When I was growing up, one of my favorite things to do was to go outside and pretend that I was a soldier. I’m not talking about one of our modern soldiers today, one with guns and rockets and tanks, but rather one that was more like a Roman soldier. After school was over and I made it home, the first thing I would do was go to the backyard, find the best sword-like stick I could find, and use it as my weapon of choice.

My imagination would run wild and I would pretend that I was a general in the army of Gondor, fighting Sauron’s orcs and other fell creatures in Middle-Earth. I even fashioned a shield out of a lid to a huge plastic tub, and the arm straps for it were made from duct tape. This shield looked just like the ones the soldiers of Gondor had, minus the fact that it was not made from wood and metal, and it did not have the white tree painted on the front. You can probably tell that I grew up watching The Lord of the Rings films and that it is probably one of my favorite series of literature. Basically, I wanted to be Aragorn. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be Aragorn? Nonetheless, I wanted to be a soldier that fought with sword and shield in defense of those he loved.

Little did I know, even as a young Christian, that I was a soldier, and in fact, I still am to this day. Each of us, brothers and sisters, is a soldier in the army of the Lord, and that is not something to take lightly. It is not just some childhood imaginary play time, but it is real battle against a very real and powerful foe. Paul draws us to this fact very directly in Ephesians 6:10-20, and this passage is intended to bring us down to earth and back to reality.

Throughout the book of Ephesians, Paul constructs his letter in such a way that the entire theology he lays out is hinged upon the phrase “in Christ”. A basic outline of the book up to our passage tonight can be summarized as something like this:

Before the foundation of the world was laid, we who are believers were called to be God’s children in Christ (1:3-14). Thankfully, this is nothing that we can achieve on our own, but it is the gift of God by grace through faith, otherwise we could boast of our own salvation (2:1-10). Once we were alienated from Christ because of our sin, but now in Christ we are being built together as a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit (2:11-22). In fact, it is in Christ that the dividing wall of hostility between each of us has been brought down, and it is the love of Christ that binds us together (3:1-21). Therefore, we must be unified in Christ by understanding that we are all different and have been given different gifts, and we must rejoice in that and spur one another on to good works (4:1-16). To do this, we must put on the new self and live a life of purity, forsaking the old life which we lived (4:17-32), and walk in love with one another (5:1-21). These concepts look different in our homes, especially in the way we are to submit to one another (5:22-6:9).

These truths are amazing and seem to be an obtainable goal, and these truths should be the goal of our lives: living in unity, diversity, purity, and harmony with one another.

However, there is a harsher reality that Paul brings to our attention: we have great opposition to our goals, and he will stop at nothing to destroy God’s church. It’s like we are up here thinking big and dreaming big for the church and for our ministries, but Paul drags us back down to earth and grounds us by showing us that we have opposition. This is something of how our enemy works:

If God’s plan is to create a new society, then he will do his utmost to destroy that society.

If God has broken down walls that have divided human beings of different races and cultures, then he will do his best to build them back up.

If God has intended for his redeemed people to live in unity and purity, then he will sow the seeds of discord among them.

We, as the church, tend to get caught up with our goals and dreams, so much so that we forget that our enemy is trying to destroy those goals, and when he comes, we will be caught unawares and unable to defend ourselves. However, Paul gives us the answer to this problem in Ephesians 6:10-20 by way of a warning and an encouragement. Paul tells us that God gives us both his strength and his armor in our fight against Satan. However, Satan and his demons are powerful, wicked, and cunning, and to combat them properly we must put on the armor that God gives to us, as well as pray constantly, being watchful for ourselves and our brothers and sisters.

This evening, I want to unpack this truth a little bit more, and so I will have four points that are basically a breakdown of this statement. In each section of the text, I want to just walkthrough the text and make some comments on it, and at the end I want to give us implications and applications for us.

God gives us both his strength and his armor in our fight against Satan. (vv. 10-11a)

First off, we must note the fact that Paul starts off this passage with the word “finally” in verse 10. Once again, it’s like Paul is trying to grab his reader’s attention as they get lost in their own dreams about how to live out our goals of unity and purity in this lifetime. It’s like in the classroom when a student is daydreaming, the teacher might call out the name of the student, snap his/her fingers, or something completely dramatic to get the attention of the student. That’s what I envision Paul doing here to get the attention of the Ephesians. In doing this, Paul wants to draw specific attention to the fact that what he is about to say is extremely important and must be heeded.

Paul says in verse 10 and the beginning of verse 11, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God. . . ” This call to be strong is best understood as passive, which means that we are not the ones mustering up the strength of the Lord within ourselves, but the Lord Himself provides that strength for us. This call to be strong can be heard throughout Scripture. Think with me about Joshua, who was told in chapter one of the book of Joshua to “be strong and courageous,” (Joshua 1:9). Or even David, when he “found strength in the Lord,” (1 Sam. 30:6). Or maybe in Zechariah 10:12, where God says of his people gathered home from exile, “I will make them strong in the Lord.” The source of our strength is God Himself, not our own will or volition, but from his might.

On the other hand, we have a responsibility within this as well in that we must be the ones to put on the armor of God. Having heard the first part of verse 11 read to them, the Ephesians would have recalled what Paul called them to do previously in 4:24, which is to put on the new self. From 4:25 onward, Paul talks about what it means to put off the old self and here in 6:11, he shows us essentially what it means to put on the new self, that is to put on the armor of God.

This armor that we are to put on is no ordinary armor, rather it is understood in three different ways: that this is the armor that God supplies believers, it is the same armor which God Himself wears, and that this armor is God Himself. The first of these three is the most natural to the context of the passage itself, that God supplies this armor to believers. It is given to us from God, but we must be the ones to put it on and use it properly.

However, the second view is also true, namely that this is the armor that God Himself wears. In Isaiah 11:5, we see the prophet talking about the reign of the righteous shoot from the stump of Jesse (11:1) as wearing righteousness as the belt of his waist and faithfulness as the belt of his loins. Again, in Isaiah 52:7, the prophet talks about the coming salvation from the Lord, and he says, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news. . .” This is reminiscent of the shoes of the gospel of peace in Ephesians 6:15. Finally, if you look at Isaiah 59:17, which Lee read as our call to worship, you see that God Himself wears the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation. In these passages, we can see clearly that this armor we are to wear is the armor that God Himself and His Messiah wear.

Yet, the third view is true as well, namely that we are putting on God Himself as our armor. Some of the pieces of equipment we are to don are truth, righteousness, and salvation, which suggest we put God on, or at least his characteristics. This parallels what Paul urges in Ephesians 5:1, where he says, “Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children.”

The implication I want to draw is this: whatever way we view the armor, whether one or two or all three of these views, we are at the very least identifying with God and his purposes. God Himself is intimately drawn up into the armor, so we might know that our identity is in Him alone. This is what marks us out against the enemy, and puts a huge target on our backs. In Isaiah 59:15a, it says, “Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.” Whenever someone comes to a saving faith in Christ, he switches allegiances from Satan to God, and Satan hates that. In fact, he will do whatever he can to get his hands back on that person, and he will fight till the day he is cast into the eternal fire. Therefore, we must draw our strength from God, not from ourselves. In our own power, we cannot defend ourselves against Satan. Only the one who has already conquered can give us the strength to conquer. Let us give up our own devices and ingenious ways of trying to fight and let the Lord fight for us in His strength.

Satan and his demons are powerful, wicked, and cunning. (vv. 11b-13)

Now, let’s turn our attention to the last part of verse 11 and into verse 12, “that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” This is the enemy which we face in this battle: Satan and his demons. There are three great truths to know about our enemy:

First, our enemy is powerful. Paul uses the language of rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers to describe our enemy in verse 12. Clearly, by using these titles to describe our enemy, Paul wants us to understand that our enemy has power and authority within this world. In fact, it is reminiscent of the devil being able to give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in Matthew 4:8-9. However, Jesus is the one who gave him the title and the kingdoms in the first place. This does not deny the fact that Jesus has conquered these principalities, but rather that these powers have not conceded defeat, and will not until the end. Therefore, they continue to exercise considerable power in this world.

Second, our enemy is wicked. Paul points us to this fact by calling them “powers over this present darkness” and even “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” The heavenly places that Paul describes is the sphere of invisible reality, from the very headquarters of evil. Even so, darkness and wickedness characterize their actions, especially after what Christ accomplished here on earth. It was after these events that they became even more active and even more ruthless in their tactics. There is no Geneva Convention to bind them, and no moral principles, code of honor, nor higher feelings. Therefore, they will not hesitate to do anything to anyone at any point in time.

Third, our enemy is cunning. It is in verse 11 that Paul refers to the “schemes of the devil”, or as some translations render it “wiles”. In 2 Cor. 2:11, Paul says, “for we are not ignorant of his designs.” Satan has been at the business of trying to deceive men for longer than we have been alive, and because of this, he is very good at what he does. Satan is at his wiliest and most cunning when he succeeds in persuading people that he does not exist.

Do not be deceived, brothers and sisters, Satan is indeed real and he would very much like to make us think that he doesn’t. He does this so that we are not on guard and are at our most vulnerable. Therefore, Paul urges us in verse 13 once again to “take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” We are to be on guard always, ready to go so that we can do all that we can within the strength of God to fight off Satan. These days are indeed evil, and to foolishly think that they are not is a lie from the deepest pits of hell.

The implication I want to draw from this is that we must constantly be aware of the enemy we face. This week has been a huge eye-opener for myself of this reality. Thursday afternoon and evening was a fantastic day, where I had a wonderful conversation with Matthew Moore about this passage. God, through His Spirit, gave both Matt and myself illumination into this text, and so we talked for about three hours straight. As I was sleeping that night, all I can say is that I experienced spiritual warfare like I have never experienced it before. Throughout the night my dreams were so evil and terrifying that I woke up sobbing, crying out to God for deliverance. They were so terrifying that I even cried out in my sleep, loud enough for both Andrew Pearson and Matt to hear me. I have never experienced evil in such a powerful way before, where I have felt fear to the point of despair. Brothers and sisters, our enemy is very real and seeks our destruction. How is it that we defend ourselves and fight Satan properly? It is now to the armor of God proper that we turn.

To combat Satan and his demons properly, we must put on the armor that God gives to us. (vv. 14-17)

Paul gives us a list of the pieces of armor that God gives us: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the boots of the good news of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Being chained by the wrist to a Roman soldier, Paul would have been very familiar with the armor of a typical soldier. Thus, this armor would have made a lot of sense to him, and indeed makes a very good understanding of what we are to put on.

First, in verse 14, Paul tells us, “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth. . .” some translations say, “having girded your loins with truth. . .” Either way, the soldier’s belt had more to do with his undergarments than it did with his actual armor. For a soldier to gird up his loins, or to fasten on his belt, meant that he was preparing himself for action. Many commentators argue that the truth with which we are to gird ourselves is the truth of the revelation of God in Christ and in Scripture. This truth is the only truth that can dispel the devil’s lies and truly set us free, and in 4:21; 5:6, 9, Paul refers to the importance of the power of this kind of truth. However, others have argued that this truth simply refers to sincerity or integrity. We must indeed have truth in the inward being, and we must at all costs be honest and truthful. If we are not sincere at all in what we say, then we lapse into hypocrisy and start playing the devil’s game, and we cannot beat him at his own game. It seems to me that we must have both views of truth in mind as we gird ourselves up and prepare ourselves with the truth in the Scriptures, and we live out that truth in all sincerity and honesty.

Second, in the last part of verse 14, Paul says, “. . . and having put on the breastplate of righteousness. . .” It is this piece of armor that protected the vital organs in a soldier’s abdomen, and thus both front and back of the abdomen is covered by the breastplate. Throughout most of Paul’s letters, he talks about righteousness as justification, and there is no greater spiritual protection than a righteous relationship with God. However, it could also be that this breastplate we are to put on is moral righteousness: that of character and conduct. Once again, I think it best that we hold to both views because for us to be able to live out a righteous character and have righteous conduct, we must have a right standing with God through justification.

Third, in verse 15, Paul says, “. . . and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.” The shoe that the Roman soldier wore was a very sturdy shoe, and basically a forerunner for our sports cleats today. It was held firmly in place by straps that went up the leg, and on the bottom, there were studs that gave the foot something more solid to stand on that would not give way. We must be so sturdy and steady in the gospel message that we can speak to anyone about the gospel at a moment’s notice. Therefore, Paul tells us in Colossians 4:5-6, “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” The devil fears and hates the gospel because it is God’s power to rescue people from his tyranny, and it is this same gospel that we should wear as a solid platform upon which we do battle.

Fourth, in verse 16, Paul tells us, “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. . .” We are not to take up the shield of faith above all, as if it is the most important piece of the armor, but we are to take it up beside all, as it is a very important addition. This is not the Greek shield that was small and round, but rather the Roman shield which covered the whole person that was specially designed to extinguish arrows that were set on fire. What are these darts that the enemy throws at us? Some of his darts are mischievous accusations that set aflame our consciences with what can only be called false guilt. Other darts are thoughts of doubt, disobedience, rebellion, lust, malice, or even fear. However, we have been given faith that guards us from all these types of thoughts, and it is God Himself whom the Old Testament speaks of as being a shield and refuge for those who flee to Him. As John Stott says in his book on Ephesians, “For faith lays hold of the promises of God in times of doubt and depression, and faith lays hold of the power of God in times of temptation.”

Fifth, in verse 17, Paul tells us, “. . .and take the helmet of salvation. . .” In 1 Thessalonians 5:8, Paul tells them to “be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.” The salvation that Paul tells the Thessalonians to put on is one of our future and final salvation. Here in Ephesians, he just says the helmet of salvation; no additional words to qualify salvation. Hence, we can take it as either the salvation within which we rest currently (forgiveness, deliverance from Satan’s bondage, and adoption into God’s family), or as our expectation of full salvation on the last day (including resurrection glory and Christ-likeness in heaven). Either way, there is no doubt that God’s saving power is our only defense against the enemy of our souls.

Finally, in the last part of verse 17, Paul tells us, “. . .and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. . .” This piece of our armor is the only one that can be used for both attacking and defending. This is the word of God, namely Scripture whose origin is attributed to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit multiple times within Scripture itself. To me, it is amazing to think that the Lord has given us this piece of armor both in resisting the devil (like Jesus did while quoting Scripture in the wilderness), and for evangelism. We all know what Hebrews 4:12 calls the word of God: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” This sword is to be use to cut through people’s defenses, to prick their consciences, and to stab them spiritually awake. We must not be ashamed to use this weapon.

I want to pause right here for a minute and just speak about this armor and draw it in to us today. As little kids, we might have received the cheap, plastic armor from Lifeway or some other Christian retailer, but that is a very pale comparison to the real thing. I wanted that sword to cut through something; I wanted that shield, breastplate, and helmet to protect me from my friend’s blows (which they never did). However, we have this great armor that, if you recall Isaiah 59 once more, displays God as a mighty, fierce, and terrifying warrior. Think about how Satan must feel when he sees that we are arrayed in this very same armor. How powerful do you think this armor really is? If we have been given this armor by God to use, then why are we so afraid to use it at times? If your friend or coworker gets mad at you for calling him/her a sinner as you share the gospel with him/her and quits talking to you, then praise God because the sword found its mark; it works perfectly. If you find yourself in a situation where life seems to be so hard that you cannot take it, and you ask God to give you strength and to be your shield, He will be your strength and your shield. What an amazing God we serve that he would give us such powerful weapons against the enemy!

However, our arsenal is not complete yet, and it is to the final weapon that we must turn in the last few verses.

We must also pray constantly, being watchful for ourselves and our brothers and sisters. (vv. 18-20)

Our lives should be filled with prayer constantly and in different ways. Paul lays out the fourfold use of the word “all” in verse 18, where he says, “praying at ALL times in the Spirit, with ALL prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with ALL perseverance, making supplication for ALL the saints. . .” First, we are to pray “at all times”, which means that we are to pray regularly and constantly. Next, we are to pray “with all prayer and supplication”, which means that our prayers take a variety of forms. Third, we are to pray “with all perseverance”, because we need like good soldiers to keep alert, and neither give up nor fall asleep. Finally, we are to pray “for all the saints”, since the unity of God’s new society must be reflected in our prayers. We must keep in mind that this does not say “some”, but “all”, and we cannot replace these two words.

Each of these are good reminders for us, but we must also remember that we are commanded to stay awake in verse 18, and therefore must remain alert. Jesus taught us in Mark 14:34-38 that we must be watchful in view of the unexpectedness both of his return and of the onset of temptation. The apostles would later emphasize the same things because Satan is “like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Pet. 5:8) Satan is looking for the weakest among us, and the one who is not paying attention, just like a lion waits for the weakest of his prey. We must also remember that the Lord’s return should take us unawares, just like Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-8. However, we must heed the call of Jesus and the apostles because of our tendency to sleep when we should be praying, just like the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. It is by prayer that we wait on the Lord and renew our strength, and without it, we are too feeble and flabby to stand against the might of the forces of evil.

Paul himself even asks for prayer in verses 19 and 20 so that he might “boldly proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” When he asks for boldness, Paul is asking that he might have freedom, not from his confinement, but rather freedom to preach the gospel. He also calls the gospel a mystery, because it has become known only by revelation, and centers on the union of Jews and Gentiles in Christ.

The two major qualities Paul wants to characterize his preaching are “words” in verse 19, and “boldness” in 19-20. First, he wants his preaching to be characterized by his words, or rather the clarity of his words. Second, he wants his preaching to be characterized by his boldness, or rather courage in speaking these words. These two things must go together for someone to effectively preach the gospel. For one to have clarity but not courage in his preaching, it is like sunshine in the desert: there is plenty of light, but nothing worth looking at. However, for one to have courage but not clarity is like looking at a beautiful landscape at nighttime: there is plenty to see, but no light by which to enjoy it. These two words must shape the preaching that comes from the pulpit today, and it is to this end that we must pray for our pastors.

Finally, it was for the gospel that Paul became an ambassador in chains (v. 20). What concerned Paul most was not that his wrist may be unchained, but that his mouth may be opened to speak the gospel of truth. In other words, he did not want to be free himself, but he wanted the gospel to spread freely and without hindrance. It is for this that he prays and asks the Ephesians to pray too. As John Stott points out again in his book, “Against such prayer the principalities and powers are helpless.”

Whether we believe it or not, our prayers are very powerful, and we must continue to pray for one another. Now, I want to bring us back to the story I told earlier about what happened to me Thursday night. I purposefully left the story as if there was no hope, but I had more hope in that hopelessness than I ever thought. As soon as Matt and Andrew heard me cry out in my sleep, they immediately started praying for me. Each time I woke up, I prayed that God would deliver me, saying, “God, I can’t do this anymore. Please, be my shield and my defender. Get rid of Satan and his demons.” Eventually, I decided to rebuke Satan as the archangel Michael does in Jude 9, and immediately I felt a peace that passed all understanding for the rest of the night. The next day, Matt laid his hands on me to pray, Aaron came to our place to pray for us, and many others joined me in prayer. Friday night, I had the best sleep I have had all week, and it is all by the grace of God and the prayers of the saints. Our prayers are powerful and effective, and do not let Satan tempt you to think otherwise. Let us be in prayer for our pastors and for each other, that we might be clear and bold in our preaching and sharing the gospel.

If you are here this evening, and you have never bowed the knee to Christ, I just want to remind you that you are an enemy of Christ and that makes you an ally of Satan. When you are in that position, you are caught up in the devil’s lies and schemes and are being used by him for evil, and you will have no armor on the day of Judgment, when all men will give an account before the Lord. However, you don’t have to be on the devil’s side. All you must do is cry out to God and place your faith and trust in him, and then be baptized as a public profession of your faith. Then, please join with us as your brothers and sisters, and we will fight alongside you and help you in the coming days.

Finally, I just want to offer a word of encouragement and an exhortation to my brothers and sisters. May we find comfort in the fact that we do not fight this fight to gain victory, but we fight this fight from victory. It is the victory of Jesus that gives us strength to carry on, knowing that one day we will see him face-to-face, and hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Let us fight on and persevere, and let us cross the finish line of the race, not well rested and looking like we did nothing hard, but let us cross the finish line with limbs missing, bruises, and barely crawling. May we be strengthened in the might of God, and may he indeed be our shield and our defender.

Take Up the Armor of God