Armour of God: Complete Series

Ephesians 6 v 10-17

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. 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. 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Spiritual Technologies

A technology is a tool or a method which allows humans to more efficiently interact with the World. The better the tool, the less work is required to get the desired outcome.

In Genesis, technological development comes out of Cain’s line. By using technology, his descendants became less reliant on God. Which, incidentally, then led to a multiplication of sin and the Flood.

Genesis 4 v 21-22

His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes. Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron.

Whereas Tubal-Cain made tools, Jubal created stringed instruments and pipes. There is a theory that this is a reference to the performance of religious rituals. So spiritual technologies appear in Genesis 4 alongside physical tools.

Spiritual technologies are similar to other forms of technology. They provide a shortcut path for people to interact with the spiritual realm.

God lays out in the Bible how people can safely connect with thus world. Using spiritual techniques, rituals and protocols outside of what God allows will lead ultimately to disastrous results.

Along with the prohibited spiritual practices mentioned in the Bible (idolatry, witchcraft, etc), modern spiritual technologies include administering psychedelics, yoga and using the Law of Attraction.

God’s Spiritual Gifts

God does not use spiritual technologies. Instead He gives His children gifts. The New Testament mentions some of them in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12 and many other places.

Christians do not have to practice a particular prayer to get God to do something. We are told to just simply ask.

Matthew 7 v 7

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

We don’t need to carry out repetitive mental or spiritual techniques to see preferred outcomes in our lives. We tell God our needs and trust Him to provide.

Christians have no need for spiritual technologies as God is our provider. It’s not what we do, but it’s what He does.

In fact, I would go as far to say that any spiritual power which comes from deploying a technique, is not from God.

Spiritual Attacks

There are offensive spiritual technologies. These attack a person’s value system, warps their reality and creates irrational fear and confusion. They undermine the fundamental core of a person’s identity, their essence and ‘who they are’.

They can be used on communities, cultures and nations. And, in this time of mass social media, they can be very effective.

Armour of God

God provides a gift to protect us from these spiritual threats. It is called the Armour of God. This series will unpack what the Armour is made up of and how it helps us against the principalities and powers which seek power to destroy us.

Belt of Truth

Ephesians 6 v 14

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist

Here Paul begins to describe the Armour of God. The first instruction is to ‘Stand Firm’ against the powers of darkness.

He then goes on to talk about the first item, the Belt of Truth.

It is probable that Paul is connecting this item with Isaiah 5 in the Septuagint Translation (The Greek version of the Bible). Most early Christian used this version.

Isaiah 5 v 11 (Sept)

And he shall have his loins girt with righteousness, and his sides clothed with truth.

Belt of Truth

The original Greek in Ephesians does not mention a belt. The text reads that a Christian should fasten Truth around their waist. The belt is implied in the context of the overall theme of the Armour.

So, by wrapping Truth around the waist, Truth covers the centre of anyone who wears the armour.

Who is Truth?

Surely, the question should be, ‘What is Truth?’ No. The Truth is a ‘Who’ not a ‘What’.

Have you heard this phrase describing a habitual liar, ‘He has a very loose relationship with the truth.’? This rings true, because Truth is actually a person.

His name is Jesus.

John 14 v 6

Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.”

Knowing Truth

John 8 v 31-32

Then Jesus said to those Judeans who had believed him, “If you continue to follow my teaching, you are really my disciples and you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.”

By wearing the Armour of God, we are wrapping Jesus (Truth) around ourselves. He frees us from the lies that can warp our understanding of Reality.

Through our relationship with Jesus, Reality becomes clearer. And we begin to live in a truthful environment.

Gaslighting

Gaslighting is when someone lies so convincingly, it undermines our relationship with Reality. It warps how we engage with it. Gaslighting is a spiritual attack which seeks to destroy our sense of what is true.

Through wearing the Belt of Truth, Jesus holds us together. Even when we are under attack, knowing the truth that God loves us, He has a plan and purpose for our lives, can get us through the most difficult of times.

A Whole Worldview

Finally, I want to make a symbolic point here.

When a belt is fastened, it holds together the lower garments and the upper garments. Our clothes come together around our waist.

Similarly, this image suggests that Truth keeps together the physical (Lower) and the spiritual (Higher) parts of us.

If we prioritise heavenly things over earthly things, we don’t connect fully with Reality as it truly is.

Equally if we say the physical is more important than the spiritual, or the spiritual doesn’t even exist, then our interaction with Reality will be incomplete.

Living in the Truth is the best way to experience Reality in all its fullness. Living in Christ means we engage with both the physical and the spiritual worlds altogether, not separately.

Breastplate and Helmet

Isaiah 59 v 17

He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.

The Book of Isaiah mentions both the Breastplate of Righteousness and the Helmet of Salvation. These are elements of God’s armour and Paul says He shares them with us.

Paul does not include the garments of vengeance as,

Romans 12 v 19

For it is written: “Vengeance is mine; I will repay,” says the Lord

This gives the impression the Armour is used for defensive purposes only. We should never use it to bring about our own will or take revenge on others.

Breastplate of Righteousness

A breastplate is used to defend the body against damage. It protects key organs from harm.

Spiritually speaking, this breastplate gives protection to our most vulnerable areas.

Satan will tempt us in our weakest and most vulnerable areas. If we fail and succumb, we know we can trust God will cover our sin with His righteousness, through Christ.

What is Righteousness?

One way of looking at righteousness is saying that a righteous person is someone who is in right standing with God. Someone who is in the correct relationship with Him.

Righteousness can also be defined as God’s justice in our lives and the World.

A different perspective is to think about the root meaning of the word. Righteousness comes from the Old English word, rihtwīs, which means right-manner.

So another way of looking at it, is righteousness is walking in the divine path.

We can’t walk in the righteous path because we sin. We act in a manner which is against God’s rule. Jesus is the only one who has ever successfully walked this path of righteousness.

If we have faith in Christ, we are in Him and therefore clothed in His righteousness. So when God sees us, He sees Christ.

Helmet of Salvation

The helmet protects the head from harm.

Spiritually, it stops damage to the mind. We are in a spiritual war and this is the main battleground. This is where temptation is fought and where we must capture every thought and bring it under Christ’s authority.

2 Corinthians 10 v 5

We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

The Helmet reminds us that no matter what we go through and what temptations we battle, we are saved. If we remain faithful to God, we will be saved.

What is Salvation?

I like to think about salvation in terms of the story of Noah.

In the narrative, we see God brings judgement to a sinful World. A chaotic flood where all who were not faithful to God, where killed.

Symbolically, Noah takes his family into the Ark to be excluded from the punishment.

Similarly, we become part of Jesus’ family when we have faith in Him. Though we are judged at the End of Days (Noah and his family go through the judgement), Christians are excluded from the punishment, death in the Lake of Fire.

Whereas Noah climbs into the wooden Ark, Jesus ascends on the wooden Cross.

The most bizarre symbolical link is Noah builds a wooden boat, and Jesus is the son of a carpenter.

So a Christian is saved from a world of sin, a world filled with death and pain, but primarily they are saved from God’s judgement. And unlike the Flood which was death by water, the punishment is death in the Lake of Fire.

Shoes

In verse 15, Paul talks about the shoes shod with the gospel of peace. Even though some translation include ‘shoes’, it doesn’t appear in the text. The feet are fitted with the Gospel of Peace, which implies shoes are being worn.

Ephesians 6 v 15

and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace.

It is likely Paul is drawing from the book of Isaiah.

Isaiah 52 v 7

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news (gospel), who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion “Your God reigns!”

Gospel of Peace

A gospel is a particular kind of military document. It was used by a conquering king to offer terms to a city. A herald would first announce the ‘good news’ to the people. If they would accept the conquerors new rule, then they would receive all the good gifts on offer. This could include protection from other invading armies, improvements like roads and a new city walls or better trade links. In return, the king would expect tribute.

If a city refused the ‘gospel’, and would not bow the knee, the conquering king would destroy them.

Similarly, Christ comes as the conquering King of Kings and sends out His heralds to proclaim the Good News. Jesus offers salvation, adoption into the divine royal family and many gracious gifts. But if we refuse to bow our knee, we will be condemned to death.

His Gospel offers peace, not between people, but between God and humanity.

Now reread Isaiah 52 v 7 as an announcement of a military gospel. It has a different feel.

Symbolism of Shoes

The soil is made up of eroded rocks, dead animals and decayed plant matter. The dirt beneath our feet is effectively made up of death.

Every day, as we walk around, our feet connect us with the ground. As we live, and we move about, we are symbolically in contact with disintegrated bodies.

Just like how shoes protect us from getting our feet dirty. Symbolically, they can also protect us from the spiritual grim and dirt which can attach to our souls.

In ancient times, it was common for feet to be washed after a journey. Even with sandals, the feet where not well protected against the dusty roads.

A famous scene in the Gospels shows Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. Simon Peter asks Jesus to wash all of him. Jesus replies by saying it is enough for Him to just wash his feet.

Christians are consecrated, but where we connect with the decaying parts of this World, we become sullied and dirtied. So we must submit to Christ to continually cleanse us, washing away the grime of death and disintegration.

Wearing the Gospel

By wearing the Gospel on our feet, wherever we go, we interact with the World through this paradigm.

These ‘shoes’ not only, provide a defence against the consequences of living in this World, but Christ uses us to cleanse the space we are in.

By proclaiming His Gospel, whether by word or deed, we are inviting the Kingdom of God to enter the environment directly around us.

So with each step we take forward, the Kingdom of Darkness is being pushed back, further and further.

Shield of Faith

Ephesians 6 v 16

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

The shield mentioned here is the Legionaire scutum. This was a type of shield which covered the whole body (see photo below).

Roman soldiers would interlock these shields together to create an armour which would protect the whole group.

There were other shields, but Paul particularly chooses this shield. I suspect it’s because he wanted to make the point that the best way for the Church to fight, is to be together, supporting each other.

Faith or Faithfulness

The Greek word translated into the word ‘faith’ is pistos. It has two main meanings, trust or faithfulness.

When we come to the word ‘faith’ in the New Testament, we can usually substitute the word trust or faithfulness into the verse.

Maybe think of a few verses which contain the word faith and substitute the word with trust or faithfulness. It can give a fresh perspective.

So the Shield of Faith reminds us that the best way to be protected against spiritual attacks is to remain faithful to God and trust in Him.

Fiery Darts

The verse particular says the Shield protects us from the flaming arrows of the Evil One.

I have read that the scutum was sometimes soaked in water before a battle. This would help extinguish attacks from flaming arrows.

Arrows and Gods

In the ancient pagan world, many gods were depicted with arrows and lightning bolts. Is Paul connecting these flaming arrows with spiritual attacks which come from these demons (pagan gods)? For an early Christian, they would likely see this connection.

Today, we don’t see these gods (demons) worshipped, but we do experience spiritual attacks from demonic sources. By remaining faithful to God and trusting Him, these attacks will not prevail against us.

Sword of the Spirit

Ephesians 6 v 17

…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Here St Paul tells the Christian to pick up the Sword of the Spirit.

The sword used by the Roman Legionnaire was a short sword called a gladius. Sometimes, pictures of the Armour of God online include this sword. But, the text says that the sword is of a general type, and not a gladius.

Symbolism of the Sword

A sword symbolises judgement. Judgement is divided into two parts; discernment and punishment. God delivers the punishment, as ‘vengeance is mine’ says the Lord. But we are to ask the Holy Spirit for discernment, so we can understand the spiritual causes behind a problem. And then pray.

We see God wielding His sword in the Old Testament. The whole of Ezekiel 21 is filled with God smiting His enemies with His Sword.

Ezekiel 22 v 3

This is what the Lord says: I am against you. I will draw my sword from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked.

Rhema of God

St Paul says the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. The phrase ‘Word of God’ is not the more common ‘Logos of God’, like in other parts of the New Testament, but the ‘Rhema of God’.

I discuss the meanings of the phrase ‘Word of God’ here. But Rhema means the ‘spoken word’.

When we look at the Book of Revelation, we see Christ with a sword coming out of His mouth. This sword symbolically represents His ‘spoken word’. In effective, the Sword of the Spirt is speaking the words of God.

Revelation 1 v 16

In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword.

Another scripture using Rhema is in Romans.

Romans 10 v 17 (NET Bible)

Consequently faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the preached word (Rhema or spoken words) of Christ.

So in this example, by hearing the words of Jesus (the Rhema of Christ), faith then follows.

Jesus and the Sword of the Spirit

We see Jesus use the ‘Sword of the Spirit’ when he is tempted in the wilderness.

Jesus resists Satan by quoting and speaking Scripture. He uses Scripture in an inspired way to deflect the Tempter’s words.

And this is how the Christian should wield the Sword of the Spirit. They should use Scripture to defend and parry against temptation. And on the offensive, Christians should discern, through the Holy Spirit, the spiritual issues behind a problem. Then pray in line with Scripture and allow God to act (however He wills). For He then delivers the judgement and the punishment.

We should also not use the sword as a ‘spiritual technology’. Christians should not use Scripture as the Rhema of God and spiritually wound others. We must only use the Sword with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and within the limitation of Scripture.

Stand Firm and Pray

Ephesians 6 v 14

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. Stand firm then,

Ephesians 6 v 19

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

Paul bookends the Armour of God with the phrases, ‘Stand firm’ and ‘Pray in the Spirit on all occasions’. These both set out how we practically participate in the Armour of God.

But what do we stand firm against and pray about?

Hierarchy and Principalities

Paul tells us what we need to stand against in verse 12:

Ephesians 6 v 12

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.

It seems jarring to find evil powers in the heavenlies. Our Western culture has passed down the idea that Heaven is the place of goodness and Hell is the place of evil. This is not Biblically accurate.

The heavenly realms are the spiritual dimensions. They contain all the spiritual activity, apart from that in Hell. This is where the majority of the demons are imprisoned and where the faithless dead exist. There is a hierarchy in the heavenlies, where we see the highest heaven is occupied by God and His angels, and the lower heavens are the abode of the other spirits, those of spiritual rulers, authorities and evil powers.

These ‘principalities’ are the spiritual entities who rule over cities, nations and other people groups.

We see a principality mentioned in the Book of Daniel.

Daniel 10 v 13

However, the prince of the kingdom of Persiaopposed me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.

The Prince of the Kingdom of Persia was opposing an angel, who was trying to get to Daniel.

This is whom Christians must stand firm and pray against. Not the human leaders in a tyrannical government, but the spiritual powers above them. These leaders can be as much a prisoner of the demonic principality as the people who live in the nation.

This isn’t just about countries and cities, but also work places and families too. Wherever people come together and ultimate authority is directed away from God, spiritual problems can arise.

God’s Wants Us Involved

Wisdom of Solomon 5 v 17

The Lord will take his zeal as his whole armor, and will arm all creation to repel his enemies;

The Wisdom of Solomon is part of the Greek Orthodox Bible. It was not written by Solomon, but actually in the 1st BC. Out of all the Apocryphal books, it is the most quoted by the early Church.

This verse tells us that God will arm all Creation to fight His enemies. He wants us involved and be part of His plan to renew Creation.

Pray in the Spirit

Some Christians believe this verse refers to ‘speaking in tongues’ or also called glossolalia. Proponents of this view say St Paul talks about this in 1 Corinthians as one of the spiritual gifts.

Though traditionally, it has been interpreted to mean praying with the Holy Spirit within you.

Whether praying in the Spirit involves speaking in tongues or not, it should be no excuse not to pray. All Christians must pick up the Sword of the Spirit and speak Christ into every difficult moment of their lives.

Conclusion

The Armour of God is gift we are given to fight the powers of darkness. When we encounter a problem, we should use the Sword of the Spirit to discern the truth of a situation. We should pray and then stand firm, and call on the name of Lord, the Saviour, Jesus Christ.