The Church’s Spiritual War: God’s Armor: Part (2)

Introduction:

Review:

1.Gird oneself with Truth (14a)

2. Clothe Yourself in Righteousness (14b)

3. Lace Up with the Gospel of Peace (15)

Now we turn to the next section of pieces of God’s Armor

A few points to consider:

In the preceding verses, it was stated that we possess these items of God’s Armor. We looked at how those items are possessions of the character and divine nature of Christ that bears fruit in our lives. Paul said “having girded” “having put on” and “having laced up.” It still signified an action on the part of the believer but it was rooted and grounded in the work of Christ.

Now we need to notice the change in the command in v 16-17. The change comes with Paul’s command to “take up” these items. It appears that Paul has something unique in his mind about the PRACTICAL USE of this armor.

For the helmet shield and the sword is unique in the armor in such a way that it is not so much something that you continually wear. As a soldier you would grab hold of these items, use them in warfare and then set them to the side. They are not worn conintually on the body like a breastplate, an armored girdle, or sturdy boots.

Martin Lloyd comments in his commentary on Ephesians,

“The soldier may be sitting down in his room in the barracks and taking a period of rest, but he still keeps on his girdle of truth, his breastplate and his sandals. Then suddenly an alarm is given that the enemy is already attacking, and he immediately takes hold of his shield and his sword and puts on his helmet and rushes out. There is the suggestion of activity, of an actual fight and battle. You do not have the shield in your hand when you are resting; you put it down, and Iikewise your sword. But the moment the enemy becomes active again and there is an engagement, you have to take up these things in order that you may be ready for the conflict.”

Now what point is Paul making?

It seems that the change of direction is simply one of a warning that requires an continual discipline of the Christian life. Take up you shield, sword and helmet is first to draw attention to the reality of setting it down.

A shield is heavy, a helmet intrusive, and a sword somewhat of a dangerous instrument to hold. You might set it down for comfort only to face attack without them. The message here is to be constant in possessing these items.

These items of God’s armor are also not founded in his character of Christ but in the work that he accomplished. In other words, faith, salvation, and God’s word are undeniable gifts for the body of Christ but they are items belonging to God to be used and not taken for granted.

4. Taking Up the Shield of Faith (16)

Ephesians 6:16 “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.”

Paul’s 4th item comes with some explanation of its use in the battle. Paul envisions the shield of faith not like the small rounded shield like we might consider in our minds eye. A Roman soldiers shield, called the scutum, was made of iron, wood, and leather and was the size of a door.  This protected the full body in defense against an enemy attack.  Often times the leather was soaked in water to put out the fiery attacks of arrows set ablaze.  

Paul calls it the shield of faith because it is the faith of the Christian that is defensive in the battle. The classic Scriptural text on the CHristian faith is John 3:16-17

John 3:16–17

“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.”

To believe upon Christ for salvation is to put an unhindered trust in Jesus alone for the full and complete salvation of your soul from the wrath of God against sin. We also include that repentance from sin is a part of that faith because you must turn from what God hates as you turn towards Christ whom the Father loves.

We have already looked in Ephesians about the faith or trust that one places in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s review for a moment:

The shield of faith bears the emblem of our commitment to Christ

In 312 AD, Emporer Constantine ordered his soldiers to have teh CHI RHO symbol emblazoned on their sheild. the CHI RHO is the greek letter Chi which looks like an X with the greek letter RHO which look like a P running in the middle of the X. That symbol was used in the early church as a symbol of Christianity because it was the first two letters of the name Christ. Constantine thought it was a way for God to bless their efforts and coincidentally, they won the war and he legalized Christianity across the kingdom of Rome. I don’t know Constantines heart motives, but one might believe that shield visible on the shield represented a commitment to Christ and the war.

In considering our faith in Christ, our faith is the visible demonstration of our internal trust in Christ to save our souls from the debt of sin. We have already learned in Ephesians how that faith is a gift that God gives us.

Ephesians 2:8

“8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;”

Faith here is communicated to be a gift that God actually imparts to the believer so that he has the ability to turn from sin and towards Christ. Paul already told the church that a person is dead in their trespasses and sins, so their ability to turn to God is absent in them. He must invade their lives and give new life so that faith can be demonstrated. That faith is the doorway by which a Christian enters salvation after a work of God has occurred in them to regenerate them.

Secondly, the shield of faith is one that gives us confidence and boldness.

Ephesians 3:11–12

“11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.”

Because of what Jesus accomplished in his death and resurrection, we are emboldened to live a life of steadfastness and obedience to Christ because we know of the sacrifice Jesus made for us. Just as we considered the peace we have with God, our boldness to trust God leads to a boldness to serve God in whatever capacity he calls us to. This boldness includes the courage in the battle we fight against sin and evil in the heavenly places.

Thirdly, we can understand that with the shield of faith, we also possess that shield in community. We are not standing on the front lines alone, but that shield of faith looks just like the shield of the person standing next to us. Paul states in

Ephesians 4:4–6

“4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”

That community of followers of Jesus is necessary as we face attacks from the evil one. We know we fight the battle together because of a mutual love and commitment to trust Christ. Our goals are united and our lives our united under the banner of the Kingdom of Christ. We march forward and stand firm together as God’s army.

I couldn’t help but visualize in my mind those scenes in movies of Roman soldiers on guard in what is called the ORBIS or TESTUDO formation. This is when the Romans learned to use their shields to form like a cocoon of protection. They would form like a circle with archers and attackers inside. Every soldier on the permiter of the circle, used their shield to protect from outside attack. But then soldiers inside the circle, interlocked their shields upward to protect from any air assaults. This entire formation connected to look like a turtle shell. In this formation they were both offensive and defensive in the battle.

How could they accomplish this if not for other soldiers working with them to accomplish the goal of winning the war.

Now Paul states in 6:16 that the shield of faith is one that exists to “extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” It is important to note here the word ALL of the flaming arrows. In God’s power, we understand that although we are weak, He is strong. He will never succumb to Satan’s attacks and therefore, by His power, the attacks against us can be defeated. Let this sink in when you think that Satan has a hold on you in this area. Faith in Christ says, he defeated death, he can defeat your sin and give you victory. being faithless, is not being courageous, bold in opposition.

The arrows that are sent towards the church are flaming arrows. They are not meant to just pierce the body but also inflict damage in their fiery explosions.

Now consider ways in which a sea of arrows sail across the sky towards each individual believer. Satan attacks the individual Christian and the local church relationally, mentally, and circumstantially.

One example : How can your faith and trust in Christ defend you in your relationships?

Your relationships are built on a love for Christ that is fashioned by your faith in him. You love others sacrificially in the way that Christ has demonstrated for you and produced the fruit of love in you. Satan wants to tear down your relationships with others because he is the designer of conflict, bitterness and resentment.

Therefore, you faith in Christ reminds you of his love for you and it produces love towards others.

John 13:34

“34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”

How does your faith stand in the test of trials and temptations? Is it protecting you from these evil attacks from your enemy or is it leading you to doubt the power of Chirst?

5. Taking Up the Helmet of Salvation (17)

The 5th piece of armor in the battle array of the Lord is the helmet of salvation. Again, Paul instructs the church not to be one to lay aside their helmet for battle time but to take it up.

Now as we consider the helmet’s purpose, we know that it protects the head and face. It was made of a heavy and durable metal, giving the soldier capability to see battle and his opponent and yet protection from attack.

As we look to the aspects of faith and salvation, they seem similar ideas. How is Paul using salvation as a metaphor for that which you take up for protection? We surely cannot place salvation upon us nor do we set salvation down in times of idleness.

It seems that Paul might be referring to that which salvation brings to the believer- which is hope. This is precisely what he expresses to the Thessalonians in a parallel passage to Eph 6.

1 Thessalonians 5:8

“8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.”

Hope in our salvation is a mighty defense against the evil one. Especially in the way that the helmet protects the head and the head contains our mind. Hope is a blessing to the mind of all people in this world. Sadly, hope in earthly treasures results in those disappointed over time because earthly treasures fade away.

Hope in Christ for the believer is one of the greatest treasures we can experience and thus is the protection we need against the doubts and deceptions of the evil one. Our hope in Christ leads us to confidence and boldness to accomplish that which we would not nor could not accomplish on our own.

1 Thessalonians 5:8–9

“8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,”

Paul reiterates to the believers in Thessalonica that our hope in salvation is destined by God. We will not face wrath but we have obtained the gift of being saved from his wrath in the end.

This incredible doctrine of the election of God whereby God predestined us to be saved by HIs grace not only humbles us as we receive, but instills confidence that God has done a miraculous work for us by his grace and for his glory.

It ensures that we will not lose heart in the difficulty of the battle because we belong to him in Christ.

Romans 8:35–39

“35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Not only is there a hope in our salvation that assures us that we belong to God by his electing grace, but it also reminds us as he has chosen us for salvation in Him, he has chosen us for steadfast good works in this world.

1 Thessalonians 1:2–3

“2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,”

What this means is that our insecurities and inabilities do not matter if God is destined to save us and use us.

Look at those throughout the history of the church and see hope driving them forward in faithfulness regardless of their former way of life.

Paul writes,

1 Timothy 1:12–14

“12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; 14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.”

Satan wants to paralize your kingdom efforts, rendering you inefective for ministry. He does this by tempting you to doubt and to fear. He wants you to fear the unknown but the shield of faith stands against him. Faith moves us forward in battle because God’s strength ensures victory. We have no reason to fear.

We also have hope in the battle because Christ has chosen to save us. If he saves us, then he wants to use of us. With hope in our salvation, we know that God can do anything in and through us for his glory.

As way of illustration, lets turn to Acts 3.

In the early days of the formation of the church, Peter and John are going about ministering. They encounter a lame man at the temple gate begging. Peter looks at the man and heals his lifelong infirmity.

By God’s power this man stands up after being crippled his entire life. He never learned to walk as a child, never ran as a boy. He merely just watched others do what he could not do.

In that moment, he stood. Acts 3:8 recounts this incredible moment:

Acts 3:8–10

“8 With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God; 10 and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.” “8 With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.”

This man’s ability was not in himself. He was complete unable to give himself strength in his legs and his feet.

God gave him new life in his body and in his mind. He not only had the strength to stand, he understood in an instant what his new abilites were. He stood, leaped and praised God.

God did this in him and it had an impact on those who knew the man. They saw the lasting effect of the miracle and they themselves were in amazement of what God did.

Let this be a parable for us of the hope we have in salvation to be used mightily for God.

God has radically healed us and he has done so for us to be used for His kingdom work. We cannot lose hope and confidence in the way that Satan wants us to. We must trust and be bold for His kingdom and we will do great things for God for his supreme glory.

2 When darkness veils his lovely face, I rest on his unchanging grace; in every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil. [Refrain]

3 His oath, his covenant, his blood, support me in the whelming flood; when all around my soul gives way, he then is all my hope and stay. [Refrain]

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand: all other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand.