
Ephesians 6:10-18
Note: The following prayer is just one example of how to put on God’s armor through prayer. Ultimately, taking up our armor is a lifestyle that we cultivate over time.
Heavenly Father, I thank you for providing through the Lord Jesus victory over Satan and his forces of darkness. I acknowledge the reality of the spiritual battle and my need to be strong in the power of Your might.
I recognize that it is essential to put on the full armor of God, so that I can stand firm against the wicked schemes and strategies of the enemy, as he seeks to sabotage my spiritual life and to discredit the testimony of Christ’s church.
He will tempt me in my areas of weakness (He is the tempter). He will seek to have me believe what is not true (He is a liar and deceiver). He will assault me and hammer me with my failures, hoping I will become discouraged and give up the fight (He is a slanderer and accuser). He will seek to breed misunderstanding and conflict, and thus undermine my relationships, both in my family and in the church (He is the destroyer).
BELT OF TRUTH
By faith I now put on the BELT OF TRUTH. I desire to wrap my life with the Word of Truth and to live a life of integrity before You (The BELT OF TRUTH holds everything else in place and keeps the rest of my armor from being in disarray).
I embrace Him who is the truth, the Lord Jesus, as my strength and protection from all of Satan’s deceptions. I want the truth of Your Word to gain a deeper place in my life…I pray that it will be my heart’s delight to read, study, and live it.
I ask You through the Holy Spirit to protect me from embracing any of the enemy’s lies. Show me, Lord, any way in which I am being deceived. Show me where I am not being open and honest before you. [Be silent for a few minutes and allow God to bring any such areas to your mind] Guard me from rationalizing or justifying my attitudes and actions. Give me the courage to call sin sin. Protect me from being doubleminded, content with a credibility gap between what I know and how I live.
Thank you for providing this part of the armor. I truly want to live a life of integrity before You and before men. I desire to believe only the truth, to speak the truth, and to live the truth.
BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
By faith I now put on the BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. I desire to take refuge in Christ’s righteousness and to live a life of purity. The enemy will slander and accuse me, and attempt to use my failures as ammunition against me. I claim as my protection the righteousness of Christ.
Thank you, Father, for declaring me righteous in Your eyes because of what Jesus did on my behalf. Protect me from being discouraged and disgusted with myself, and giving up the fight. I reject all such attitudes by faith.
Give me insight to recognize the attempts of Satan and his forces to undermine my spiritual life and to disintegrate my testimony. Keep me alert to even the little sins which can easily become an opening for the enemy to build a foothold in my life. I look to you, Holy Spirit, to be effecting pure thoughts, holy attitudes, and righteous actions in my life. May my heart love that which is righteous and reject that which is sinful. Father, I desire to live in a holy manner that honors You and gives glory to my Savior.
SHOES OF PEACE
By faith I now put on the SHOES OF PEACE. I desire to find spiritual traction in my peace with God and to live as an ambassador of peace, being both a peacemaker and a proclaimer.
I accept and affirm your declaration that I am justified and have peace with you. Thank you for no longer being angry with me and for being on my side. If God is for me, who can be against me? Knowing that I have peace with You and that my sins are forgiven is the most wonderful knowledge anyone can have!
I acknowledge my need to have my feet firmly on the solid rock of the peace You have provided, in order to withstand the assaults and accusations that come my way from the forces of darkness. They want me to believe that you are angry with me, ready to reject me and pound me mercilessly with some heavenly bat. Thank you for the acceptance that is mine through the work of the Lord Jesus.
Help me, Father, to live as an AMBASSADOR OF PEACE. I affirm that the enemy seeks to undermine and destroy relationships in my family and the church by breeding misunderstanding and, in turn, propagating conflict and strife. Keep me alert to his schemes.
I desire to emulate you and be a PEACEMAKER, not a troublemaker. I commit myself through Your power to actively pursue that which will make for peace and unity, either between myself and others, or between my brothers and sisters. Like you, I want to be slow to anger and quick to forgive.
I also desire, Father, to be a PROCLAIMER, which I acknowledge is a vital role for any AMBASSADOR OF PEACE. Deliver me from any complacency on my part that results in hoarding my peace with you. Truly, knowing that you have peace with God and that your sins are forgiven is the most wonderful knowledge anyone can have!
Nothing counters the activity of Satan and his demon forces like the proclamation of this good news. I ask that you open doors of opportunity at work, at school, and in my neighborhood for me to share with those who are ready to hear about the wonderful work of Jesus Christ on their behalf. Help me then to recognize the doors you’ve opened.
SHIELD OF FAITH
By faith I now take up the SHIELD OF FAITH. I desire to rest in Your character and promises, and live in Your presence. I am placing my trust in Your promise to be a shield to any who take refuge in You (Proverbs 30:5b).
I recognize that Satan and his evil forces are out to damage, devastate and destroy. He desires that I begin to question you, doubt your promises, and live my life independent of you. May my focus be on Your righteous character and sure promises, not on the flaming missiles of doubt, discouragement, and temptation.
At this very moment I am counting on Your presence with me to protect me from the barrage of flaming darts and arrows that Satan and his forces are shooting my direction. Thank you that I can confidently say, “The Lord is my Helper, I will not be afraid.” Thank you, Lord, that You are my SHIELD and apart from Your sovereign purposes Satan cannot even touch me.
HELMET OF SALVATION
By faith I now take up the HELMET OF SALVATION. I desire to stand confidently in the certainty of my future destiny, and, in turn, live my life in light of eternity.
I rejoice greatly in the fact that nothing–not angels nor powers nor principalities nor my failures–shall be able to separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus my Lord. Thank you for guaranteeing my safe delivery to my heavenly home by sealing me with the Holy Spirit.
Help me in the midst of the battle to remember where my real home is. Give me an eternal perspective. As I live here as a temporary resident I desire that my investments of time, energy, and resources be made with the eternal in mind.
Thanks for the confidence I can have that no matter what happens You will see me through!
SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
By faith I now take up the SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, which is the Word of God. I desire to speak out Your Word, as the Holy Spirit leads, in direct response to the attacks of the enemy.
I affirm that while You know all things–even the thoughts of a man–Satan does not. Therefore, when I desire to stand on Truth and use your Word to counter the attacks of demonic evil forces, I need to speak out audibly (even though it may feel awkward or strange).
Thank you for the clear example the Lord Jesus provided for me when he was tempted in the wilderness. I recognize that quoting a verse is NOT some magical formula, but it is an effective weapon in driving the enemy back. Holy Spirit, grant me wisdom to apply the Word in light of the enemy’s tactics.
I also recognize that Satan himself will use Scripture in the battle, twisting and misusing it, yanking it out of context. This underscores the need for diligence so I can handle the Word of Truth accurately (2 Timothy 2:15). I readily admit that I cannot speak what I do not know! My commitment before You is to read, meditate on, memorize, and study Your Word. May Your thoughts become my thoughts. Father, open my heart to love your Word, and thus to know and love You more intimately!
CONCLUSION
Thank you, Lord God, for the armor You have provided. The necessity of putting it on daily is a reminder of both my need and Your provision.
I affirm that the weapons of our warfare are NOT the weapons of the flesh, nor of the world, but are weapons of Divine power to demolish strongholds of the enemy. I desire through the strength of Your might to bring down every falsehood that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
Help me to keep this armor well oiled in prayer. Grant me great burden for others in God’s family. Enable me to see their needs and to assist them through prayer as the enemy attacks them.
Help us all, Lord, to lock our shields of faith in unity, so that we can walk together, stand together, and fight together against our mortal enemy.
Thank you that in all these things we are overwhelmingly conquerors through Him who first loved us.
Bruce A. Hess Wildwood Community Church