Once we are born again and washed clean with the precious blood of Jesus we then enter military training to become honorable soldiers of the cross. The Apostle Paul was writing to the Ephesian Church and he admonished them to be strong in the Lord and power of His might. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Now this armor is a spiritual armor and the battle is a spiritual battle. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of the devil.” The armor of God is a full suite of armor that covers from head to toe. God commands that after we are saved to put on the armor and/or be clothed in and ready ourselves for battle. The armor is provided by God to protect and defend us against the tricks and deceits of the devil. There is no escaping this, no sidetracking or sidestepping. The conflict is inevitable. The very name “devil” literally means “slanderer”; but was not always in this fashion. He was originally created by God as an angel who was righteous and holy and each day served God. “Lucifer” means “son of the morning” and was most likely one of the most beautiful and most powerful of all angels. At a point in time, he led a revolution against God. This revolution was quite extensive and actually continues unto this hour. God’s creation of man was His greatest performance, therefore, satan struck at man and drug him down to the far lower level which he now occupies, This was a great blow against the righteousness and holiness of God. Satan tries every way he can to stop man from  accepting Jesus, God’s only solution for sin. Putting on the whole armor of God is the only way of victory in this spiritual battle. “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, “ constitutes a demand given with military snap and curtness, a command to be obeyed once and for all. “Having your loins gird about with truth,” pertains to the Word of God. The truth pertains to what Jesus did at the Cross and the Resurrection. If we have the proper truth, what is born of us will be of the Spirit, if not, it will be of the flesh. The Word says: Knowing the truth the truth will set you free. (John 8:32) Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Way to what? The only way to God. The only way to salvation and being set free from the bondage of satan. Jesus is Truth! The Word says, “Satan is a liar and the father of lies,” (John 8:44) He comes only to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10) God’s greatest accomplishment, mankind. But being wrapped or engulfed with truth (the Word) you will be completely set free. “And having on the breastplate of righteousness,” proclaims the quality of righteousness (holiness, perfectness of God) as a breastplate. This righteousness comes only by the finished work of Christ at the cross, and helps us to love right in His sight. It was there at the cross that Jesus poured out His life by the shedding of His own blood, which satisfied the sin debt and the curse of the broken law. He was then buried and resurrected from the dead. He then presented Himself spotless and righteous to the Father and did so as a man, the man Christ Jesus. This righteousness will definitely provide a breastplate of protection against the fiery darts of the enemy; satan. The Bible says, “There is none righteous but Christ Jesus.” Our righteousness is as filthy rags in the sight of God, but because of Jesus’ washing away of our sins; we are made righteous through His blood. “And your feet shod with the  preparation of the Gospel of peace,” speaks of our standing. Our standing is to be in Christ and Christ alone. One cannot take a firm stand, if he is not standing on the right thing, “The Word” as well, if one does not have the right type of shoes. Paul told us to “stand” and we can do that only if we’re standing firmly on a proper foundation; the Rock Christ Jesus, anything else is sinking sand. “Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of Christ. 1 Cor 15:58. “With the preparation,” speaks of readiness and being prepared. It actually speaks of assurance and if we are trusting in ourselves instead of God, there is no assurance. The Word commands us to, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. “Of the Gospel of Peace” proclaims the true gospel which always brings peace to the individual. Peace can only come and can only be maintained, if we are sure of our ground, the foundation of Christ. Peace is that inner most assurance that everything is in order and maintained by God. A peace that surpasses our understanding. “My peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.” He is our Prince of Peace. “Above all, taking the shield of faith where with ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” For the Christian the protective shield is “faith”; believing whole heartedly in God; the truth. Faith is the assent of the mind to the truth of God’s revealed will, believing without evidence. The Word tells us, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6. We must believe!! The  Bible tells us that in Matthew 17:20 that, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall be removed; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” Faith in the finished work of Christ always brings about total dependance on God. “Wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked,” represents temptations with which satan assails the saints. God allows all of this for our spiritual growth. He intends that we come out of every temptation stronger than when we went in. “And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the Word of God.” The “helmet of Salvation,” refers to salvation from the power of sin in our everyday walk before God, from the onslaughts of satan. As the helmet concerns the head, the idea is that the Christian should have his thinking right. “The sword of the Spirit,” is the Word of God, which refers to the entirety of the Bible! This sword is the Christian’s only offensive weapon. All of the other pieces of armor are defensive, to protect us. The sword is what we engage in battle to defeat and conquer the devil. When satan attacked Jesus in the wilderness. He fought back with the Word and conquered. It’s all about using the Word mixed with faith (believing in God) and in the name and power of His Son Jesus. “For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 The Bible says, He has made us more than conquerors and greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. Once we are saved, we are commanded to put on the whole armor of God and fight the good fight of faith. We are in a spiritual battle everyday of our lives with satan, but we already knows if we abide in Christ and He abides in us and we are more than conquerors! For we are the soldiers of God!