051 Put on the Whole Armor of God - A Guided Christian Meditation on Ephesians 6:12

Bible verse for meditation:

KJV

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

NIV

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Notice the similarities and differences in the translations presented. 

Continue breathing deeply as you ponder this meaning.
Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation:

When you picture the Armor of God, what image comes to mind?I’ve seen many different artist renditions of it. The ones that I have seen usually depict the armor of God either as a medieval plate mail or some version of Roman armor from the period of Paul who is writting this. I have enjoyed these images but somehow I think they don’t fully represent the difference of the armor of God. Later in this chapter Paul lays out the elements of the armor of God.
Loins girt or the belt of truthBreastplate of righteousnessFeed fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.Shield of faithHelmet of salvationSword of the Spirit which is the word of God
The descriptors that Paul uses do not sound like preparation for war, but for defense and preparation. The only offensive element to this is the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. Paul states that we are against the powers of darkness. Raging angrily against darkness does not seem like a recipe for success. If we trust in God’s ways we can much more successfully defend ourselves against the darkness that seeks to destroy us. If we try to throw on God’s armor and then act as a vigilante we will not succeed. Our concept of the armor of God is not what will save us. It is God’s.The other day I came across some interesting information. I want to make it clear that this is not what paul was talking about but it adds an interesting metaphor to Paul’s metaphor. Gambison was a type of armor used hundreds of years after Paul wrote this but it helps to change our paradigm. Gambison is a type of armor that is made from taking multiple layers of cloth and creating a thick material that resists sharp objects. It looks more like a big coat than it does armor. However, in terms of its ability to protect the wearer, it is very effective. It is actually much more effective than butted chainmail. It looks fairly useless but it is far from it. I imagine by comparison to worldy armor God’s armor would be like this.In the battles in our lives it is God’s protection, that will come in forms that we do not expect, that will save us and teach us. God’s protection is mainly intended to teach and craft us and help us grow into what he has in mind for us. Look in your life for what the armor of God is. 

Meditation of Prayer:Pray as directed by the Spirit.Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him.

Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:I invite you to sit in silence feeling being patient for your own faults and trials. 
Meditate and Visualize Positive Change in Your Life:Implement the kind of change you want to see in your life.  Length, Intensity, Modality, Freshness,

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Questions: What does the armor of God look like in your life and how can you continually put it on?
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