Armor of God

I’ve been recently studying the armor of God from Ephesians 6:10-18. Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, depicts with symbolic representation the putting on of the armor of God. Our spiritual warfare is to be purposeful, and we are to be ready at all times. Paul, the likely author of the book of Ephesians, wrote of the six spiritual warfare armor components.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 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 (Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV).”

Belt of Truth

Dave Johnson’s Life, Hope & Truth says, “The belt—known as the cingulum or balteus—held the Roman soldier’s scabbard and sword. The belt provided a place to house the sword and carry it into battle effectively.” The spiritual sword is the Word of God which is to be fastened securely around our lives. The truth revealed to us by God is to hold His Word—the sword of the Spirit.

Matthew Henry’s Complete Bible Commentary explains that the belt “girds on all other pieces of our armor, and therefore is first mentioned.” Without being secured and fastened in with His Word of truth, our lives as Christians can become disarrayed and divorced from the Word of God.

Breastplate of Righteousness

The breastplate of righteousness describes of the protection and covering we have in Christ. Having been clothed in His righteousness (Isaiah 61:10), we are protected from the unexpected blows and attacks that we face in battles of life.

This is a huge topic to be delved into, but to keep it concise it is Christ blood that cleanses us. Instead of God seeing our sin, He sees us clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Meaning we are covered, redeemed and bought. We are not bound to condemnation but, instead we are made right before God. This is huge in spiritual warfare!

Feet Fitted with the Readiness that comes from the Gospel of Peace

Caligae, the shoes commonly worn by the Roman Empire soldiers at the time of Paul’s writing were very uniquely and purposefully designed to keep their feet healthy during the duties of a common foot soldier. In Dave Johnson’s Life, Hope & Truth, he explains that these shoes were designed to prevent blistering and diseases of the feet. He further notes that, small spikes or iron hobnails were many times found on the soles of the shoes, which would provide them with firm footing that they would need on rough terrain. Similarly, we are to have firm footing in the Word of God. In His Word and by knowing His Word, we can share the gospel of Christ which is one that brings and is peace.

Shield of Faith

The shield of faith is likened to scutum, which was the likely image Peter had when describing the full armor of God. The scutum was the Roman shield of the day, which was common for soldiers of the day to carry into battle.

These shields, explains Johnson in his Life, Hope & Truth posting, were strategically used in tortoise formation to be able to advance against their enemies. Soldiers would advance together in carefully synchronized tight square, surrounding themselves strategically with their shields. Men in front would carry their shields forward, likewise, those on the backside of the formation would carry theirs to the back of them, those on the sides of the formation would hold the shields to the sides, and soldiers in the middle would raise their shields above to protect from the onslaught of the enemy.

So we, as soldiers of God, must raise our shields of faith strategically, as the Roman soldiers of the apostles Paul’s time did.

Helmet of Salvation

Paul goes on to say to “take the helmet of salvation”. Little explanation is required, as in the days of the apostle Paul, the helmet was the final piece, as Johnson notes in Life, Hope & Truth, of armor placed on the soldier. It would also be arguably the most important piece. Our salvation is undeniably the most vital protection we will ever carry into battle. John 10:28-29 says this: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

Sword of the Spirit

And my personal favorite spiritual weapon of warfare is the holy Word of God. Finally, take up “the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17b). This is not the only time scripture refers to the Word of God as a sword. Hebrews 4:12 says this: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart”. The same double-edged sword Paul most likely had in mind on writing on the armor of God, is referenced latter in the book of Hebrews.

The importance of His Word is invaluable to us as believers in Christ. His Word is not only offensive unlike most of the other components of the armor of God, but it is also defensive. God’s Word is what gives us faith, boldness and truth in the face of our enemy. It is His truth that gives the faith, provides the boldness, and utilizes the truth to attack the enemy.