The Armor of God
The words “spiritual warfare” mean many things to many people. But what does the Bible actually teach about it? Much of our confusion and misinformation comes from our habit of trying to understand scriptures apart from their context.
Ephesians 6 is a perfect example. If you are not carefully tracking with Paul’s train of thought throughout the letter, his call to spiritual arms at the end seems like an afterthought, disconnected from the rest of the letter. When you see it this way, you are left trying to fill in the meaning on your own. But Paul’s teaching on spiritual warfare is not an afterthought. It does not begin in chapter 6, it’s a culmination of the entire letter:
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (6:10-12).
We know what “strength of his might” Paul is talking about, and that it is strong enough to defeat these spiritual forces of evil because of what he already told us in 1:19-21:
“the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. . . ”
We know what “authorities” and “present darkness” Paul is referring to because he reminded us in 2:2 and 5:8 that those were once our authorities and our darkness when we were “following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience . . .at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”
In 6:13-18, Paul describes the “whole armor” in detail:
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm” Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.“
But what does all this mean? How can we “wear” salvation or strap it on our feet? Clearly Paul is not speaking literally. He’s not asking us to pretend to put on armor every morning when we get dressed. Rather, he is asking us to apply what he has already taught.
“The word of truth, the gospel of your salvation” (1:13) is our belt. We fasten it tightly to keep us from getting tripped up as we fight. As our breastplate we “put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (4:24) and we “walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right[eous] and true)” (5:9). We strap to our feet “the readiness given by the gospel of peace” to remind ourselves that “he himself is our peace,” that we “who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ,” and that he has broken down every wall of hostility (2:12-19). Essential to our warfare is an eagerness to spread this peace.
Faith is our full-body shield. We are protected as we remember that it is Christ who saves us, through no works of our own (2:8-10). We protect our heads by remembering that our great salvation was planned from eternity, accomplished by the sacrifice of Christ, and sealed by the Holy Spirit, (1:7,13; 2:4-10). This knowledge is as critical to our survival as a helmet is to a soldier. And then we have our sword, which is the Word of the Lord, which is all of Scripture, all of which points us right back to the gospel.
In Ephesians Paul has laid out the gospel. It is the gospel that saved us, and it is the gospel that will continue to save us. In it we find every truth we need to combat the lies of the evil one, everything we need to survive. Our spiritual warfare is to put it on, to take our stand, not alone, but together as a church, and to fight.
