Armor of God, Ephesians 6:10-18 (2)
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Introduction
Introduction
In the last two messages we studied Matthew chapter 4, verses 1-11, concerning the account of the Temptation of our Lord Jesus Christ in the wilderness. In examining that passage we looked at Hebrews 2:18 which says,
For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
Jesus, having suffered himself temptations, gives us assistance and support to battle temptations. Lord willing, I would like to look at some of what God has provided for his people to assist them in battle— specifically the Armor of God in Ephesians chapter 6, verses 10-18.
If you would, please turn there
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Prior to the Apostle Paul writing this passage, he spent time in this epistle exhorting believers to live a holy and godly life--- discharging their Christians duties. He begins in chapter 1 by saying, in verse 4,
Ephesians 1:4 (AV)
According as he (God) hath chosen us in him (Christ Jesus) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
He continues in chapter 2, verse 10, saying,
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
When a believer is filled with God’s grace and faith, accompanied by holy and godly living through the Holy Spirit, the devil will want to attack. He will attack you when you are down also, as he did when our Lord was 40 days without eating and hungry. When you are physically weak the devil and his wicked companions will seek to bring you to ruin. But, as Luke records, Jesus was tempted during the 40 days, meaning that the attacks against Jesus began right after the great events of his Baptism and Commissioning by God.
Luke recorded that when Jesus was led of the Spirit into the wilderness, that he was full of the Holy Spirit— he was receiving power, benefits, blessings, and gifts from the Holy Spirit.
The devil will also hit you when you are filled with the Holy Spirit and flowing with grace, just as he did our Lord.
A thief does not bother with the poor man, but rather goes after those with the greatest treasures. When God is pouring out his graces upon you, you are rich indeed— with the greatest treasures. And that makes you a target. The deceiver is going to come and want to steel that from you. He is going to try to drive a sinful wedge between the believer and God.
That is why Paul writes in Ephesians 6:10
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Paul is now moving from edifying believers to preparing them for attacks against true and pure Christian living. Affectionately, with great care and concern, he appeals to his brethren— to us— to “… be strong in the Lord, and the power of his might.” Be strong in holy and godly living, and be strong against the attacks of the devil.
Paul says in
2 Timothy 2:1 (AV)
... be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Our strength comes from the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and in him alone. He is our everlasting strength, the Rock of Ages. It is through the power and strength of God that we are able to perform our Christian duties and fight off the temptations and attacks of the devil. That power and strength is what established God’s grace through the eternal covenant and secured it through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That powerful grace is what will sustain us and make us more than conquerors— conquerors over sin, temptations, afflictions, worldliness, persecutions, and the attacks of the evil one and his followers.
We have this confidence, Philippians 1:6
Philippians 1:6 (AV)
... that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
A few verse later it is written,
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
The battle is not ours, it is the Lord’s, and he will equip us and strengthen us. He will accomplish all of his purposes and he will receive all of the glory.
Verse 11 “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
Put on- clothe yourself in it, make it part of your entire being. We are instructed to take this armor and make it part of our daily Christian life— it is to become part of our character as disciples of Jesus Christ.
And we just don’t put on one piece of it, we are to put on the whole armor, which is provided by God. In his grace and mercy, he has provided this armor to his people for fighting spiritual battles. He equips his saints with the proper tools to engage in the warfare that is thrust upon them by the great enemy of God and his church, and those tools are in themselves whole and complete— the necessary defenses and weapons for battle.
Being specially prepared for us we are not to neglect it.
This armor is defensive. It is not meant for us to go on the attack, but rather defend ourselves from the onslaught of wicked attackers. Paul says we put the armor provided to us on, so that we can stand against the attacks of the devil. He did not say, “in case” you are attacked, his words are definite— as a child of God living out true religion, you will be attacked. It is not a matter of if, but when. By God’s grace we have a provision which we can return the attack and with God’s aid, beat back our foes.
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
We examined some of the background and character of Satan in our examination of Matthew chapter 4, in the Temptation of Jesus. We saw his sly tricks, and the deception he used in temptations. He is a deceiver, a liar, and a murderer. He will use all of the weapons at his disposal to attack God’s people and cause them to sin.
This is a spiritual war that we are engaged in,
Verse 12
Verse 12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
The devil is just one of our enemies, he is the prince of devils. While a believer may never face off with the evil one himself, we will certainly face enemies that follow after his methods, strategies,and character. The enemies listed by Paul here are not flesh and blood, they are spiritual— and therefore, our reason for being given spiritual armor. These are powerful enemies, not to be underestimated.
Paul says we wrestle with these spiritual beings, wrestling is an act of engaging in close hand to hand combat, it is a real struggle, a fight. On our own, we are weak and defenseless, but because of our position in Christ, we have the strength and defense of God on our side. There are flesh and blood enemies of the people of God too, which are still under the control of our spiritual enemies, but the physical realm may require additional methods in dealing with it— those things are given to us elsewhere in the Word. We are to focus here on the spiritual enemies, which means that we cannot combat in our own wisdom and strength, nor with carnal weapons.
Principalities, powers, and rulers shows that there is a government of wickedness in this world-- it is a kingdom of sin and darkness that stands in opposition to the glorious kingdom of grace and light. That evil kingdom has been at war since the serpent tempted Adam and Eve. As with any government, or military, there is organization and there are ranks.
Lange’s Commentary says that,
A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Ephesians (Exegetical and Critical)
Against principalities … indicates the organization of the kingdom of the devil, denoting the chiefs and heads of the separate groups. Against the powers, marks the efficient, attacking powers. Against the world rulers of this darkness... denotes the world-ruling power: for “the whole world lieth in darkness” (1 John 5:19; 2:14) and Satan is “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4), “the prince of this world” (John 16:11; 14:30); his angels are under him as world-rulers, whose sphere is designated by... “of this darkness.”
That realm of spiritual darkness is purely sinful, it is the place of ultimate depravity and rebellion. It is void of holiness-- it is thoroughly against holiness or any representation of the One, True, Living God, who is thrice holy. There is no knowledge of the things of God, just ignorance. No light, just darkness. The rulers of that kingdom and the citizens of that kingdom, are the ones that come to attack us. They are the ones that seek to cause us to sin, to hinder our growth in grace, to separate from the love of God, and to destroy the communion between God and his children. Those enemies are ones that rule amongst the earth, and the heavens without and below the great abode of God. They are the enemies, our enemies, that Paul is warning against.
He says,
Verse 13
Verse 13
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
A.W. Pink said,
“I must say that this same figure of “the armour” is used three times in the epistles of Paul, and I believe we find in them a reference to the Trinity. I think the “armour of righteousness” (2Co 6:7) looks more particularly unto Christ; the “armour of light” (Rom 13:12) more especially to the Holy Spirit, Who is the One that immediately illuminates us; and the “armour of God” unto the Father, Who is the Provider of it.” A.W. Pink, The Christian’s Armour
The physical attributes of the armor is typically equated with the armor of Roman soldiers, whom Paul would have been familiar with. That is a possibility that Paul was making that parallel for an audience that knew what those soldiers looked like.
The pieces of armor are common among soldiers throughout much of history. So much so, that we even see portions of the armor of God given to us throughout his Word. For example,
Isaiah 59:17 (AV)
For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head…
In Ephesians, we have the breastplate of righteousness in verse 14, and the helmet of salvation in verse 17.
And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
The Lord God has always provided his strength and his defense to his people— he will not let us down— in battle he will not leave us nor forsake us. And Paul reminds us again, to put on the whole armor— every last piece of it is important to a complete Christian life and critical in our defenses.
In those evil days, the days of temptations and the days when the enemy attacks fiercely, when you have to face the great enemy of God— Stand Firm! Paul says, “having done all”, having put on the whole armor of God, resting upon the Lord’s power and strength, Stand Firm! In Christ we are conquerors, and in him the battle will be won.
Proverbs 4:27 (AV)
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left...
Do not give way.
Verse 14,
Verse 14,
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
“Stand therefore” is to be watchful and ready. Be on guard, because the attacks will come.
Being prepared for battle requires that you know and check your gear before you get face to face with the enemy. You wouldn’t want US soldiers going off to war without weapons training, or not knowing how to use their gear. A soldier wouldn't want to be in the middle of a firefight and realize he forgot his body armor. In the same way, a Christian must be prepared for spiritual battles by knowing their armor, every last piece of it. Paul now begins to prepare the Christian by going through each piece of the armor.
“having your loins girt about with truth,”
Historically, having your loins girt about could mean a couple of things. One, it could be a belt worn about the waist. Belts can be very utilitarian in battle. They hold your clothing into place, they can be used to carry tools and weapons, they can be used to provide first aid, and they can be used to protect the area of the body they are designed to cover.
A second way you can have your loins girt about, deals with adjusting ones attire to make ready for battle. I favor this approach to understanding “girt about”. At the time of Paul writing this most people (average people) wore tunics, which were long robes. A belt could be worn with the tunic; but to girt it requires one to lift the bottom of the tunic to the thigh, and then tie it up using the tunic itself. The tunic is girted up, wrapped around the waist to prepare for action. Wearing the tunic down would be cumbersome and not allow freedom of movement, but with it up there is nothing limiting the action of the one engaging in battle.
Paul said in,
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
The truth is the Gospel, the doctrines of the Covenant of Grace, and with that we gird ourselves— we pull it in close to us, wrapping our selves in it, embracing it. We tie it tight about ourselves to prepare for battle, and with it girted up we are made ready to engage in battle. Embracing the Gospel we know that we cannot loose, we know that we have been redeemed and set free from the bondage of sin. We have been reconciled to God. And we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit, nothing can take that away from us.
Paul continues, “and having on the breastplate of righteousness;”.
The breastplate covers our vital organs, both from the front and the back. It protects against blows and piercings. The breastplate that the Lord provides us with is one of righteousness.
This is not our own righteousness, it is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. It was not our own righteousness that earned us favor with God towards salvation— for our righteousness is as filthy rags. There is no righteousness found in us apart from that of Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:8 (AV)
… putting on the breastplate of faith and love…
These are the merits of Christ Jesus, it is by his righteousness that we are justified before God.
John Gill wrote,
An Exposition of the New Testament, Volumes I–III (Chapter 6)
… the righteousness of Christ, which being imputed by God and received by faith, is a guard against, and repels the accusations and charges of Satan, and is a security from all wrath and condemnation.
Verse 15,
Verse 15,
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Feet being shod maybe referencing military shoes. Adequate protection on the feet keeps you standing, it allows you to brace for an advancing enemy, staying sure footed during blows. The right foot ware gives you traction, and prevents you from slipping. Protective footwear saves your feet from injury and keeps you standing or mobile. Roman soldiers had metal clad shoes with spikes in them that helped them to dig in and stand firm as an enemy ran into them.
The Gospel of our salvation gives us peace. Peace with God, and peace in times of temptations, afflictions, and spiritual warfare.
Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.
Christ is our solid rock, he is the sure and absolute foundation in which we stand. Being firmly planted by faith in Jesus Christ and his Gospel of Peace, we are immovable in battle.
That preparation though, requires us to be diligent in our Christian duties (which were much talked about by Paul prior to this passage on the Armor of God), and we must know with certainty that glorious Gospel that saved wretches such as us.
Verse 16
Verse 16
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
A shield can be both a defensive and an offensive weapon. It is hand-held and can be wielded around to deflect fiery projectiles and blows by an opponent. It can be used to push trough, and push off, the enemy. The substance of our shield is faith.
Above all, says Paul,— of all the things listed in the armor, here is the chief of things to take hold of— faith.
Matthew Henry says,
This is more necessary than any of them. Faith is all in all to us in an hour of temptation. The breast-plate secures the vitals; but with the shield we turn every way. This is the victory over the world, even our faith. We are to be fully persuaded of the truth of all God’s promises and threatenings, such a faith being of great use against temptations. Consider faith as it is the evidence of things not seen and the substance of things hoped for, and it will appear to be of admirable use for this purpose. Faith, as receiving Christ and the benefits of redemption, so deriving grace from him, is like a shield, a sort of universal defence.
The fiery darts are meant to bring affliction and pain, giving a taste of the torment that comes in eternity as a just recompose for a fallen and lost soul. The darts can come in one at a time, or like a barrage in battle, coming in waves that cloud the battlefield with their hellish smoke.
The fire of these darts can ignite a desire to follow after the sinful lusts of the flesh. Temptations, convictions, accusations, false doctrines, and deceptions of the wicked one are deadly darts, designed to lure us into sin and away from the bosom of the Father.
Faith in Christ is able to be wielded about to quench the fiery darts of the devil, not just knock them down, but extinguish the fires. The shield of faith stops the piercing of the dart into our weak souls, and stops the fire from igniting sinful passions.
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
This faith is not of ourselves, it is the gift of God, it is a fruit of the Spirit— it is a complete trust in the grace of God. As with every piece of this armor, it is completely of God, every piece of it. He provides our defence. He is our shield.
For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
When the battles are done, God is our reward. He fought the battles for us, he defended us and shielded us, and in the end, he is our great reward.
Verse 17
Verse 17
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
A helmet in combat is essential. It protects the head from flying debris, projectiles, and direct blows. Helmets worn on Roman soldiers were designed to direct the blows of swords away from the head. Helmets were also used to identify armies and groups within armies. Ornamentation on helmets can tell a lot about people in battle.
Robert Pattison, a Baptist pastor from the 1800’s, writes in his Exposition of Ephesians, concerning the helmet of salvation.
The helmet serves a double purpose— as an ornament and as a defence. Practical godliness is an ornament. He who is clothed with salvation is morally beautiful… In 1 Thess 5:8, the hope of salvation is said to be the helmet, which is obviously the idea here. The salvation itself beautifies: the hope of it sustains and elevates the soul, inspiring it with confidence and joy.
But the helmet is not only the symbol of beauty and joy, it is a defence… The believer's ground of hope is the salvation of Christ. By grace we are saved. This doctrine is his helmet. Because I live, ye shall live also. My grace shall be sufficient for you. Strength shall be equal to your day. These are promises of salvation, and they are the believer’s helmet. Pattison, pg 224.
The helmet shields the mind against the fiery darts of temptations and protects against sinful thoughts. It also protects against false doctrines, providing discernment to know truth from error, right from wrong, and light from darkness.
The last piece to complete the armor of God is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”
I said earlier that the armor is a defensive weapon, used in attacks that come from the devil and his evil cohort. It is not used to go on the offensive as one would invade a foreign nation. But, as part of the armor, God has given a weapon that is both defensive and offensive. A sword can be used to block striking blows of the opponent, and it can be used to fight back when attacked.
Believers not only take up the sword by the power of the Holy Spirit, but they wield it, or skilfully use it, by the guiding power of the Almighty Spirit of God. Both it’s possession and the skill in which it’s used, is from the work of the Holy Spirit.
If you recall from our study of Matthew chapter 4 and the Temptation of Jesus, every advance of the devil was fought with the Word of God. Jesus would respond to a temptation by saying, “It is written”. With authority and certainty, “God has said”… was his response. Because we know the Word of God to be sure and true, we proclaim-- with trust-- the Words and Promises of God with authority and certainty. In the wilderness, the effects of the Word in those battles was quick and powerful, ultimately bringing victory to our Lord.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The sword has a sharp double edge. One side representing the law, the other the Gospel. The law side cuts open the soul revealing sin and depravity. The Gospel side cuts open the heart, mind, and will of man exposing his unrighteousness and inability to do any good in and of himself— the deep cuts of this edge reveal the need for a righteous savior.
The sharp sword cuts away man’s delusions of his own goodness bringing forth the sins that lies beneath— which brings conviction, reproof, judgement, and the knowledge of the just punishment due those sins— which is an eternity in the fires of hell.
As the light of God beams from the shining sword it brings to light the darkness of sin. It is used to refute and repel the temptations of Satan. And from the sword emanates truth that discerns false doctrines and heresies, dividing truth from error.
Verse 18 ,
Verse 18 ,
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
The armor is not complete without prayer. And even though prayer is not equated with a physical piece of armor, it is essential for a complete defense and proper working of armor.
Nothing can be done apart from God. And to bring together the usage of the armor, which God provides, he wants us to pray in the power of his Spirit.
But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Prayer brings us in to communion with God, it focuses our hearts, minds, and souls upon him. With our attention fully on God, we do not see the lusts of our flesh, nor do the tempter’s attacks prevail against the armor which clothes us in divine protection. We are to always, be praying, always communing with the Savior of our Souls, always setting our affections upon the blessed Triune God, always seeking his strength and might, and always seeking his will.
Pray without ceasing.
Praying at all times, for all things, in every season. Make it a constant habit to be praying, as if always living in the presence of God. “… and watching thereunto… ”
Which means to be aware of, look after, alert to, watchful of, and always diligent in prayer. We need to pray for direction and assistance in prayer, by the Holy Spirit. We need to be watching for answers to prayer. And then, give thanks for the answers and those blessings and provisions that flow from it (even when those answers are not how we envisioned).
We need to be watchful unto the Word of God, which is his trusted way of communicating with us— where the answer to many prayers can be found.
Always being watchful in prayer also prevents us from becoming dependent on our selves. The focus upon the holiness of God and his will, turns us away from the sinful lusts of the flesh. Prayer if vital in fighting off temptations and that attacks of the devil— it critical in keeping us from surrendering during an attack and giving into sin and corruption.
Prayer is to be, as Paul writes, “with all perseverance” continuing on in all circumstances. In the fog of spiritual warfare— cry out to God. In moments of his grand outpourings of grace and blessings, turn not your eyes from upon him.
And make “supplication for all saints;” Prayer here is not for all men in general, it is specifically to be made for the saints. All true believers are going to suffer temptations and attacks, and all need lifted up in prayer.
James wrote,
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Somewhere there is another saint praying for you, praying that you stand strong in God’s power and might, praying that through the pieces of the armor of God you are defended against the attacks of Satan and his followers.
This is a grand encouragement from our gracious and loving God. During battle, your brethren are praying for your victory in Christ. You are not alone in the battle. And we are to be supporting our brothers and sisters in Christ by praying for them. Supplication means earnest prayer, with an urgency. When someone comes under attack they need earnest prayer, and they need it immediately. We have been called upon to be reinforcements in the battle, and often times we need back up our selves.
Closing
In our lives as God’s children, there is going got be conflict, temptations, afflictions, and spiritual battles. Paul exhorts fellow believers to take up this armor that the Lord God has so graciously provided. With this armor, in God’s power, believers overcome their spiritual enemies— the armor is absolutely necessary to a fruitful and profitable Christian life. We cannot neglect so great a gift. The armor is a true spiritual blessing and puts God’s Sovereign grace ever before us.
We know that for our sake, Christ has endured greater temptations and afflictions. He can identify with us in those, yet he was without sin. In our weakness, we are made strong by his might.
Everything in our spiritual life is fed to us from Jesus. He said,
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Without our Lord Jesus Christ we will be defeated. In him is victory.
There are times when we can become battle weary, but the battle is the Lord’s, and the strength to fight comes from him.
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Remember the words of Paul in this passage,
“… brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand… praying always.