All growing up I’ve read and heard the scripture in Ephesians 6:13-17 – “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” Have you liked me repeatedly asked yourself What is the armor of God – and how does it apply in my everyday life?

Recently I decided to make a serious study of these scriptures. I’ll share with you my findings, but I also encourage you to seek your own answers – they may be different and that’s ok and how it should be.

Helmet of Salvation

I always look up definitions because I come across interesting tidbits when I do.

Dictionary.com states the word helmet comes from Middle English about 1400-1450 and is a diminutive of the word helm. It is “any of various forms of protective head covering.” Interested in what I would learn about helmets from studying helm – I of course looked it up too. Helm is defined as “a wheel or tiller by which a ship is steered; and the place or post of control.” What I learn from this is a helmet is used to protect the head – the place where the body is steered from.

This is the one that I struggled with the most. How does salvation – “the state of being saved or protected from harm” help us withstand “the evil day”? I couldn’t wrap my head around it, until someone giving a talk in church mentioned at the end of his talk that “focusing on the plan of salvation protects us”. (Sidenote – his talk was not about the plan of salvation, or anything related to it, so it probably seemed random to the other members of the congregation but was an answer to my prayer.) It’s not salvation in and of itself that protects us – it’s focusing on the plan of salvation that protects us.

My question then became: How does focusing on the plan of salvation protect my head/ thoughts? That was an easy answer for me. The plan of Salvation allows me to see the bigger picture in life’s test and trials. It allows me to not get overwhelmed and paralyzed by my mistakes or how far I still need to go. It points me on a path that leads me back Home.

Breastplate of Righteousness

A breastplate is a piece of armor that partially or completely covers the front of the torso, protecting all the vital organs, most especially the heart. Righteousness is the quality or state of being just or rightful.

I’m not here to tell you what righteousness entails exactly – that is for each of us to discover for ourselves. What I have discovered is by trying to be just and looking at situations through a lens of mercy and understanding I have a softer heart and am less quick to judge others and hold grudges for far less time.

Girt about with Truth

To Gird something is to encircle or bind with a belt or to provide, equip or invest with power or strength.

When we surround ourselves with the absolute truths of eternity, we are given power and strength to not be deceived by the half-truths or relative truths or outright lies we encounter in life. There may be times that we are deceived for a while, it’s tricky out there, but we should be able to recognize when we are, and change course as required.

Preparation of the Gospel of Peace

This is another one that took me a while. I just couldn’t accept the standard answer of “learn to gospel so you can take it to the world”. The armor is about personal protection, not protecting others so I had a hard time with this answer.

My new answer came while I was listening to an old BYU devotional or something. The speaker mentioned Doctrine and Covenants 19:19 – “Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.” The word preparations caught my attention. What if the “preparation of the Gospel of Peace” is the atonement of Jesus Christ? I asked myself – How does having my feet shod (to provide or fit with a shoe or shoes) with the atonement of Jesus Christ protect me? This imagery changed me.

Think about shoeing a horse – each shoe is custom fit to each foot of the horse. It protects and covers the sensitive areas of the feet, without which the horse could be permanently injured. Is not the Atonement of Jesus Christ custom fit to each of us? Does it not also protect our most sensitive parts – our souls – from being permanently damaged? By walking each moment of each day with the Atonement of Jesus Christ at my feet, I more readily turn again to Him when I step on a pebble. I am learning to walk each day with the Savior.

Shield of faith

A shield is a broad piece of armor, varying in size and form, carried apart from the body as a defense. Isn’t that the perfect analogy for faith? Our faith is always in something apart from ourselves. It should always be in the Lord, Jesus Christ. Faith comes in varying sizes and forms – depending on the person, moment, or experience. Sometimes it feels small and weak. Sometimes it feels large and powerful. But always it can deflect the swords and arrows that come at us.

Sword of the Spirit

Sword – a weapon having various forms but consisting typically of a long, straight, or slightly curved blade, sharp-edged on one or both sides, with one end pointed and the other fixed in a hilt or handle. The Spirit takes many shapes and forms depending on what we need in the moment doesn’t He? Sometimes He’s the still small voice we read about. Other times He’s the voice of thunder warning us of danger. But He always cuts straight to the heart of the matter at hand. He is our connection to God the Father, who I believe often holds the sword for me (I’m not that coordinated, I’d cut myself if I held it).

Closing Thoughts

I hope what I shared and have learned has given you something to ponder and that you take the opportunity to learn how to put on your own custom-made Armor of God. Sometimes the armor will feel heavy and cumbersome – especially when we are faced the doubts. Keep it on. Adjust it until it feels comfortable again. Maybe you need to trade in your shield of faith for a different model. Feasibly you have outgrown your breastplate and need a larger one. Possibly that belt of truth is girt too tight. Perhaps there is a pebble in your shoe that needs to be removed. Maybe your helmet got turned around. Or possibly your sword needs sharpening. Life is tough on armor – do what you need to do to keep it in good condition – even if it means replacing portions of it from time to time.