Around AD 60, while a prisoner in ancient Rome for preaching the gospel, the apostle Paul wrote his letter to the church in Ephesus, using the armor of a Roman soldier as a metaphor to describe how Christians must live out their faith by strapping on the full armor of God to properly conduct and prevail in spiritual warfare. More than 2,000 years later, we must do the same.
Function of Armor
The purpose of armor is to defensively protect the body against a deadly attack and its accompanying weaponry are the means to wage offensive assaults on the enemy.
History of Armor in the Bible
It’s commonly thought the origin of Paul’s armor reference in Ephesians 6:10-12 is the uniform of Caesar’s army. But, according to the study note in the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary of the New Testament (available with your Bible Gateway Plus membership), each of the battle equipment Paul lists is also found in the Old Testament, especially in the book of Isaiah (see this chart).
[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Spiritual Warfare Questions Answered]
How to Conquer in Spiritual Warfare
In his book, Overcomer: 8 Ways to Live a Life of Unstoppable Strength, Unmovable Faith, and Unbelievable Power (Thomas Nelson, 2018), Dr. David Jeremiah teaches that to put on the armor of God is the way to overcome falsehood with truth, evil with good, anxiety with peace, fear with faith, confusion with wisdom, and temptation with Scripture.
[Visit Study Gateway to watch the trailer for the 6-part video Bible study Overcomer by Dr. David Jeremiah]
Importance of Garments in the Bible
This isn’t the only time Paul refers to a Christian’s necessary attire. In Colossians 3:1-17 he says, “Clothe yourselves with
- compassion
- kindness
- humility
- gentleness and
- patience.”
According to the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary (available with your Bible Gateway Plus membership), clothing worn by the Hebrew people of biblical times was considered so much a part of them that the apparel not only told who and what they were, but was an external symbol of the individual’s innermost feelings and deepest desires, and his or her moral urge to represent God aright.
[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, What Is Spiritual Warfare?: An Interview with Sam Storms]
Who Are Christians’ Enemies
- NOT FLESH AND BLOOD
Paul says followers of Jesus must stand firm against the devil’s schemes, a reminder that Satan is actively planning and strategizing to make believers retreat or fall. Our major threat is not a matter of “flesh and blood” (see Hebrews 13:6), but the demonic coercion that motivates evil behavior on earth and is active in the spiritual dimension.
- RULERS, AUTHORITIES, THE POWERS OF THIS DARK WORLD
Referring to Ephesians 1:18-21, the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary of the New Testament says the enemies Paul is talking about are not the Romans or any other physical army, but the invisible dark powers of this world that have brought death into God’s creation. He assures Christians that God bestows on us “incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead.” Paul echoes the message of that power in his first letter to the Corinthian church: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).
- SPIRITUAL FORCES OF EVIL IN THE HEAVENLY REALMS
By expanding our spiritual warfare’s theater of operations to “the heavenly realms,” the NIV Study Bible commentary says Paul is describing what’s at stake: “God’s eternal eschatological purpose (3:10-11) and the titanic conflict between God and the powerful spiritual forces arrayed against him—a purpose and a conflict that come to focus in the history of redemption.”
[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Why Is Spiritual Warfare a Continuing Struggle?: An Interview with Havilah Cunnington]
Stand Your Ground
Paul says the whole armor of God is what will help us to firmly stand against Satan’s continuous onslaught: “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11-13). And in his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul acknowledges that God’s armor is unconventional: “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:3–4). The reference note in the NKJV Lucado Encouraging Word Bible (available with your Bible Gateway Plus membership) says we need to fight with God’s weapons because every battle, ultimately, is a spiritual battle.
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What Are the 7 Pieces of the Armor of God
Paul references 7 essential components of a soldier’s battle gear, which includes having a battle plan for clear communication with the commander: the armor of God prayer. Here’s the list of God’s armor for us to put on at all times, each one described with the reference notes of the CSB Tony Evans Study Bible (available with your Bible Gateway Plus membership):
- The Belt of Truth (Isaiah 11:5) —
“To wear truth like a belt is to live in authenticity before God. Since Satan is a liar, he can’t function in an environment of integrity.” Ephesians 6:14
- The Breastplate of Righteousness (Isaiah 59:17) —
“Our righteousness is not our own. God imputed Christ’s perfect righteousness to us (see 2 Cor 5:21). When Satan accuses you, then, protect your heart with the truth of your righteous standing in Christ that is to be reflected by righteous living based on the truth. Unrighteousness acts like an open invitation to Satan and his demonic forces to invade our hearts and lives in order to defeat us spiritually.” Ephesians 6:14
- The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace (Isaiah 52:7) —
“Having your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace refers to the peace of God that confirms we are moving in the right direction.” Ephesians 6:15
- The Shield of Faith (Isaiah 21:5) —
“What is faith? It’s acting like God’s telling the truth—being obedient to God’s view on a matter. Whatever temptations the devil fires at you, you can overcome him by believing God’s Word and acting on it. Acting in faith is like activating a divine fire extinguisher.” Ephesians 6:16
- The Helmet of Salvation (Isaiah 59:17) —
“To wear the helmet of salvation means to make decisions with a biblical mindset. We are to think God’s thoughts and not operate in human wisdom.” Ephesians 6:17
- The Sword of the Spirit (Isaiah 49:2) —
“The sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God—is the only offensive weapon in the spiritual armor ensemble. The term Paul uses does not describe a long sword but something more like a dagger intended for hand-to-hand combat. He’s talking about the Word of God spoken, made effective by the Spirit, to cut through the devil’s lies. When Jesus was tempted, he declared, ‘It is written’ (Matt 4:1-11), defeating the devil by using the Word. And just as Jesus did when tempted in the wilderness, Christians must learn to use Bible study against the devil. He is allergic to the Word of God when it is consistently used against him.” Ephesians 6:17
- The Battle Communication of Prayer —
“Prayer is the divine means of putting on our spiritual armor, which is a reflection of the person and work of Jesus Christ on our behalf.” Ephesians 6:18
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