Full Armor of God for Anxiety
God has given all believers an armor for spiritual combat.
What do you think of when you hear, "Armor of God"? Most Christians who were raised going to church will remember Sunday School stories and maybe even coloring pages vividly depicting a soldier wearing metal military armor holding a sword. Visuals are a wonderful thing, but assuming you're not a child anymore and now an adult living in the real world, experiencing real problems, it might be time to get back to the basics and see that "The Armor of God" is more than a children's Sunday School lesson.
What is the Armor of God in the Bible?
Ephesians 6:10-17 says "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. 13- Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14- Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15- and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16- In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17- Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
From what we can see here, the Armor of God is listed as:
So, you might be asking, "How does this apply to stress, anxiety, panic attacks, or even depression?" Well, let's take a closer look and find out.
The Belt of Truth
The first piece of the Armor listed is the Belt of Truth. Truth is of great importance in the Christian walk and without truth we would be so lost. When struggling with stress, anxiety, panic, or depression, truth is the very first thing that we will need. Truth is the very thing that will help us navigate the others. Without truth, the enemy would overcome us with lies and deception. God is the author of all truth.
The Breastplate of Righteousness
The second piece of the armor is the Breastplace of Righteousness. The breastplate of righteousness refers to the righteousness purchased for us by Jesus at the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21). The breastplate is designed by God to protect our heart and soul from any outside influence that would try to over-ride the promises and truths God has put in place in His Word. It also protects us from being swallowed up by unhealthy levels of anger, grief, shame, perfectionism and guilt. Proverbs 4:23 says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."
Feet Fitted with the Readiness of the Gospel of Peace
Third, we are to fit our feet with the good news of peace. Because of the truths we have in God's Word and His promises, we can enter the "battlefield" called life, able to challenge our fears and phobias, knowing that God is with us everywhere we go. It is the assurance we have from God that we belong to Him and that "in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us". Romans 8:37 Because of the gospel of peace, we are able to do what we have to do, able to walk through overwhelming fear and torment, knowing we are never alone. It is the "shoes" that cover our feet while we walk through those dark places.
The Shield of Faith
The Shield of Faith is the forth piece of the armor. It protects us from the fiery darts of the enemy. In life we experience all kinds of darts - these darts can be things like illness, injury, emotional/physical abuse from others, and anything that is not from God and comes from the outside. When you take up the Shield of Faith you are acknowledging you are part of God's army and are ready to use that shield to protect yourself from letting these things steal your hope, your faith and your joy.
The Helmet of Salvation
The fifth piece of the armor is the Helmet of Salvation. Our mind is where we form thoughts, and opinions, and often those thoughts give birth to dangerous emotions and can have a real affect on our physical bodies. God wants us to protect our minds. He wants us to eliminate thoughts that are contrary to His Word, and wants us to choose to believe what He says instead of giving in to our overwhelming negative thoughts, anticipatory anxiety, worry, doubt, obsessive-scary ruminations, or insecurites that we may have. If we do not put on the helmet of salvation, we can quickly forget God's promises and become a victim of the enemy schemes.
The Sword of the Spirit
And last but not least, the sixth piece of the Armor is the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God - the Scriptures. The Sword can be offensive and defensive - meaning, it can protect us from the outside, but can also protect us from ourselves on the inside by keeping us in check spiritually. The Holy Spirit uses God's Word to keep us in good-standing with God. "For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
But, There's More...
Although, not a part of the physical pieces of the Armor, Ephesians 6:18-20 reminds us of the spiritual gift we have when we pray for one another. Ephesians 6:18-20 ends this section and says, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19- Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20- for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should."
James 5:16 reminds us, "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." When we take the time to pray for eachother, share our wrongs, we can see that we are not alone in this human struggle. We don't have to be detailed in the sins we have committed, but if God leads you to share something to someone, it is usually for a reason. We don't have to pretend we are perfect, because we're not - We are all imperfect, make mistakes and need the encouragement of our believing friends and family. God gives us strength, but we also get strength from one another.
Guided Steps to Recovery
Natural Supplements
Want to recover without using medication? There are many different kinds of supplements that are available and very effective in helping people combat the physical symptoms of anxiety.
