We ended on verse eighteen and this time we will be starting there. This verse wraps up the section we were exploring about the armor of God. The section on armor really sets a great final theme for wrapping up this letter. Paul encourages us to put on this armor to stand against the devil. We are not in a battle against flesh and blood. It may feel like it at times but everyone you encounter who is not a Christian is also hated by Satan. To the devil and all the spiritual forces at work in the world the very existence of man reminds them of their defeat at the cross through the work of Jesus. He was the new Adam and He did what Adam could not do. He conquered the fallen kingdom as the new and perfect representative of man. His favorite term for Himself was Son of Man. This is because His intention was not just to be the messiah of the Jews but to be the redeemer of all creation. Through His work on the cross He would make a way for all men who repent and put their faith in Jesus as Lord to be rescued from sin and death. Instead they are made new and righteous members of the kingdom of God filled with hope and peace with the promise of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Paul is then telling us to put on this armor because this battle is an already won battle. The armor of God gives us the strength to stand the onslaught of the devil. Even men who oppose us don’t usually realize their being driven by spiritual forces go against us. Fallen men are not our enemies. They are pawns of our enemy and we should have compassion on them and pray for them. As we examined the armor it is clearly God working to strengthen us for the battle we face. We put on the belt of truth, because it is truth which holds everything together. The breastplate of righteousness protects us from the evil things in this world Satan would use to harm us. By living righteously in Jesus we will be rescued from the evil which could destroy us. Our shoes are shod with the gospel of peace. We stand in the gospel and it is not something to trample other men with but it is the good news which will bring them peace with God if they repent and follow Jesus as Lord. We are then called to take up the shield of faith which doesn’t only block the enemies attack but it extinguishes their fiery darts. Paul then calls us to put on the helmet of salvation. One of the ideas here would be our minds are protected but in addition our lives show everyone we are saved. It becomes evident to everyone that we are followers of our Lord Jesus. The final piece is the sword of the Spirit this is the word of God. We see this used so effectively by Jesus all the time. He used it in His battle with Satan during his temptation. He used it again and again in His conflict with the pharisees and Sanhedrin as they came against Him. We should all be preparing for conflict by memorizing God’s word and meditating on it. Paul really is calling on us to immerse ourselves in the relationship with God we have been called to. To live out of this relationship and depend on it to the glory of God.