In Ephesians 6:10-18, the apostle Paul encourages Christians to "be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the whole armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's scheme." [NIV]
Paul lists six pieces of armor that soldiers of God need: belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with readiness, shield of faith, helmet of salvation and sword of the spirit.
How do these items relate to spiritual warfare?
Belt of Truth
For the first item in the armor of God, Paul writes to "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist..." Truth is having sound doctrine which can only come with careful study of the Bible. Many times, Satan uses half-truths, or lies which sound like the truth, to deceive those who do not know better.
As Paul encouraged Timothy, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). Knowledge of God's word provides Christians with the truth they need to combat Satan.
Breastplate of Righteousness
The breastplate of righteousness is the second piece of the armor of God. Righteousness comes from standing free of condemnation before God, but it is not something that anyone earns.
In Romans 4:6-7, the apostle Paul writes, "David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works. 'Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.'"
Satan may confront God's followers with their sins but God's forgiveness provides Christians with the breastplate of righteousness they need to protect them from Satan's attacks.
Feet Fitted with Readiness
Paul identifies the next part of the armor of God when he writes that Christians should have their "feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." This alludes to what the prophet Isaiah wrote, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'" (Isaiah 52:7).
Those who have spiritual footwear are prepared to go out and share Christ's gospel with those who will listen.
Shield of Faith
For the fourth item in the armor of God, Christians are encouraged to "take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." The shield protects the soldier's body and can be moved to counter an attack. Likewise, faith in God's promise of eternal life serves to deflect the doubts and fears that assault Christians.
However, faith has to be developed. As stated in Romans 10:17, "Faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the word of Christ." So therefore, faith can only grow through continual Bible study.
Helmet of Salvation
An important part of the armor of God is the "helmet of salvation." In 1 Thessalonians 5:8, Paul also refers to the helmet as "the hope of salvation." One of Satan's schemes is to cast doubt into the minds of believers, making them wonder if God is real of if his promises are true.
For Christians, the helmet of salvation is based on "a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised from the beginning of time." (Titus 1:2)
Sword of the Spirit
The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God; the holy scriptures. When faced with temptations or some other moral choices, using scripture can help to win the battle.
As 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 declares, "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
The Armor of God Protects the Soul from Evil
While there are wars which take place on earth, there is an even greater war which has been waged ever since God created humans: the war for the human soul. God loves everyone in his creation and wants them to be with him for eternity in Heaven, but Satan looks for ways to draw them away from God.
The common theme through Paul's list of spiritual equipment is knowledge of God's Word. Only through continuous bible study and acceptance of his gift of salvation can one fight against the devil's lies and craftiness. Putting on the spiritual armor of God that Paul outlines in Ephesians will aid Christians in successfully battling Satan and his evil forces.
Additional Reading on Spiritual Armor
- Moral Ethics and the Beatitudes - looks at the essential elements of moral ethics as revealed in the Beatitudes, which was part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.
- The Benefits of Personal Bible Study - examines some of the spiritual benefits gained by those who read and study the Bible.
