The Armor of God

                              War is Upon Us, To Arms… to Armor!

We are engaged in a war whose first battles were fought in the premortal heavenly realms (Revelations 12:7-9). These battles continue everyday of our lives. Some may say, “I am not engaged in a battle, I fit into society, “all is well” (2 Nephi 28:21). However, one only needs to look carefully to recognize the degradation of society.  According to the American Psychological Association, “healthy marriages are good for couples, good for children, and that children growing up in a happy home are protected from mental, physical, educational, and social problems.” Unfortunately 40 to 50 percent of married couples in the United States end in divorce. (www.apa.org ) Another point to note, John Hopkins University recently found that 64 percent of mothers gave birth at least once out of wedlock. These are just two symptoms that signal we, and our society, are under attack.

Our daily battle is against “principalities, powers, and spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). If we do not follow the instructions given by the Apostle Paul in a letter to the Ephesians to, “Put on the whole armor of God” to be, “able to stand against the wiles of the devil “, we will not survive our evil day (Ephesians 6:11). Paul uses examples on how to be fully armed.  Some of the things that we must put on are: 1) the helmet of salvation, 2) a breast plate of righteousness, 3) a shield of faith, and 4) have our feet shod with the gospel of preparation of peace.

The helmet of salvation represents our mindset. Satan knows that if he can damage our self-image we will lack the motivation and the desire to obtain the spiritual gift which is the first principle of the gospel – “First faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ” (Article of Faith Number Four). We have all been hurt by others during our earthly journey. Satan uses the pain of these situations to implant lies about our worth into our minds. However, when we understand that we are the literal offspring of God , “Whom blessed us in the pre-mortal world with spiritual gifts; Whom chose us to be His, before He created the earth ; Whom created us because it would bring Him joy; Whom desires for us to obtain our divine destiny through His son, as His joint-heirs; and be one with Him ( Ephesians 1: 1-5, Romans 8:17 , John 17 ) ,  Satan’s use of other’s mistakes cannot penetrate the helmet of salvation.

The breastplate of righteousness represents our love for God. In Lehi’s vision of the Tree of Life in The Book of Mormon (1 Nephi 8), Lehi describes a group of individuals who do not desire to partake of the fruit. This fruit represents the love of God. These individuals laugh and mock those who love God. They distance themselves from God because they do not love Him and they choose to live in “the great and spacious building” which represents the love of wealth, material possessions, and fame. When we love God, we are protected by our desires to please Him. There will be those of the “great and spacious building” who mock us, but we will be shielded from their influences by the breastplate of righteousness.

The shield of faith represents our belief that Christ’s promises will be fulfilled. As Disciples of Christ we are not exempt from trials, but our knowledge that “this is a small moment” in comparison to eternity (D&C 121:7), helps us through the trial. When we are persecuted for our beliefs, we must recognize that “great is our reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets “(Matthew 5:12). Our belief that Jesus keeps His promises helps us endure. Taking upon myself the shield of faith has been vital for my personal well-being. My husband is not a member of Christ’s church. If I did not believe in God’s promises, I would not be able to endure the hardships that I often face as the spiritual leader in my home. In President Boyd K. Packer’s talk titled, “The Plan of Happiness“, General Conference, April 2015; As Packer speaks of families in difficult situations, he states “I offer this comfort; God is our Father; All the love and generosity manifest in the ideal earthly father is magnified in Him who is our Father and our God, beyond the capacity of the mortal mind to comprehend. His judgments are just; His mercy is without limit; His power to compensate is beyond any earthly comparison.” When I have faith that Christ’s words through a prophet will be fulfilled, this shield of faith protects me and I am a survivor of the attack.

Lastly, our feet being shod with preparation of the gospel of peace represents our works in God’s kingdom. We can believe the scriptures and the prophets, but if we do not serve our brothers and sisters we are only hearers of the word and we will not be blessed as the doers (James 1:22-25).  Jesus Christ taught us in the Parable of the Talents that if we do not do the work involved in being His servants, we will be as the “wicked and slothful servant “ whose talents were taken from him, and given to another (Matthew 25). When we share the gospel and serve others we are given peace that we can meet our Savior at the Judgment Bar with confidence.

Yes, the battle is raging! We will be victorious if put on the whole armor of God! We must heed the words to the hymn, “We Are Marching on to Glory” (LDS Hymns, page 225).  Verse one states, “We are marching on to glory; we are working for our crown. We will make our armor brighter and never lay it down. We are marching, marching homeward to that bright land afar.  We work for life eternal; it is our guiding star.”

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Written By: Emily Gail Turano :)