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Christians must learn to defend themselves using the tactics known as “the Armor of God,” found in Ephesians 6:10-18. This passage does not describe items to memorize or look at or imagine. It contains tactics to employ. These are the ways we defend ourselves from Satan’s manipulation of our hard times, our “evil days” (v13).
This is God’s self-defense training for you. Satan will try all manners of tempting and derailing you when God permits hardships. Those hardships are meant to refine you. Job said, “When he has tried me, I will come out as gold” (Job 23:10). It does no good to imagine truth as a belt if you don’t tell the truth, or to visualize righteousness as a breastplate if you don’t commit to doing what is right on the days of testing.
So the first tactic is to tell the truth. The second is to do what is right. Now the third is to initiate peace: “and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace” (Eph 6:15). Because of the mention of shoes and readiness, I derive the verb “initiate” as the peace tactic.
The devil is a killer (John 8:44) and an isolator and devourer (1 Peter 5:8). But Jesus initiated peace: “And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father” (Eph 2:17-18). So don’t isolate from God on your days of sorrow, regret, or pain. Jesus initiated peace so that you can pray. Don’t stand alone.
And take the responsibility to initiate peace yourself: “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (4:2-3). Clearly, peace is hard work, for these are challenging directions. It takes real effort to get to peace. On your hard days, forgive, give the benefit of the doubt, reconcile, bear in love those who are grieving. That’s God’s defense for you.
Peace is how you bring war to the devil. He would remind you of all the reasons you have to curse and to blame. You can and should grieve losses and hurts. Absolutely. But don’t grieve with war. Grieve with peace. Defend yourself on your hard days. Initiate peace.