Last week, I wrote “Calling Superman“. It is based on a story told by my niece on Facebook. It featured a man wearing a Superman costume. It seems the man thought he was the Man of Steel.
A friend read my blog post and asked “What about the other suit?” He was talking of the real super suit. A real super suit? What am I talking about?
Did you think the super suit is a high-tech suit of armor? No. Is it a set of enchanted armor? No. Yet, it is quite powerful and real. So, what is this suit? It is what Paul calls “the Armor of God”:
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. [Ephesian 6:13-17]
A few years ago, I was praying for a friend. While praying, my Father showed me, an incredible scene. In my mind’s eye, I saw a powerful warrior standing in front of me. The warrior is dressed in full battle armor.
In my heart, I knew it to be the armor of God.
The warrior could be seen wearing the Belt of Truth. What truth? It is not my truth or some other person’s truth. It was God’s Truth. As long as the warrior is willing to walk in the light of Truth; he would see clearly and be guided by the Spirit.
On the chest, the warrior wore a fabulous metallic breastplate. The breastplate appears to have been made of adamantium. What is adamantium? It is a super hard metal that is far stronger than tempered steel. There is nothing that can penetrate this metal. The warrior’s breastplate is called the Breastplate of Righteousness and it was not his own. He is covered by the righteousness of Christ.
My attention is then drawn to the heavily insulated boots that he wore. I am left with the distinct impression that the boots would weather anything. I could easily the warrior walking through mud, snow, rivers or through a rolling plain.
When I originally shared this vision, I repeated what Paul said. Today, the following Scripture comes to mind. It seems Isaiah says it better:
7 How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
“Your God reigns!” [Isaiah 52:7]
The next piece is the helmet. The helmet protects the warrior’s head. If the head is hurt then the warrior is in for a world of trouble. The “Helmet of Salvation” is no ordinary helmet. With this helmet, the voice of the enemy is blocked out. Only the voice of the Shepherd is heard.
There is only one way for the adversary’s voice to be heard. The warrior has to choose to listen to it.
On the left arm, I could see a large body shield. A body shield affords a great deal of protection for the warrior. As with the other armor pieces, this is no ordinary shield. It is the Shield of Faith. With this shield, the enemy’s flaming arrows are extinguished.
For some people, the shield is just for defense. This is not entirely correct. Though it’s mainly used for protection; it also used in offensive manner. How so? Did you ever heard of shield bashing? Another tactic is to push aside obstacles and let the warrior advance forward. The same is true of the Shield of Faith.
What of the sword in the warrior’s right hand? It has a name, the Word of God. As I consider the Sword of the Spirit; I am recalling Hebrews 4:12-13:
12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
I’d love to continue; however I must wrap this up. I will end by pointing to what Paul says about the armor’s use [Ephesian 6:10-12:]
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
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