“You haven’t been invited on a cruise ship; you’ve been recruited for a battleship.” My mentor said this years ago, expressing how many believers don’t understand that choosing to follow Christ means we’ve become soldiers in a war. Not against other human beings but against a spiritual enemy seeking to kill, steal, and destroy. This war was already taking place. Only now, by faith, God reveals to us the unseen reality.
God goes further. He saves us from hell but also empowers us with purpose, giving us his Spirit to participate in the spiritual warfare happening all around us. We need spiritual weapons from God, gifts from him, to engage effectively. Paul the apostle takes the weaponry of the Roman soldier, a common sight in the empire of the day, to symbolize these weapons in Ephesians 6:10-18. Our job is to submit to the Father’s discipline in learning how to use these weapons for the good of others.
Here are six powerful prayers to equip yourself with the armor of God.
You can read more about the Armor of God HERE.
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Paul lists the belt of truth first. In Roman armor, the belt held it all together—the clothing and weapons—so they didn’t lose anything when they had to run. Spiritually, fighting spiritual warfare starts with being rooted in God’s Word, his revelation, and living in the truth. This truth is first a person, Jesus, and the Bible bears Spirit-inspired witness to him.
Jesus said in John 8:32, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Truth holds us together when the world falls apart, and it sets us free, protecting us from the lies that would divide or distract us.
The belt of truth means more than knowing doctrinal facts about God. While the right doctrine is important, right doctrine includes walking in the truth, loving the truth, committing our hearts fully to trust Christ, his work, to live and speak according to what God reveals through Jesus and the Bible. The truth of Christ reconciles us to the Father and transforms our mind—how we understand ourselves, others, and the world. It keeps us faithful when we deal with temptations or false teachings. Without the belt, the armor can’t hold together.
Heavenly Father,
Help me put on the belt of truth today. Teach me to love and walk in the truth, living by your Word. Empower me to distinguish between the lies of the enemy and your truth so I can stand and walk in your freedom.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
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Next, we have the breastplate of righteousness. Truth isn’t purely academic. It must be lived.
For the Roman legionnaires, a breastplate protected their central organs, like the heart and lungs. Spiritually, righteousness guards our hearts and souls against enemy attacks. Isaiah 59:17 also describes God himself wearing a righteous breastplate when bringing his salvation and justice. As we’ve been empowered and commissioned with the same purpose, we must put on the righteousness of Christ.
This isn’t our righteousness but his. When we trust in Christ, God makes us righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21). This righteousness belongs to Jesus who freely bestows it upon us when we believe in him. We don’t earn that, but we can live within it by the Spirit. Walking in Christ’s righteousness means repenting and obeying with God’s power, not our own. The breastplate strengthens and humbles us.
Remaining in Christ’s righteousness guards the heart against doubt, condemnation, and apathy. With God’s righteous protection, we can live with confidence and purity.
Heavenly Father,
Clothe me today with the breastplate of righteousness. Thank you for making me right with you by the blood of Jesus and inviting me to walk in his righteousness through his resurrection and the Spirit. Help me follow you and walk in obedience to guard my heart and breath.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
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Kept together by truth and our hearts and breath (soul and Spirit) protected by Christ’s righteousness, we move forward with the shoes of peace. The Kingdom of God moves forward in love and peace, and so do his soldiers.
In Paul’s day, the soldiers wore sturdy shoes to protect their feet on long journeys and to maintain good footing during battle. The Gospel preaches the peace and reconciliation available through Jesus, and with truth and righteousness providing us peace, we can bring peace to others. Only those living in peace can spread peace. We can bring God’s message to the broken and lost, preaching through our actions and words, all working together. Paul writes in Romans 10:15, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
The Gospel of peace gives us a secure hope while expressing the Good News. God thinks it’s a beautiful thing, despite what others say. No matter how others respond or the trials we face along the way, we move and act in peace. Many think of peace as lying down or inactive, but “shoes” makes peace an active and moving reality, different than what the world understands.
Heavenly Father,
Help me lace up the Gospel shoes of peace. Help me to walk from, in, and for peace, an eternal shalom to anchor and give me confidence through good and bad times. Lead me to share your Gospel of peace with love.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
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Now that we’re moving forward, the Devil sees us as a threat more than ever. As Satan starts to attack, we need the shield of faith “with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” In those ancient battles, soldiers used large shields in a few different ways for defense. The shield protected soldiers both from long-range arrows and spears and from combat up close. Interestingly, the Roman Legion was so feared (in part) because they learned how to link their shields and work together, becoming an unstoppable force.
1 John 5:4 says, “For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” Against the Devil’s different attacks, and making sure we remain in a faith community, we place our belief in God alone. We believe God’s promises when situations seem dark. We trust his goodness, timing, and his Word. This faith isn’t blind but finds foundation in God’s person and character. Faith reveals the unseen, the future, and this faith protects us from demonic attack as we move forward for the Gospel.
Heavenly Father,
Help me lift my shield of faith today. Strengthen it in my hand. Teach me to trust your promises no matter what comes against me. Remind me you are with me and greater than anything I will face. Let my faith be a strong defense to deflect every lie and fear.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
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Next, Paul encourages us to put on the helmet of salvation. In battle, a helmet protected a soldier’s head, which contains some fairly important parts—our brain, our eyes, our ears. The Devil will seek to attack how we see and hear God, and Satan lies about our identity, how we think about ourselves, others, and the future. Our helmet of salvation guards our identity in Christ, which contains an eternal future promise.
Paul uses this image again in 1 Thessalonians 5:8, “Since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.” Salvation isn’t only something that happened at some point in the past or only deliverance from hell. Those things, yes, but all for a future, good reality where we live in complete and full relationship with God forever.
The enemy attacks through lies to weaken our thinking and twist God’s Word through accusation and fear, maybe distractions like the cares of this life. But focusing on God’s salvation helps us fix our thoughts on God’s truth and walk forward with clarity instead of confusion.
Heavenly Father,
Today, I choose the helmet of your salvation, Christ. Guard my mind with the hope I have in you. Give me the mind of Christ and remind me of my identity. Help me to look ahead to my secure future because I’m your child. Protect me from fear, lies, and distractions that would harm me.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
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Finally, we get to the sword of the Spirit. Unlike the others we’ve discussed, the sword can be used in defense and offense. It protects believers from attacks and strikes against lies. Hebrews 4:12 says. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword.” The Word of God cuts through anything and defeats every enemy.
God’s Word is first a person, Jesus (John 1:1). As Christ, the Word is the message of the Father. The Bible is the written word, the testimony of the Son of God through history into eternity, an inspired text of God’s revelation to us. We don’t use this Word to harm people but fight the true enemy, Satan and his lies. When the enemy attacks with doubt, fear, or lies, we strike back like Jesus did, by declaring Scripture, led by the Spirit. We stand on God’s promises and character.
To do this, we must treat the Word with consistent discipline. We meditate upon the Word to let it dwell in our hearts and renew our thinking. The Word is a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands, so Paul mentions it last. When we’re trained in Scripture, we can fully proclaim the Gospel and combat the enemy for the freedom of others.
Father,
Thank your for giving me the sword of the Spirit, your living Word. Help me to better know it, trust it, and use it for love and wisdom. Teach my hands to use the Word with compassion and power.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
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This article is part of our prayer resources meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, and God knows your heart even if you can't find the words to pray.
Prayers for Healing
Morning Prayers
Prayers for Family
Prayers for Surgery
Prayers for Strength
Night Prayers Before Bed
Prayers for Protection
The Lord's Prayer: Our Father
Originally published Friday, 02 May 2025.
