Armor Of God Elements

1. The Belt of Truth.

2. The Breastplate of Righteousness.

3. Feet Fitted (Shod in some versions) with the Gospel of Peace.

4. The Shield of Faith.

5. The Helmet of Salvation.

6. The Sword of the Spirit.

My thoughts as to the application of each element to the Armor of God Stop Smoking Method is as follows:

1. The Belt of Truth - I relate this element to the 10 Truths presented at the beginning of the Method. If you are not absolutely honest with yourself as to what you want to accomplish in any area of your life, then you will not succeed. A truth is easy to defend. A truth can stand alone. A truth cannot completely remove fear, but it can provide an extra measure of courage. Truth goes straight to the core of our being and beliefs, which, I believe, is why it is the first element of the Armor.

2. The Breastplate of Righteousness - This element lends itself to some great imagery. A breastplate helps protect the wearer's torso, which among other organs, includes the lungs. A strict definition of righteous or righteousness refers to doing that which is right. In other words, it is God's "Do Right" rule. You combine that with the previously referred to imagery, and, by putting on the Breastplate of Righteousness, you are doing the right thing for your body, in particular your lungs.

3. Feet Fitted (Shod) with Gospel of Peace - In my personal case, I consider this element of Armor as being the one of which I am constantly aware. To have your feet fitted with the Gospel of Peace, means to walk through your life in peace. A peace that you must share not only with those with whom you interact in daily life, but also yourself. My former "day job" had me working in a highly corporate environment, and there were definitely times when it was difficult at best to "walk in peace". At those times, you must either back away from the situation, or reach inside yourself and thank Him for the peace He has provided up to that point in time. You will find that just your silent acknowledge of His presence in your life will provide the peace necessary for you to get past an immediate situation. Under the Armor of God Method, you apply this same principle to the nicotine cravings that will assail your body. This latter statement is probably why I personally consider this element to be so important.

4. The Shield of Faith - Take another look at the phrasing of this element of the Armor, "...take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.". You thought the imagery of the Breastplate of Righteousness was something! Imagine a burning, smoking cigarette or cigar bouncing off that Shield! Faith is so important in our daily lives, faith in ourselves, faith in those we love and faith in God. The Shield of Faith, in warding off the "flaming arrows", is also extinguishing those nasty cravings, and keeping you safe in your journey.

5. The Helmet of Salvation - In the definition of salvation, you will find "...preservation from destruction, failure or other evil.". You must remember, we think and act with both our head and our heart. Your heart is already covered by the Breastplate of Righteousness, and now the Helmet of Salvation protects your thought processes from destruction and failure. I believe there is both spiritual and physical salvation, and by stopping smoking, you are experiencing physical salvation.

6. The Sword of The Spirit - The Gospel tells us that this element of the Armor is the Word of God. A sword can be both an offensive and a defensive weapon, but in the context of this Method, I see the Sword as strictly an offensive weapon, crushing back any nicotine cravings that may advance upon you. Use it as such, and it will help free you of your addiction.

Those are the main elements of the Armor of God; however, St. Paul also exhorts us to "...pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.". My interpretation of this verse is that God always welcomes our prayers, our talks with Him, our thanking Him for the gifts He has provided in this world and the one to come. There are no words more powerful than the Word of God as used in prayer. Rely upon the strength of His Words, and always remember to put on the full Armor of God. God Bless You!