Ephesians 6:10,11 - Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For more information regarding who we fight against and some of the weapons we have in our arsenal, check out my post on 2 Corinthians 10:4.
There are six pieces to the armor of God. We will go through each and discuss their meaning.
[1] BELT OF TRUTH - Ephesians 6:14
As a believer, we must be faithful in holding on to the truth of God’s word. Not only that, but the truth must hold or embrace us like a belt. We should apply truth in every aspect of our daily lives and test things around us against God’s truth to determine what is right and what is wrong.
The armor of God begins with the belt because all the other pieces of the armor are attached to it. Similarly, our lives must be grounded in truth, specifically God’s truth in His word, to withstand the devil and his tactics.
The devil is known to be the father of lies (John 8:44). We know that lies are his domain. Therefore to defeat him, the truth must become our domain. Christ is the truth (John 14:6) and His words are true (John 17:17), so we must be immersed in it.
[2] BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS - Ephesians 6:14
All believers are clothed with God’s righteousness because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). Just because we are endowed with righteousness from God doesn’t mean that we should not act on it. We must have practical righteousness in our lives by acting with integrity.
The devil will tempt us with all manner of sins, but the righteousness of God will protect and sustain us. Obedience to God’s will and maintaining His righteousness in our lives will protect us from sin and its consequences.
[3] SANDALS OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE - Ephesians 6:15
This means the believer must be ready to go out and preach the Gospel of peace. This means venturing out from the safe ground and entering into enemy territory. It is starting with an offensive strike instead of waiting for a shot to come at us.
Sandals worn by soldiers during those times needed to be firm, sturdy, strong, and dependable to make it through a war. They couldn’t break in the middle of a battle. The sandals had to protect the wearer and act as a foundation underneath their feet even if the wearer was fighting on shaky ground.
In the same way, the believer’s ‘sandals’ are the Gospel of Peace (the good news of salvation). The believer’s firm foundation is the Gospel of Christ. The Gospel sustains us and we have peace knowing that we are secure in our salvation. Christ will never leave us and His salvation is sure and eternal for those who believe.
[4] SHIELD OF FAITH - Ephesians 6:16
The shield of faith is written as being the most important of all the pieces of armor at our disposal. By having the shield of faith, the darts of the wicked one will fall away harmlessly. Faith means that we have confidence in God, His words, and His plans, no matter the circumstances, temptations, or trials we may face.
In Romans 10:17, we see that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. This means that our shield is built on the Word of God. We must immerse ourselves fully in God’s Word so that our shield remains strong against the devil’s darts.
The shield of faith reminds us to trust in God’s power and protection over any situation. When the battle against evil rages on, we can trust God to work it out for our good (Romans 8:28). The Bible reminds us of God’s countless promises for us. We must trust in them and remind ourselves daily of His love and compassion towards us.
Here are some verses that remind of God’s provisions.
Isaiah 40:30 - God will renew the strength of the weary
Matthew 11:28-30 - God will take your heavy burdens and give you rest
Isaiah 54:10 - God’s love will never leave us
Ephesians 1:5 - God has adopted us into His family
Exodus 14:13,14 - God will fight for you
James 1:5 - God will give wisdom to those who ask
1 John 1:9 - God is faithful and just to forgive our sins
Deuteronomy 31:6 - God will never leave or forsake you
John 3:16 - God loved us so much that He had a plan for our salvation
Philippians 4:19 - God will supply all your needs
Psalm 50:10 - God will deliver you when you call out to Him
[5] HELMET OF SALVATION - Ephesians 6:17
The helmet rests on the believer’s head reminding him that he will always have victory through Christ. Even if he has to face trials, troubles, and temptations here on earth, his eventual victory is secured through Christ’s death on the cross. He will have eternal life with God in heaven.
The spiritual battlefield starts in the mind, hence the protection of the helmet of salvation. Sins don’t start out as being actions, they start as thoughts. For example, Cain hated his brother (the thought of sin) before he murdered him (the action of sin).
Therefore, we must set our minds to Christ’s work on the cross and on heavenly things (Colossians 3:2). We must train our minds to be away from worldly lusts and pleasures and focus solely on Christ and His kingdom. We cannot conform to the world’s way of thinking, we have to focus on God’s will revealed through His word (Romans 12:2).
[6] SWORD OF THE SPIRIT - Ephesians 6:17
The sword of the spirit is clearly defined as being the Word of God. The Word of God is a double-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). A double-edged sword penetrates, cuts, and divides. The Word of God does the same. For details on this, check out my post on Hebrews 4:12.
The Word of God is clearly seen as being used as a weapon against the devil when Christ was being tempted in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-13). Three times, Christ quoted scripture to counter the devil’s attacks.
As a believer, we must know the Word of God by reading and meditating on it. The Word of God acts as our defense against the devil’s attacks. Not only does it draw us closer to God, but the Holy Spirit will remind us of God’s word when we are faced with temptations and the devil’s wiles.
