In Stephen Kings book Lisey’s Story, he writes about Bad Gunky.  He uses this phrase to refer to an evil presencee that his main characters are sometimes up against.  I think of this phrase when I think of the Christian’s spiritual enemies.  Luther talks about the World, our Fleshly desires, and the Devil.  Paul warns the church in Ephesians that our battle is against the Devils schemes, the Authorities, Principalities, Powers of Darkness and Spiritual Forces in the heavenly realms.  Bad Gunky all!

Paul also tells believers in Christ how to defeat these enemies of our soul.  In Ephesians 6:10, he says to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  That sounds great, but how do we do it?  Paul explains that we need to put on spiritual armor.  Or, as Stephen King says in the same book, “Strap it on!”

Of all the pieces of spiritual armor that we need to strap on, I think the most important piece is “the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God”.  It’s significant that Paul mentions both Spirit and Word.  There are theologians the world over that have a tremendous grasp of the Bible, but don’t have the Spirit, and are spiritually defeated.  There are many Christians who claim to be filled with the Spirit, but are ignorant of much of God’s Word.  They also suffer defeats regularly in the spiritual
realm.  To be victorious we must have the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.  Spirit and Word.  All the other pieces of armor are ultimately based on these two things.

With that said I will list the other pieces of spiritual armor, and rather than going into a long description of each piece, I will simply include a few relevant scriptures.

BELT OF TRUTH
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.  No on can come to the Father except through me.”  John 14:6

You shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free.  John 8:32

BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
But now, the righteousness of God has been made known apart from the law.  This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  Romans 3:21,,22

SHIELD OF FAITH
For it is by Grace you have been saved through faith – it is not of yourselves – it is a gift of God.  Ephesians 2:8

If you have the faith of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “be removed from here and be cast into the deepest sea” ans it will be done. Matthew 17:20

GOSPEL OF PEACE
I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to all who believe.   Romans 1:16

My peace I give to you. Not the kind that the world gives, I give to you.  John 14:27

HELMET OF SALVATION

   Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  Romans 10:9

A cursory reading of these verses makes it plain that they are all connected in a radical way.  You can’t have one without the others.  A soldier back in the day could walk into his local armor shop and pick and choose which piece he wanted.  He could a quote on one or two pieces or buy the whole shebang.  As Christians, we get the whole outfit when we trust Jesus for our salvation.

I think the reason that Paul lists them all as separate entities is that the act of putting on each piece, should be a daily act of meditation each morning before we go out to face the day, to face the enemy.  God gives us each piece free of charge, and the mental act of strapping on each piece each day, each morning should give us cause for rejoicing in God and result in an attitude of strength that enables us to overcome the worries, frustrations, anxieties and anger that Satan and his minions will sling at us.  With the spiritual armor of God we will be “strong in th Lord and in His mighty power.”  We will go victorious into the day, full of joy knowing that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

Schwabbynitions

Faith – believing that God loves you and wants you to be happy.

Righteousness – enjoying living in right relationship with God.

Peace – not just the absence of conflict, but wholeness and contentment in every aspect of life.

Gospel – the Good News that God loves us and wants us to be happy, and has revealed the way to inner joy through His Word.

Salvation – being saved eternally from the power of sin and the wrath of God.  Being saved daily from the time of trial and the Evil One.

Truth – reality as seen through the eyes of God and revealed to us through scripture.

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