Put on the whole armor of God

Ephesians 6:11: Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

The words 'put on' here is 'enduo' in Greek, which means 'endue with, clothe in, clothe with, fill your thoughts with, or be filled with'. In other words, to 'put on' the whole armor of God is to 'be conscious of' the whole armor of God! Now what does 'the whole armor of God' mean here? It actually means 'the wholeness, completeness, fullness of God'. Paul was actually saying we are to 'be conscious of the fullness of God', i.e Jesus Christ and His completed work on the cross, the work that's 'perfected forever' (Hebrews 10:14).

Therefore, the armor here actually refers to Jesus Christ Himself, and to 'put on' Christ is to 'be conscious of Christ & His completed work on the cross'. In Ephesians 6:10-17, the breastplate, belt, shoe, shield, helmet, and sword are 'pictures' representing Jesus Christ. You see, He is your righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21), He is the truth in your life (John 14:6), He is your peace (Isaiah 9:6), He is the author & finisher (beginner & 'completor') of your faith (Hebrews 12:2), He is of course your Savior (Luke 19:10), and He is the Word of God in your life (John 1:14). The 'Word of God' here is itself represented by the 'sword' (Hebrews 4:12).

For example, to 'put on' the 'breastplate of righteousness' means to 'be conscious that you are the righteousness of God in Christ' (being in 'right standing' with God because of what Jesus has done for you on the cross).

Notice also the word 'stand' (written three times from Ephesians 6:10-17). It is 'histemi' in Greek, which means 'be established'. In the Old Testament, King Jehoshaphat also received these words 'believe & you shall be established' (2 Chronicles 20:17-20), and the Lord won the battle for him (when he believed). The word 'established' here means 'be firm, be built up, be permanent', i.e standing on the solid rock (Jesus is our 'rock'). When you are 'established' in Christ (the Word), the enemy has to flee! The enemy can't stand Him & His Word.

The interesting thing here is Paul never said 'dash/fight/strive/toil' in the battle, but he said 'stand' ('be established' in Christ). In fact he wrote three times here.

When you are in Christ,

He is...

-your breastplate (you are protected from condemnation of the devil, reminding you always that you are already 'righteous' in Christ'),

-your belt (you are fastened with the 'truth', and no 'lies' can deceive you),

-your helmet (you are saved from eternal death, and no one can 'knock that off'),

-your shoe (you are led by Him every step of the way, and wherever you go, there'll be peace, as you preach the gospel, touching lives & being a blessing to others),

-your shield (you are filled with the faith of God, and no fear, anxiety or worry can affect you),

-your sword (you are established in the Word of God, which is 'sharper than any other double-edged sword', and it 'overcomes' any work of darkness).

You see, He is everything to you. The Bible says this whole armor of God (the fullness of Christ in you) is your 'stand' against any wiles (trickery) & wickedness of the enemy (Ephesians 6:11,13). 

Note: Ephesians 6:18-19 then also mentions 'praying in the Spirit' (i.e. praying in tongues). This is another great 'spiritual tool' given to you as well.

So, what are some of those 'wiles & wickedness' of the enemy? It may be a troubling thought, a worry, an anxiety, a feeling that you are condemned, a guilt, a heavy burden, etc. The enemy uses any of these to try to pull down your ‘spirit’, and to destroy you (the devil comes none other than 'to steal, kill & destroy'). Do you have a 'troubling thought' that casts a ‘cloud’ over your life right now? Or you may have heard of a 'bad news'. Or maybe you've just heard of something that 'shakes' you. Take heart, my friend. Jesus Christ is your full (whole) armor against all those. He is all you needed. Set your mind on Him. Be conscious of Him. When you have Him, you have everything. In Him, and only in Him alone, there's true victory (in every area of your life). 

Begin to 'put on' Christ now!