakoa haereere matou i roto i te kikokiko, e kore matou e whawhai i runga i te kikokiko: Ko nga patu hoki o ta matou pakanga ehara i te mea no te kikokiko, engari he kaha i roto i te Atua ki te wawahi i nga pa kaha) Te tuku i nga whakaaro pohewa, Ko nga mea tiketike katoa e whakanuia ana e ia ki te matauranga ki te Atua, me te kawe i nga whakaaro katoa ki te ngohengohe o te Karaiti; Me te noho rite ano ki te rapu utu mo nga mahi tutu katoa, ina oti to koutou ngohengohe (2 Koriniti 10:3-5)
When a thought enters your mind, that opposes the words of God, take a Bible verse about that subject. Renew your mind with the words of God and take that evil thought captive. This way you destroy every stronghold of the enemy in your mind.
Hei tauira, if you experience anxiety or panic attacks in your life, then this is mainly because your mind is full of thoughts of worry, wehi, and anxiety that control your mind. If you want to take control over those anxious and fearful thoughts, all you have to do is, take a scripture about peace:
Kia tupato mo tetahi mea; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Na te rangimarie o te Atua, e pa ana ki nga marama katoa, Ka tiakina o koutou ngakau me o koutou hinengaro i roto ia Karaiti Ihu (Philipi 4:6-7)
Believe these words of God and memorize His words, repeat it out loud over and over again, and walk according to these words. Ka kite koe, that the peace of God, e pa ana ki nga marama katoa, will control your mind.
Ka mea a Ihu, that He would leave His peace with you. His peace is His Word, that He gave you. If you take His words, whakahou i to hinengaro me ana kupu, and apply His words to your life, you will experience His peace.
He tere hoki te Kupu a te Atua, me te kaha, and sharper than any two-edged sword and divides soul and spirit. (Hiperu 4:12 (Panuitia hoki: ‘He aha te potae o te whakaoranga?’).
Take the sword of the Spirit
The Word of God is your Sword. When you enter the battlefield, you can’t go and fight without your sword, otherwise you’re destined to lose. If you don’t have a sword, it won’t be long before the enemy overtakes you. That’s why it is important to know the Bible. You cannot live and fight without the Word of God, it is vital!
The devil knows that the Word of God is powerful. He knows that the Word of God is the only weapon that can destroy him and his kingdom.
That’s why the devil, Ko wai te rangatira o tenei ao, keeps you away from the Word of God. His purpose in your life is to stop you from gaining knowledge of the Word and keep you ignorant about the knowledge of the truth of God. So that you won’t apply God’s knowledge and truth to your life and do His will and be victorious.
How does the devil accomplish his mission? By using nga whakaakoranga teka, that derive from his wisdom and knowledge (the wisdom and knowledge of the world).
He uses distractions and natural means to keep you busy and distract you from the Kingdom of God, rite mahi whakangahau, pouaka whakaata, rorohiko, petipeti, (pāpori) pāpāho, etc..
And if you want to read the Bible or pray, he uses fatigue or cast thoughts in your mind that cause you to wander.
Kei te hiahia te rewera ki te whai i to hinengaro, so that you will have his mind and do his will. No reira, he prevents you from renewing your mind with the Word so that you won’t have the mind of Christ and do His will.
The devil fills your mind with his junk for hours. No reira, when you read your Bible, your mind will be distracted, by all the things you watched and read, and you’ll not be able to focus and receive the things of God.
How sharp is your sword?
No reira, it is good to set a fixed time every day and spend that time with the Lord and pray and read and study the Bible. So that your sword be sharp and not blunt
Ka mea te Atua, that you should meditate on His Word, ao, pō, and that His Word should not depart from your mouth (Aue. Joshua 1:8).
Read the Scriptures thoroughly word by word. It is better to read one chapter slowly, word by word, and let it sink in your mind and understand it, then quickly read ten chapters and shortly after you’ve read it, forget what you’ve read.
Think about what you’ve read, meditate on the words of God and apply the words of God into your life.
You can also take a Scripture each day, and memorize the words of God during the day. When you fill your mind with the Word, the Holy Spirit will bring it to your remembrance, at the time you need it (Panuitia hoki: What is the Sword of the Spirit?).
Pray with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit
When you have put on the whole armor of God, the Word commands you to pray with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. Speaking in other tongues is praying in the Spirit which is needed to edify yourself so that you become and stay spiritually strong.
Watch with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. Don’t focus on yourself, but pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Pray for all Christians worldwide, that they may speak boldly the Word of God and make known the mystery of the gospel to the people, so that many souls be saved for Christ and redeemed from the power of darkness. (Panuitia hoki: ‘Praying always with all supplication in the Spirit').
When you put on the armor of God, you put on Christ. You walk in Him as the new man (te hanga hou).
If you would like to know what armor David used to conquer Goliath, ka hiahia pea koe ki te panui: How to overcome your Goliath in life?
'Kia tote mo te whenua’
