The Armor of God Ephesians 6:10-24

Introduction: Exactly when one tribe or people group began raiding or destroying other people groups is not specified in the bible. But ever since then people groups or nations have armed themselves and trained for combat.

The New Testament is set in a time and place that has the Roman army occupying the land that belonged to the Jewish people. At the time the Roman army was pretty much the best trained and equipped army in the known world - which is why they had defeated and occupied so many other nations.

Because of how wide spread and well known the Roman army was in the world people from many places who happened to read this letter would have identified with what Paul is saying about the armor of God. They would have seen Roman soldiers going about their duties on a daily basis or maybe they had even been in combat with or against the Roman legions. So Paul’s description of God’s armor would have been very easily understood. Not so today. We are two thousand years removed from that time and place and the weapons of warfare today are far different than that of a Roman soldier. However, God’s armor has not changed, we as children of God receive the same armor that the first apostles received because we are still fighting the same battle in the same way that they fought.

So, let’s take a look at the Roman armor at the time, some armor from today and God’s armor.

Ephesians 6:10–24 NASB95

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. 21 But that you also may know about my circumstances, how I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make everything known to you. 22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us, and that he may comfort your hearts. 23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love.

Transitional Sentence: Soldiers then and now know that it is necessary to know the equipment they are issued and learn how to use it. Just as a child of God should be familiar with and know how to use the armor that God provides.

Why do you need to be equipped for battle? Do you remember when we took a look at chapter one verses 3-14? 14 weeks ago. Well I talked about the blessings that you receive from the Father after putting your faith in Christ Jesus. All of those blessings are spiritual. They are all given to you in the heavenly places. Because they are in the heavenly places there is an enemy in the heavenly places that wants to take away your blessings.

That enemy wants to keep you enslaved to sin and walking in his kingdom, the Kingdom of darkness.

a. If you have stepped into the light and into the Kingdom of God you have an enemy? You are in a battle whether you want to be or not. This battle is with the devil. The armor of God will help you stand firm against the schemes of the devil. The word schemes in the Greek is methodia, from which we get the English word method. It has the idea of craftiness, cunning, and deception.

The idea of standing firm is to endure — to face and withstand with courage. The devil is constantly trying to trip you up. Constantly trying to destroy your witness for Christ Jesus. The only way to do it is with heavenly weapons and heavenly armor. There is no where to run and no where to hide. The best thing to do is accept the fact that you are in a battle and then get busy fighting.

b. The battle you are in is the epic struggle of good and evil, right and wrong. This battle is not one of flesh and blood.

A battle of flesh and blood is easier. In a battle of flesh and blood you generally know the enemy. You can look 300 yards down range and see someone pointing a gun at you. That’s the enemy. But in this spiritual battle the enemy is tricky. He can use people, places and things that you wouldn’t consider an enemy. That’s the problem. You never know when he will strike at you through someone or something you wouldn’t normally consider an enemy.

So who is this enemy that is after your soul?

c. The devil has a lot of minions? They inhabit different spaces in the heavenly places. They are known as the Rulers, powers, and world forces of darkness. They are the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Rulers: arche - ruler (supernatural) n. — any supernatural being (besides God) acting in a ruling or commanding capacity; either good or evil.

You've heard of the arch angel Gabriel? Well what Paul is talking about here is the same as Gabriel but on the evil side of the battle. This guy is in charge of other demonic forces and is leading others in the battle for your soul. These guys are upper management.

And then we have the Powers of darkness.

Powers: exousia - ruler ⇔ authority n. — a person who exercises (administrative) control over others.

This is another level of control in the forces of darkness. More like a middle management.

And then there are the forces of darkness.

Forces of Darkness: kosmokrator - world influence n. — any influential, governing authority over the inhabited world understood in terms of physical control; including both human and preternatural authorities.

This includes the rest of the demonic influences of the world in the heavenly places. These forces are at work spreading evil and standing apposed to God. The Apostle John said it this way: 1 John 2:15-16

1 John 2:15–16 NASB95

15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

These forces in the world cannot be fought using a knife or a gun. To stand firm in this battle you need the spiritual armor provided by God.

So Paul says in verse 13 to take up the full armor of God. If you take up the armor you need to put it on. You need to take it off the shelf and put it to use. All of it. Don’t pick and choose which pieces you want. Every piece has a function and every piece is necessary to stand firm against the devils schemes.

2. So what is the Full Armor of God?

Paul has metaphorically taken the pieces of a roman soldiers armor and used it for a spiritual purpose. The items of the Roman uniform Paul chose are the belt, breastplate, shoes, shield, helmet and the sword.

a. The first item listed by Paul is the belt. How many of you wear a belt to hold up your pants? Maybe you simply want something to put your phone or another device on - such as a microphone. A Roman soldiers belt had the same use, cinch up the clothes and carry items of importance, such as a sword or a dagger. It is also believed that the belt had some kind of ceremonial distinction, such as a rank identification. In my days in the Army we wore a belt which helped us carry equipment, canteens, magazines, compass, knife, emergency medical kit and many other possibilities.

However, the belt that God issues His children symbolizes and reminds us of truth. The truth is the one thing that stands in direct opposition of the enemy. The enemy the devil is called the father of lies. John 8:44 says:

John 8:44 NASB95

44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

The truth is our defense against the lies of the devil. The truth of scripture, the truth that stands up to the lies and sends the devil and his minions packing. Put on the belt, cover yourself in truth, God’s truth.

b. The second item that Paul listed is the Breastplate. If you wear a vest to help stay warm you are kind of dressing like a soldier. A Roman soldiers breastplate was worn to protect the torso and the vital organs contained within the ribs. It may have been made of leather, chain mail or metal scales like the one in this photo. A modern day US soldier wears a breastplate too. Only now it is made of Kevlar to stop small arms fire and shrapnel from damaging the vital organs.

However, the breastplate that God issues His children represents Righteousness. Righteousness is - the quality or condition of being in right relationship with God; living out the relationship with God in right relationships with other persons. Your righteousness comes from the core of your being, your heart. If this remains unprotected from the attacks of the evil one then your relationship with God and others could fail. Put it on and protect yourself.

c. The third item Paul listed is the Shoes. Now you have a wide variety of shoes made from a wide variety of materials to choose from. You can accessorize with them, you can make a fashion statement with them, or you can simply protect your feet from harm with them. A Roman soldier didn’t have as much choice as you have now. A Roman soldier generally had sandals with leather wrappings around his shins. The sandals had thick soles and hobnobs pounded through them for protection. In later years they began using closed footwear which were more like boots now. And our modern soldiers have extremely well made boots for protection and durability during use.

However, the shoes that God issues His children are the Gospel of peace. When you wear the shoes of the armor of God you are prepared to spread the Gospel to the whole world. You should always be ready to tell someone the good news. 2 Timothy 4:1-2 says:

2 Timothy 4:1–2 NASB95

1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

So put on the shoes, be ready and able to preach the gospel. Be a witness.

d. The fourth item that Paul listed is a Shield. A shield isn’t a common item of wear anymore. But for a Roman soldier it was a very common item. The common shield type was large and rectangular with a bit of curve to it. The soldiers could stand close together and overlap their shields creating a moving wall. The shields protected them from arrows, spears, darts or thrown knives. This moving wall also made it very hard for the other guys to use their swords against them. In a modern day army, I guess a tank or other armored vehicle would qualify as a shield.

However, the shield that God issues His children is just like the ones the Roman soldiers had. But, this shield is faith. This shield can stop any fiery dart that the evil one throws at you. Your faith or pistis, in the Greek, is trust in Jesus as contained in the content of the Gospel. Your faith will block any lie or deceitful intention of the forces of evil. If you are carrying it, if you stand behind it and hold it up.

e. The fifth item that Paul listed is the Helmet. Now a days there are certain times and activities where a helmet is helpful or even required. During sports, on a motorcycle or bicycle, or maybe someone who has a habit of falling down. Roman soldiers wore helmets to protect their heads from blows caused by flying objects, swords or other weapons. The helmets weren’t great but they were better than nothing for protecting the head. Damage to the head could cause significant problems. Modern day helmets for US soldiers are made of Kevlar and do a good job of protecting the head from impacts caused by blows, shrapnel or bullets.

However, the helmet that God issues His children is Salvation. Your salvation is the instrument that produces in you the state of being preserved from the danger of judgment. John 3:16-17 says:

John 3:16–17 NASB95

16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

Salvation comes through Christ Jesus. Believe in Him and you will be saved, you will be saved because He did not come to judge the world but save it. So put on the helmet of salvation. Only by putting on this helmet can you be sure that your sins will be forgiven and you will walk in the light as a child of God.

f. The sixth item Paul listed is the Sword. A sword now a days is probably hanging on a wall as a history display but for a Roman soldier, that was the primary weapon of the day. There were a few different kinds. It all depended on the country of origin and the rank held by the soldier. The sword was used for defending and attacking. Without a sword the soldier didn’t have much to fight with. A soldier in the US Army today might wear a sword for a celebration of some kind with a dress uniform but for combat an assault rifle is the usual weapon of choice.

However, the sword that God issues His children is the sword of the Spirit which is the WORD of God. Matthew 4:3-4 says:

Matthew 4:3–4 NASB95

3 And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ ”

This is Jesus answering the devil’s temptation to turn stones into bread when He was fasting. With this answer to the devil Jesus was using a quote from the law Deuteronomy 8:3 says:

Deuteronomy 8:3 NASB95

3 “He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.

And you - you do not live on bread alone either. You need the word of God to sustain you. You need the Sword of the Spirit to combat the Rulers, Powers and forces of darkness that are trying to destroy you. Don’t let them win. Fight the good fight of faith and stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

g. Finally Paul wraps up his exhortation with one last spiritual weapon Prayer! Although Paul didn’t compare prayer to part of a Roman soldiers uniform the Roman legions did have a means of communication. Besides messengers on foot to pass information they used a system of smoke signals for long distances and a system of flags and banners for close up to pass information from one group of soldiers to another. In today’s Army there is a far better means of communication. Radios. Radio signals can be sent and received for great distances. With one simple message from hundreds of miles away a small group of soldiers pinned down under heavy fire can call in an arsenal of great power to assist them.

This is the power that the children of God are issued by the Father. A constant open line of communication that you can use all the time.

“With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert” Pray all the Time. Pray for all things, especially for your brothers and sisters in Christ. Prayer provides constant communication with your Father in heaven. Constant communication helps you provide Him with information and He can provide you with information. And make sure you Pray over everything. Philippians 4:6 says:

Philippians 4:6 NASB95

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Activate the power of God in the heavenly places to fight the battle that is in the heavenly places. Let your requests be made known to God. He will do the fighting. He has legions of angels at His command to fight the battles in the heavenly places.

Exit: So, remember our fight is not with flesh and blood. Our fight is against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

God has issued each of His children battle gear. You have that battle gear at hand everyday. You need that battle gear everyday. Don’t leave it laying on the floor or hanging in the closet. Put on the full armor of God. Don’t leave anything behind.

Gird your loins with truth by putting on the belt to prepare yourself for the battle to come and to carry the rest of your gear. God’s truth is contained in the gospel of Christ Jesus. The gospel which every child of God is commanded to spread. Then put on your breastplate. Put on righteousness. Put on the righteousness of Christ Jesus and be in a right relationship with God. And then put on your shoes. Be prepared to preach the gospel of peace to each and every person you encounter on a daily basis. Then pick up your shield, pick up your faith and carry it before you as you go through the day so that the fiery darts of the devil will not harm you. Don’t forget your helmet, your salvation, don’t forget that you are a child of God because Christ Jesus hung on a tree. Don’t forget your sword, don’t forget the word of God. And last but not least pray. Pray at all times in the Spirit for all circumstances. Your continuous communication with the Father provides ready access to far greater power than you can have on your own.

So let’s pray!

Benediction - Ephesians 6:23-24

Ephesians 6:23–24 NASB95

23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love.