The Spiritual Armor of God: Ephesians 6

Earthly life as a believer in Christ brings many blessings. But it also involves conflict, and our greatest conflicts are in the spiritual realm against the enemy of our souls. For these battles we need adequate weaponry, the spiritual armor of God. These weapons are detailed for us in Ephesians chapter 6.

Accessing God’s power

Our enemy Satan is strong, in fact much stronger than we are. He’s also cunning and easily overcomes those who are unwitting and vulnerable. Sometimes his strategy is subtle deception, other times it’s strong temptation, and still others it’s just raw evil.

Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  (1 Peter 5:8)

Our only hope of victory is to rely on God’s power, available to those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. (Ephesians 6:10-11)

Our Lord Jesus provides the spiritual armor to withstand Satan’s attacks. But before we put it on, we first need to understand the nature of the war we are engaged in.

Rulers, authorities, powers of evil

Today we’re witnessing wars, persecutions, school shootings, assassinations, and social and political upheavals all over the world. Where do all these come from?

The forces of evil are not physical but spiritual. And they’re not just impersonal but personal forces. They exist in a hidden spiritual realm but influence the physical world through people and their minds and actions. So, the battles going on in this realm are unseen but nonetheless felt.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)

Satan has a whole army at his command constantly at work in this unseen dimension. And he is actively engaged in this warfare at this moment. One of his strategies is to create as much fear, chaos, persecution, death, and destruction as possible. And at times it seems he’s succeeding.

“Rulers and authorities” would be high ranking and powerful demons. “Powers of this dark world” could be demons who inspire and empower the godless political systems of the world that oppose the Lord’s reign. Everywhere we look, evil influences the powers who control the world.

Satan knows how to wage spiritual warfare against God’s people and when possible, keep them from serving God effectively. Leaders in some countries oppose any expression of Christ’s gospel. Some forcefully suppress it and persecute those who hold to it.

Fighting with inadequate weaponry

And Satan is intelligent, much more so than us. He’s an expert in deceiving the world and has been doing it for centuries. He inspires destructive and demonic ideologies that that take root in the minds of willing human agents, causing incalculable damage and misery.

But when we think our fight is against “flesh and blood,” i.e. against people, we will start to use worldly weapons against them. These weapons are ineffective and dishonor God: rage, verbal pressure, threats, ridicule, intimidation, or physical violence. In the process, we harm others and go backwards in our spiritual fight.

We need spiritual weapons to fight spiritual battles:

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  (2 Corinthians 10:4)

Personal spiritual battles

Life doesn’t always go our way, and trials are just a part of life. And when trials happen, our enemy is always right there to tempt us.

…sooner or later, every believer discovers that the Christian life is a battleground, not a playground.” (Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones)

Satan’s intent is to destroy God’s work in our lives. So, he tempts us to become discouraged, to lose our faith in God’s goodness, to doubt his promises, to give in to fear, and to resort to anger and bitterness. In these trials we need to have God’s armor on, to repel the darkness and to walk confidently in the light of Christ.

Fear of death is one of Satan’s main weapons against us (Hebrews 2:15), but through the gospel of Jesus, God frees those held by its power.

Worldwide spiritual conflict

But the spiritual battles we wage are much larger than our own personal struggles. These battles are being fought for the lives and souls of people all over the earth.

Satan’s power over people is real, but through the gospel, God releases them from Satan’s grip and domination. God’s ultimate plan is for the gospel of Jesus Christ to be proclaimed to the ends of the earth. So, believers are fighting alongside God to rescue and deliver people from the kingdom of darkness.

Satan’s plans to subvert the spread of God’s kingdom and maintain his rule are well-formulated. His strategies have been developed over centuries, and they are now being executed all over the world. But he has been warned that Christ will conquer and obliterate his kingdom at the end of the war. He knows his time is short, so he has stepped up his attacks against those who hold to the testimony of Jesus (Revelation 12:17).

The Believer’s Spiritual Armor

As humans, we’re helpless before the powerful forces of evil. Without the power and weaponry of God, we have no hope of surviving Satan’s attacks:

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephesians 6:13)

So, what are the weapons available to us and how do we use them?

Belt of truth

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist….  (Ephesians 6:14)

Christ’s kingdom is a kingdom of truth (John 18:37), so the belt of truth is a symbol of the reign of the Messiah. Someone who is deceived by Satan’s lies cannot fight effectively against him—his mind is dominated. But when we live by the truth of God we’re fighting on Christ’s side, and he fights with us. Those whose minds are immersed in the truth of God’s Word receive knowledge and wisdom, and the protection these give.

Breastplate of righteousness

…. with the breastplate of righteousness in place….  (Ephesians 6:14)

A believer beset with sin can’t fight against the devil effectively—his life is compromised and open to accusation. However, our defense is not our own goodness, but Christ’s righteousness which protects us from Satan’s accusations. This is a real righteousness, given as a gift to all believers in Christ by means of the Holy Spirit. And it’s demonstrated by Christ’s life and power living in us. Christ in us inspires and motivates us to love God and love others, and by these we hold back the powers of darkness in our lives and the lives of others.

Gospel of peace

…. and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  (Ephesians 6:15)

The good news of Christ is the power of God for those who believe (Romans 1:16). It releases us from the power of the world and its lies. And there’s not only power in the gospel, but peace: peace with God and the peace of God.

The gospel is an offensive component of our battle armor that advances God’s kingdom. Jesus commissioned his disciples to preach it to all people. Our spiritual “feet” allow us to go out into the world, carrying it to those who haven’t heard. When we do, people believe, and God’s kingdom expands. We’re advancing the peace of God to release people from Satan’s violence and darkness. People are reconciled to God and to others. Satan is greatly afraid of this happening as it diminishes his power and realm.

Shield of faith

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  (Ephesians 6:16)

Faith is trust in something or someone other than ourselves. When we trust in God, we have the greatest possible power working for us. He works on our behalf and fights on our behalf. We can resist the devil by standing firm in our faith in the Lord and his power:

Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (1 Peter 5:9)

This spiritual weapon is our trust in God’s power. It’s God himself that defends and delivers us.

Helmet of salvation

Take the helmet of salvation…. (Ephesians 6:17)

Paul likens our salvation to a battle helmet that protects the most vulnerable part of the body. It’s important to know our salvation is secure. Knowledge of a secure relationship with God is essential spiritual protection for the challenges and struggles we all face in everyday life and for ministry.

Our Lord promised that he wouldn’t leave us or abandon us:

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.  (John 10:28)

If we know that God has redeemed us and has us in the palm of his hand, we won’t let Satan deceive us into thinking that we have lost contact with God in the midst of the battle. But if we doubt that we belong to him, then we’ll doubt that he’s really on our side.

The sword of the Spirit

Take ……… the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  (Ephesians 6:17)

God’s Word is a powerful offensive weapon that demolishes the strongholds of Satan. Jesus wielded the sword of God’s Word when tempted in the wilderness by the devil:

…. the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.  (Matthew 4:8-10)

It’s essential to know what God has said and to have in our hearts those passages that define our faith. We can call them up when our faith is challenged and we’re tempted to waiver. And God’s Word is effective:

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow…. (Hebrews 4:12)

Prayer in the Spirit

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel…. (Ephesians 6:18-20)

Paul doesn’t give prayer a battle metaphor, but it’s nonetheless listed with the spiritual armor. We could call prayer “consulting with our Commander in Chief.” A soldier needs to be in contact with his or her commander to understand the battle plan, to receive instructions to prepare for the next conflict, and to receive affirmation and courage to go into battle. And we also pray to support our fellow soldiers who are fighting for the Lord, that they too will stand and complete their mission.

We need to follow Jesus’ example and meet with God in prayer often:

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.  (Luke 5:16)

And when we do, we need to come boldly before the throne of grace as God’s children. But we pray not just to ask for our personal needs, but to keep in touch with God, listening to him and responding to his leading.

Claiming victory

God calls us into the battle. He commands us not to fall back, not to surrender, but to fight. And as we use the spiritual armor God provides, he assures us of victory:

If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, …. will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Romans 8:37-39)

As believers, we look forward to our total victory over evil at the coming of Jesus our Lord. But in the meantime, we fight!

Christ in Scripture is listed on Feedspot Top 200 Christian Blogs.