Putting on the Armor

When we think of the armor of God, we often think that we have to put it on to go into the world where the devil reigns; however, Paul’s exhortation to put on the full armor of God is right after his instructions on relationships—particularly family relationships. The end of chapter 5 instructs wives to submit to their husbands, for husbands to love their wives, and Chapter 6 instructs children to obey their parents, fathers to encourage their kids, and for employees and bosses to treat one another with respect. It is in this context that Paul tells us to put on the armor of God. The armor of God is nothing less than Jesus Christ. In other words, it is through the power and provision of Christ that husbands are going to love their wives, wives are going to submit to their husbands, and children are going to respect their parents. There are, however, several practical applications to the family regarding the armor of God.
First, it is to defeat the devil’s schemes. The devil seeks to destroy the family. Paul tells us that it is not “against flesh and blood” that we struggle. The old expression, “my own flesh and blood” when talking about family is implicated here. Many times when we are in conflict with another family member, we think it is the family member’s behavior that is the problem. We are unaware of the rulers and powers of the dark world that are at work. The weapons of these dark forces are lies, false assumptions, and distorted, twisted religious ideas. We defeat these lies with the truth of the Gospel.
If it is lies that put us in bondage, it is truth that sets us free. Jesus said, “I am the Way the Truth and the Life”, and He tells us the Holy Spirit will lead us into all Truth. The belt of a Roman soldier’s uniform held the rest of it in place. The Belt of Truth implies that in each situation, we need God to tell us and show us the Truth. Replacing the lie with truth will temper the emotions involved in conflict. This will cause parents to focus on why the child is behaving poorly instead of what they are doing.
Usually, in a conflict, we want to convince the other person we are right and they are wrong. The gospel declares that we are righteous in Christ apart from the law(behavior). Putting on the Breastplate of Righteousness gives us what we need to avoid the trap of such a power struggle. The truth is that on the basis of the gospel, both parties involved are right because they have been made righteous by Christ. So before entering into an argument about who is right, start with the premise that we are both right, worthy, and acceptable to God regardless of the outcome of our conflict. This will allow us to then ask God what He wants in each situation without the pressure of justifying ourselves.
Likewise, having our feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel peace tells us that in each situation we need to be ready to apply the gospel. It is from the Prince of Peace that we have true peace. It is the same for the Helmet of Salvation. We no longer have to save ourselves in these situations. We are saved, our personal needs are met in Christ. We can forget about ourselves and do what is best for the other person.
Satan is the accuser of the brethren. He will always attack our identity and the identity of the other person. Taking the Shield of Faith to extinguish the fiery darts of the evil one means that we believe the gospel for ourselves and for the other person as well. In other words, we identify that person on the basis of their union with Christ and not their behavior. This type of faith is essential to healthy family relations.
A swordsman is trained to use the sword carefully and skillfully, so a careful and skillful application of the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, is needed. It can’t be used as a club to shame and force compliance; rather, it can be used to build up the family and “present them perfect in Christ.”

The good news is that God not only provides useful tools for the family, but He provides the power to put those tools use.