Eph 6:14-18 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 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.
If we neglect the armor, we are in trouble. God has supplied it for us. Paul was in prison when he wrote this, probably chained to a Roman soldier wearing this armor. These weapons that he describes are given that we may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Some people fall when the going gets tough, but this armor will enable us to stand.
Schemes, cunning devices, wiles. Our spiritual battle is not a straightforward contest against the physical strength of the enemy. It is against an enemy who is devious and diabolical. He works best by staying hidden and we don’t realize what He is doing. Three times Paul says that the great objective of the Christian warrior is to be able to stand. In fact the word here means to withstand an enemy. Making a stand against great opposition.
“After you have done everything.” We lean on God’s power and resources and we do all that we can with our own strength and will. In this battle we are not called to do just as well as our neighbors, or even to do well on the whole [maybe fail in this one little area]. We are to do all, to leave nothing undone that can contribute to the success of the battle. Then we will be able to stand.
“Belt of truth.” God’s revealed truth, Scripture. We need to know the Bible and apply it to our hearts. God wants for his children to walk in truth. If we lie or deceive others, we lose our spiritual battles. Character, not brute force wins the battles. What’s the opposite of the truth? Lies. Jesus says that Satan is the father of lies. So we stay alert to lies and deceptions.
“Breastplate of righteousness”. Righteousness is doing what is right, not being led away into sin. When we become a follower of Jesus, we confess that we are sinners. When we ask God to forgive us through the merits of His Son, Jesus, we then are pardoned, born into the family of God, and we are given the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
But that is just the beginning. Now we choose to follow God’s ways and do what is right every day. The breastplate of righteousness is ours when we live according to God’s word. When we do right, Satan cannot defeat us by saying how sinful we are. Breastplate keeps us from wrong habits. Receive God’s generous grace when needed.
“Feet fitted with readiness that comes from gospel of peace.” It is good news that there is peace with God. That is what will keep your feet firm. Tell others of peace with God that can be theirs. Satan destroys peace and causes discord. We lose peace with other people. We are to be a kind and compassionate people of peace not conflict. Will we take the initiative to work for peace?
“Shield of faith.” In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. This is to extinguish flaming darts. In battles during the ancient times, the enemy would use fire tipped arrows. Shields were sometimes built of a sturdy wood and covered with leather. Before the battle they would take shields and they’d be soaked in water. Warriors would catch the arrows and extinguish the fire. Faith is a shield. Satan throws temptations and evil thoughts at us–our faith in God causes them to miss us. They don’t hurt us if we maintain our shield of faith.
Faith is not depending on feelings. It is a principle, it is a fact, it is the Word of God. God is real, God is at work in my life, and I can trust Him. Live that faith. We can depend on God.
Satan’s darts have a purpose–to produce distress of mind, depression of spirit, disappointment in relationships, discouragement in our lot in life. But remember–these are from Satan and they can be overcome with the shield of faith. God is working all things out for good to those who love Him.
“Helmet of salvation.” Helmet shows what side we are on. It protects our head. Put on salvation as your helmet. God’s saving work protects you. Do you believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord? Our helmet protects us from blows of Satan. As Christians we are God’s children and God will protect us as we call out to Him.
“Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.” Our sword is to defeat the enemy. We can defeat Satan with the Word. Know it, memorize it, use it. Bible is so important. Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, not our words but God’s Word.
The sharp sword of the Spirit convicts and brings men and women to God. Sword convicts of sin, exposes error. When the word of God is spoken in the power of the Spirit, Satan and his demons have to flee. They are defeated. Remember, Jesus never reasoned with the devil, he just quoted scripture. Satan was pierced and defeated by the word of God. If we try to argue with the devil, he will lay us low. Our safety is in God’s holy word.
All of these are facets of being bound in God’s strength and power. So naturally Paul concludes with one theme that draws them all together. The greatest connection to strength is prayer. Ephesians 6:18, Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.
Prayer is really about living centered and dependent on God. That is why some wonder why it seems hard to pray… why there may be an inner resistance. We enjoy feeling strong in ourselves. We don’t want to face our false selves and our utter lack of control of life.
We are in a spiritual battle. Recognize it. Take courage. Call on God.
Yes we are fighting a battle, but we are promised victory. We need the armor of God. We can each one be victorious. The battle is spiritual and must be fought with spiritual weapons. Then we will stand.
God wants to prepare a band of equipped and motivated men and women in his kingdom who can do exploits for him. Become a warrior. Receive God’s power and use his armor.
How do we stand when the battle rages?
- Recognize there is a battle
- Put on the armor
- Then, by the power of God, stand firm in victory!
Is my armor ready for battle? Am I using it?