Looking verse 10 it is telling us that by us being human our powers compare nothing to God’s, and we need the strength of God’s might that God gives us through prayer because it tells us that in verse 18. People wonder why us people of the flesh don’t have the same powers as God because they read in Genesis how we are made out of God’s own image. Image is a similarity or a likeness it isn’t the actual thing. So the point that is being put across here is that with our own human powers we don’t have the strength to endeavor in our day to day task and maintain a godly lifestyle. This is why this strength comes through prayer.
Verse 11 tells us to put on the whole amour so we can stand against the wiles or schemes of the devil. This is telling us that if we don’t have on the armour of God we will be deceived by the devil. Then you will hold a reputation with Satan as being gullible. Then when we get that reputation of being gullible we get deceived so much to where we turn our back on God because we think God isn’t doing anything for us. The reason why we become so gullible is because we don’t have on our armour of God and we don’t gain the strength of God through prayer. That’s why we ought to take heed to folk when they say prayer changes things. When folks try to tell us about the word we need to listen because we know Romans10:17 tell us faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. The reason for that scripture is because some of us choose not to get in the battle because we don’t have the faith in God, and the reason for not having the faith is because we don’t hear. The thing is since we don’t won’t to hear we don’t have the faith to put on the whole armour of God in this battle we end up getting deceived we earn the reputation of being gullible, and our life begins to take a toll for the worst, so we done got mad at God because we refuses to hear which led us to having a lack of faith to put on the armour, and now we have back-slid which has taken us back to square square one in our walk with God.
It tells us in verse 12 says for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against powers, against principalities, against rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places, but I like the way the English standard version says it because it breaks it down. It says for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places. Verse 12 is telling us plainly we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood. The others things that are listed is considered allies of the devil, in other words they are bonded together to make them as one. I should point out that when it says cosmic power in the ESV version it is referring to universal powers. Ok so we got it in our head that we wrestle against powers, principalities, rulers of darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places, so I want to re-iterate verse 11 in verse 12 because we may wrestle against these things, but by us having on the full armour of God we will stand against the wiles or the schemes of the devil. Looking at Colossians2:15 it tells us God will triumph over them in other words He will overcome them because their powers are spoiled and in the ESV version spoiled is being referred to as being disarmed, so they are put to open shame.
In verse 13 it starts to go into the divine armour. Right now we are in the evil day, and during this evil day we need that divine armour to fight that battle. In verse 11 it said put on the whole armour. This divine armour is the whole armour, but the thing to it is that you have to be dressed in your armour from head to toe because the enemy could consider any open area as a weak spot and you can become wounded.
In verse 14 it starts to tell us the first parts of the armour we need to have. First it tells us we need to have our loins girt with truth. In other words we need to have on our belt of truth. Then it says put on the breastplate of righteousness. The reason why these two was put together is because it makes a strong bond to withstand the tactics of the devil so we don’t give in to fear.
Verse 15 is basically telling us we need to cover our feet in the gospel of peace. We always have to be able to proclaim the gospel during this battle and after the gospel is proclaimed there ought to be some signs of peace somewhere. We know that in 2Timothy1:7 it tells us God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind, and if we our feet covered with peace our mind ought to be sound, and within a sound mind there ought to be some love and power.
Verse 16 tells us to take the shield of faith to quench the fiery darts of the wicked. My research tell me back in the old days fiery darts were used to burn wooden shields, but the shield of faith is used to extinguish to fiery darts of the wicked. One thing is as long as you stay living a life for God the devil will never run out of fiery darts with your name on it.
Verse 17 says take the helmet of salvation and the Sword of the Spirit. We know by looking at this verse it is referring to the Word of God. No matter what we ought to have that Sword of the Spirit. Well some may say preacher my Bible isn’t always in my hands. I want you to know as a blood-washed believer we ought to have the Word of God in our heart because the Bible tells us in Psalm119:11 Thy Word have thine hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee.
The way I see verses 14-17 are as renewable resources given to us by God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. By us being out here on this walk for Jesus we are going to need truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and most importantly the Word of God and as long as we got these things with us we know that God is always right there with us because He is the one who has supplied us with this truth, righteousness, peace, faith salvation, and his Word through His Son Jesus.
In verses 18-20 it tells us that we are going to have to pray. We got to have that prayer to get us started for another day of battle. We got to ask for protection daily, help to stay in Lord and do His work and also to continue to give His name all the praise despite anything that comes our way. In others words count it all joy. We don’t realize the reason why the weapons we use during battle is spiritual, and the reason why it’s spiritual is because the weapons we used are rooted in prayer. It even took me a minute to realize why it wasn’t used as an actual weapon then it dawned on me that the prayer keeps the weapons that we use in strong and good condition. If we pray to God and always stay in communication with God and stay with the game plan which is the Bible everything I taken care of.
Turn with me to 1Peter5:8. We now see in this 8th verse of this 5 chapter of 1Peter that it tells us to be sober and vigilant. The meaning of sober is to calm, temperate, and sound-minded. Vigilant means to be alert or watchful. Now we see that us as blood-washed believers since the battle isn’t over yet we can’t let our guard down, so during this battle we must always be sober and vigilant. We know by staying on the battlefield for our Lord when the battle is over for us we are going to get our reward.
