Offensive Spiritual Warfare: A Fresh Take on the Armor of God

The most common teaching we hear when messages are delivered about weapons of warfare is Ephesians 6:14-17. During this time Paul was in a coupling chain bound to a Roman soldier 24 hours a day. Paul had ample time to study this Roman soldier and the armor that represented his warrior status. It is not farfetched to see how Paul might ponder the armor of this soldier while the Lord spoke to him about a better armor that we as believers are clothed in. We are to be girded with the belt of truth around our waist. It is Jesus and His truth that leads to life. We put on the breastplate of righteousness. So our hearts are protected by the holiness of the cleansing of our hands and purifying of our hearts. The shield of faith protects from satan’s fiery darts. The helmet of salvation reminds us that we belong to Jesus and that we are assured of the final victory in battle. And no matter what circumstances surround us, we stand on a firm foundation of His peace.

But I would like to share a little bit of a different viewpoint on the armor. The armor is not just for our defense, but for offense. For too long, we as believers have stood and maneuvered in the armor from defense mode. We react to the enemy and his schemes after the assaults have been unleashed instead of using the weapons and our armor on the offense. Why do I say this? The sword is a powerful and significant weapon. It is absolutely used in defense and protection when an enemy is aggressively charging the armed soldier. But the sword is also used in offense when the armed one advances into battle. Many want to believe that since Jesus defeated satan on the cross, all we are expected to do is stand. A belief has developed that if we stand around with our hands in our pockets, evil will somehow not bother us or our society. But this is not what Paul was trying to convey. The word used for “stand” in this Scripture is an active tense. Standing does not mean we are stagnant and do nothing; it is an action stance we are to take to overcome the strongman and advance the Kingdom of God. Spiritual warfare is not just a defensive act; it is an offensive action and stance that obtains victory.Joshua was on offense when he led the children to possess the Promised Land. Yes, God’s enemies had stolen that land, but when they returned to possess it, Joshua did not wait to be attacked by his enemies. He received blueprint plans from the Lord for every battle and led the army of Israel in victorious offensive strikes to take their rightful Kingdom inheritance. Listen to this powerful challenge Joshua issued to the children of Israel to call them into order to advance: “How long will you put off entering to take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?” (Josh. 18:3 AMP). To stand is an offensive position to engage and possess.