The other day as I spoke the armor of God verses in Ephesians 6:10-18, I realized when accepting Jesus as Savior that these parts of the armor come with the territory of belief. Our faith sees the truth of Jesus and The Word of God, which allows His blood to cover us for salvation. Thus, making us righteous before God The Father and allowing His peace to flow through us to others.

Recognizing this revelation, I tried a different approach. I said to the Lord, I activate Your armor on me. Immediately He gave me the picture of Iron Man’s armor suddenly appearing to protect him in battle.

Interesting fact here, Iron Man’s armor is ready to go whenever he needs it. He doesn’t have to run home or into a telephone booth to secure its placement. With a flick he is fully ready.

For us, it’s as easy as a spoken word or two. Whether we say, “I put on your armor.” or, “Here we go Jesus.”, we are covered. His righteousness and truth are affirmed. Our faith of trusting God to be present pulls His covering over our body and wraps around us extinguishing the blazing arrows coming at us.

I love how the The Passion Translation (TPT) talks about the armor of God. After reading it several times I realize how this version gives us an outward focus. Take a look at some key explanations. It says we are “supernaturally infused with strength through your life-union with the Lord Jesus”, allowing us to “stand victorious with the force of his explosive power flowing in and through” us. Struggles is called “hand-to-hand combat”. Truth as a belt gives us strength. Some of God’s covering protects our hearts and thoughts from lies. What a reminder that we are the winners.

While it’s assumed in other versions, TPT directly mentions standing alert so we’re “ready to share the blessings of peace”. And, as for prayer, it’s to be passionately spoken, constantly done, and speaking blessings over all His believers. How many of us pray that way?

To check out the idea of Iron Man, I looked up the Greek word for “put on”. It’s endyō which means to sink into the garment. Can you picture yourself sinking into the complete coverage of God’s protection? Think about Iron Man. He is completely covered when his armor is in place. What a great comparison.

While reading in the Old Testament, I came across some verses that talk about the armor of God. That’s how I discovered Paul was not the first person to speak of salvation’s attributes as protection for a child of God. In Genesis 15, God promises Abraham to be a shield of protection. Daniel is an example of staying alert and continuously praying in chapter 6. Then there’s Isaiah. Check out 11:5; 49:2; 52:7; and 59:17. All the parts of the armor of God are mentioned in these verses.

In the Gospels, Jesus quoted the Word of God (sword of the Spirit) to stop the temptations thrown at Him in the wilderness. (Matthew 4) Just like Him, we’re to do likewise because, as Hebrews 4:12 tells us, it’s alive, it’s powerful, it’s sharper than ANY two-edged sword and can even separate the soul and the spirit from one another. Wow! Later Jesus told His disciples the reason to keep watch and keep praying was to avoid giving in to temptation. Even telling them that “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). I know this fact all too well.

While Iron Man’s protection is fictional there are other forms of protection to compare with – think of a properly covered motorcyclist or scuba diver. They don’t start out their mission without being fully equipped. Maybe to some it seems like a hassle to say, “I put on the armor of God.” But think about it. If it has so much to offer, do you really want to go through each day without God’s protection working to its fullest for you? I don’t.

I will admit that some days are such a rush that I forget to activate my armor until I’m halfway through the day. But I do my best to get it in place before I leave the house. I encourage each of you to do the same.