The Armor of God

 

This morning I want to continue in our study of the Last Things by going back to Ephesians 6 to understand the weapons that God has given us for fighting in Spiritual Warfare. Remember that Christians are caught up in this war that rages in the Spiritual Realm. God has called us to fight like a soldier in that war, locked together with our brothers and sisters on the battle field, standing against the attacks of Satan, and taking one step at a time towards the victory that God has already won.

For the last few weeks we’ve worked through just a few verses of Eph. 6, but today I want to take the whole passage of Eph. 6:10-20 as we understand the weapons of our warfare. This morning I want to understand this passage through two points: the power of the armor and the pieces of the armor.

First, let’s consider the power of the armor from verse 13. There are three aspects of the armor that we use for Spiritual Warfare that we have to understand. The most important of those aspects is the fact that this armor is “the armor of God.” It is vital that we understand that God does not call us to fight in this spiritual war through our own might or resources. He does not call us to use clever marketing or worldly tactics. He calls us to use the armor that he has provided. This also means that the armor is endowed with the power of God. It seems counterintuitive that when Satan tempts us with a challenge to our faith, the best answer is not in studying scientific arguments more deeply or in working harder at logic. The best answer rests in the armor that God has given us.

The second aspect of the power of this armor is that it is armor that has been worn before. There is a striking similarity between the armor of the Messiah and the armor that Paul details here. In Isaiah 59:17, Isaiah prophesies that the Messiah will “put on righteousness as a breastplate and a helmet of salvation on his head.” Isaiah 49:2 says that the Messiah’s mouth will be like a sharp sword. In Rev. 1:16, John sees a vision of Christ, and from his mouth comes a sharp, two-edged sword. So, the armor that we wear comes to us through the work of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to reveal the truth to us, to give us his righteousness, to bring the good news of salvation, to establish our faith, and to speak the very Word of God to us.

The third aspect of the power of this armor is that we must take it up. Notice, in verse 13, that Paul commands us to “take up the whole armor of God.” This phrase, “take up” is actually a military command given to call soldiers to prepare for battle. Understand, brothers and sisters, that this armor is given to us by God and has been perfected by Jesus Christ, but it will not have any effect unless we take it up and use it.

With the power of the armor in mind, let’s consider the pieces of the armor next. Paul gives six pieces of this armor of God – five defensive pieces and one offensive piece. First, Paul says that we are to fasten on the “belt of truth”. For the Roman soldier, the belt was an integral part of the uniform. The belt had a leather skirt attached which served to protect the soldier’s legs while allowing him to stay mobile. It also secured his breastplate so it would not fly up or fall off. And, it provided a holster for his sword and other weapons. So, the belt was this unifying element of the soldier’s uniform. In the same way, the truth that has been revealed to us through Jesus Christ unifies every aspect of our lives. Our jobs now have meaning because we do our work to the glory of God. Our marriages now have a high purpose because we understand that it pictures Christ and his church. Our work within the church matters because it builds up the people of God. The truth revealed through Jesus means that all of life makes sense.

Next, we find the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate too was made of layers of leather and thick cloth intended to protect the soldier from the blow of the enemy. The breastplate protected the most vital areas of the soldier’s body. Paul compares righteousness to this breastplate. There is some debate as to what righteousness Paul means here. Does he mean the Christian’s own personal righteousness or the righteousness of Christ? Because of what I’ve already said about this armor – that it is God’s armor and that it was first worn by Christ – I believe Paul is saying that the righteousness of Christ protects us from the blows of Satan. Jesus, in his life, death, and resurrection gave us his righteousness. 2 Cor. 5:21 says “he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Oh, brothers and sisters, understand that there is no accusation that Satan can level against you that will bring judgment on your life. There is no charge that he could bring that would make God change his mind. In Christ you wear righteousness like a breastplate. Jesus has given you his righteousness, and Satan cannot harm you because of it.

Third, Paul says that we should put on the shoes of the readiness given by the Gospel. The Romans were pretty innovative with their shoes. They had engineered a sandal with cleats on it that would enable the soldier, when he stood in a phalanx, to dig in and hold his ground. Paul says that the shoe in this metaphor is the readiness that comes from believing the Gospel. In other words, we stand on the certainty that the Gospel gives us. The reason we are able to do good deeds for those in our community, the reason we can live righteously before a watchful world, the reason we can give sacrificially or share the Gospel with boldness is because of the certainty we have through the Gospel. We know that we are forgiven through Jesus Christ. We know that Jesus has risen from the dead and that means that one day we will too. We know that Jesus will return in all of his glory to set this world right. Because we know these things, we can live with reckless abandon for the glory of God.

Fourth, Paul calls us to take up the shield of faith. As I explained last week, the Roman shield was a full body shield which allowed the soldier to lock in place with others to form a human spear. These shields were a combination of wood, covered in leather and rimmed with bronze. Before battle, the soldiers would soak them in water so that when the enemy fired flaming arrows, the shield would quinch them after stopping each one. Paul says that our faith in Jesus Christ does this. When Satan causes us to doubt the hope of the Gospel, we lean back on our faith. When we find some hostile atheist on YouTube spouting off some argument against God, we rest in our faith and allow the heat of his argument to be quenched by the hope of the Gospel.

The last defensive piece of armor is the helmet of salvation. Like the breastplate of righteousness, the salvation that Christ has accomplished for us shields our minds from the blows of the Devil. Satan loves to attack the mind. He will attack our minds through distraction, tempting us to find something as more important than the worship of the one true God. He attacks the mind through disinformation, pointing us to false teachings to lead us away. He attacks the mind with dilution, polluting our minds with temptations and worldly habits so that we lose sight of our calling. The answer to these attacks is to remember our salvation. We were purchased with a price – the blood of the very Son of God – and we are now servants of God. We should set our minds on our salvation that we might not be led away.

The last piece of armor is the one offensive weapon we are given. Paul says that we have the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Simply put, we defeat Satan through our belief in and use of Scripture. The Scriptures are repeatedly pictured as a weapon. For example, Heb. 4:12 says that the Word of the Lord is a double-edged sword. Jesus showed us how to use this sword. When he was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, three different times he pushed back the attacks of Satan and defeated him by quoting Scripture. If the Son of God rested in the Word of God for his deliverance from Satan, so should we. If we want to deliver our neighbors and friends and family from the bondage of Satan, we must do it through the Word of God. 

Brothers and sisters, the armor of God is given for our protection and for our final victory over Satan. We must take it up daily that we might stand firm. In resisting the attacks of Satan, we hold ground against the enemies of God. In swinging the sword of the Word of God, we break down his defenses and strongholds so that people might be delivered from darkness to light.