Editor’s Note: Read the previous articles in this series below!
Put on the Whole Armor of God
Our Spiritual Armor: God Has Gifted Us with Everything We Need
More Than Conquerors in Christ
Christians are more than conquerors in Christ. Paul tells us in the book of Romans that absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of God. With God on our side, we can overcome tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, and the sword (Rom 8:31-39).
In Ephesians 6, Paul expands on the concept of Christians as warriors. He gives us an overview of the spiritual armor that God has given us in Jesus. This armor enables us to overwhelmingly conquer the temptations thrown at us by Satan. In our last article, we considered the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the gospel of peace. Those are just a few of the many pieces of armor that God has supplied us with in Jesus.
Let’s look at the remaining pieces of spiritual armor in Ephesians 6:17-18.
Our Armor: Spiritual Blessings From God
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
verse 16
Shields were a major piece of defensive equipment in Paul’s day. The Greek word for “shield” used here speaks to a large door-shaped shield meant to cover the whole body. Soldiers would stand shoulder to shoulder and put up their shields to create a wall of steel that would provide shelter from arrows or swords.
In every circumstance, believers are to have faith in the promises of God. This faith is what extinguishes the flaming arrows of temptation from Satan. This faith believes God’s word and sees obedience as more pleasurable than sin. It believes the truth and knows that Satan is lying to us when we’re tempted to question God’s care for us. It takes the fire out of Satan’s lies. Faith in God and in His word are crucial defensive weapons for the Christian.
and take the helmet of salvation,
verse 17a
Imagine being in battle when enemies are trying to take your head off with a sword or shoot you in the face with an arrow. A metal helmet was crucial to prevent headshots that would mean lights out for you. Paul says the spiritual equivalent of a helmet is our salvation. Having faith that we are truly saved and meditating on all that our salvation entails will protect our minds from attack. Dwelling on the manifold blessings of salvation will keep us from entertaining negative thoughts that could cause us to spiral into despair.
As believers, we can know that God is truly for us and we’ve been adopted into His kingdom, that we’re indwelt by the Holy Spirit, that Christ is interceding for us, and that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Jesus. Those are just a handful of countless comforting truths related to our salvation in Christ.
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
verse 17b
Imagine going into a modern battle without a gun or any sort of weapon. You would be completely defenseless. If I went into battle, I would want a gun, grenades, a knife, a rocket launcher, etc. In the time of Paul, going into battle without a sword was suicidal. If you didn’t have a sword, you couldn’t defend yourself or attack your enemies. Paul says the spiritual equivalent of a sword is the Word of God. The Bible is our defensive and offensive weapon to fight back against the attacks of Satan.
The Greek term Paul uses for “word” is not referencing “general statements or messages”, but “individual words or particular statements.” What Paul has in mind here is using specific scripture to fight specific temptations. We see this in the example of Christ when He was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. For every temptation that Satan attacked him with, Jesus used specific scripture to defend and counter-attack (Matt 4:1-11).
We have specific Scripture at our disposal to guide us through every situation in life. Knowing God’s word and meditating on it will arm us for every type of spiritual battle. Are you tempted to unrighteous anger? Ephesians 4:31 is at your disposal. Are you tempted with lust? 2 Timothy 2:22 is ready for the occasion. Are you tempted to feel like God has abandoned you in the midst of your trials? Romans 8:28 is there to remind you of the promise that God is working for your good in all things. God’s Word can cut down anything that Satan can throw at you.
Finally, Paul calls us to prayer to activate our spiritual armor:
praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
verse 18
We must pray without ceasing. In good times and bad, we must be in constant communication with God. We should be praising Him and asking for His help. Prayer is the unifying force that allows us to utilize every piece of spiritual armor to its full capacity. In warfare, having lines of communication severed between soldiers and their commanding officer is deadly. The ability to get intel or call for help in the midst of battle is crucial. Likewise, believers must keep in constant communication with God when we’re in a spiritual firefight.
We see this play out practically all throughout the Psalms:
In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.
Ps 18:6
Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.
Ps 3:7
God is an ever present help in times of trouble (Ps 41:6) and we can call on Him to help us, strengthen us, and deliver us.
Putting on the Whole Armor of God
Picture a soldier wearing a helmet, covered with a breastplate, having a belt cinch up any loose clothing, having durable shoes covering his feet, holding a giant shield in one hand, and a sword in the other. That soldier is ready for battle. Now we can see why Paul commands us to put on the whole armor of God. A soldier going out with just a helmet would be in trouble. Or just shoes. We need to utilize everything that God has given us to fight sin and temptation and serve Him. If we do this, we can have confidence that we can have victory over Satan’s attacks.
Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
1 Pet 5:9-10
Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4
we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Rom 8:37
Believer, you can overwhelmingly conquer sin and temptation in Christ. God will strengthen you to withstand the attacks of the devil if you put on the spiritual armor that He has given you.