Chapter 14 The Armor of God
Excerpted from Women, Get in the Army of God by Dawn Wilson. Copyright © 2005.
Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
"The armor of God that we are instructed by Paul to put on piece by piece were
symbols of true elements that we are to put on and have on as believers in Jesus
Christ. Many believers are putting on their symbolic armor of God and do not have
the true, actual armor of God on. They are standing before the enemy with “toy” or
“imitation” armor. Do not be deceived! Satan knows if you have on the true armor
of God or if you are standing in the imitation. Satan knows if you have faith, which
is as a shield to his fiery darts, or if you are standing before him with a shield you’
ve called faith, but have no true faith. He knows whether you have true salvation as
your helmet, or you have on a helmet you call salvation. He knows if you know the
Word of God and are able to use it as a sword against him. Do not be deceived by
these imitations of the true armor of God. Paul is telling us to take up faith as a
shield, to put on salvation as a true helmet, and to know the Word of God and use it
as a sword against the enemy. He is telling us to take up these true things; they
are armor to us as we take them up. To make this point clear when I spoke this
message at a women’s retreat, I actually put on a set of “toy armor of God.” I
wanted them to see, and I want you to see that there is a difference between the
imitation and the real true armor of God. Paul was not telling us to pray a prayer
each day and put these pieces of imitation armor on. He was telling us to put on
these actual things, and the possession of these actual things is as armor to us.
You do not need a shield called faith; you need faith that is your shield. You do not
need a helmet called salvation; you need true salvation in Jesus Christ, which is a
helmet to you. You do not need a sword called the Word of God; you need the
Word of God and its use as a sword to defeat the enemy. Please do not be
offended as I speak against tradition. I pray you will hear the truth of these words
and put on the true armor of God!"