Spiritual Armour (1) (Ephesians 6:14-15)
As we look at the armour described here by the apostle Paul, I would mention a couple of caveats. First, we should be careful about applying to this passage other biblical references to pieces of armour. There are numerous references to such, but they are not always applied in the same way. For example, if you look up how the illustration of the breastplate is used, you will discover a variety of applications. Instead of combining them, each one must first be understood in its context rather than being applied in a general sense.
Second, it is often suggested that the source of Paul’s idea here is the various descriptions of God or of the Messiah as warriors fighting against their enemies. My concern with that connection is that such descriptions are made of a perfect, sinless warrior whereas the description given by Paul here is of sinners engaging in spiritual warfare. The righteousness of a sinless person is very different from the righteousness of a sinful person. I suspect that the origin of Paul’s application is the way Roman soldiers dressed for battle.
Paul mentions six pieces of armour and he probably mentions them in the order that a soldier would have put them on. We could imagine a soldier, when facing a sudden onslaught from an enemy, rushing to grab the pieces mentioned in the second trio. If he did that, he would be vulnerable because he would not have on the belt, the breastplate and the shoes. So it could be that Paul is suggesting that a soldier would have the fIrst three items on at all times in the battle, and having the second three to hand depending on the nature of the attack.
The belt of truth
What does Paul have in mind by the belt on truth? The belt was used to tighten up the clothes of the soldier. He would not want to have them loose because they could interfere with his movements in a fight. The aspect of spiritual armour signified by the belt is truth. Truth could cover a lot of ideas. At a basic level, truth is the opposite of what is false. I suspect that what Paul has in mind by truth is the gospel.
The gospel is not an add-on to other forms of truth. Rather it is a distinctive truth that stands by itself. It explains to us the situation we are in and shows us how to understand life. When we believe it, it gives to us power to appreciate what God has done for sinners. It also informs us of the nature of the spiritual life and why we will be involved in a battle. It calls us to cease fighting for the enemy, but to enlist in the army of Jesus, and once we do we find ourselves in a war. After all, a soldier must know that he is in a battle, and why he is in a battle. We are engaged in spiritual warfare because we know the truth of the gospel.
The breastplate of righteousness
The second piece of armour was the breastplate that protected the vital organs in the chest. If an arrow or a spear penetrated his chest, the soldier would die or at least be incapacitated and unfit to fight. Paul says that the breastplate signifies righteousness. There are three possible meanings of righteousness: there is the divine attribute of righteousness, there is our personal righteousness (our sanctification), and there is the imputed righteousness of Christ. We cannot put on the divine attribute of righteousness – it belongs only to God. Our personal righteousness is not much use as a defence against the devil’s attack, no matter how dedicated we are. Relying on it would be like a soldier depending on his muscles rather than his weapons. So the righteousness Paul has in mind is the righteousness of Christ that is reckoned to our account.
There are many reasons why we should understand and think often about the doctrine of justification. For example, it is the doctrine that was at the heart of the Reformation, the great movement that led to spiritual liberty for millions from the bondage of the religious ideas connected to the Roman Catholic view of how sinners are converted. It is a doctrine that is under attack today from the new perspective on Paul that is promoted in various places. Justification in the sight of the righteous God is the first effect of us believing in Jesus. And the state of justification, as we can see here, is an essential and effective defence against the attacks of the devil and his army.
A justified person is forgiven all his sins and has the perfect obedience of Jesus reckoned to his account in the courts of heaven. Once we put it on, it cannot be removed. It is ours forever. And it protects our vital spiritual organs. Like the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness is unchangeable. Paul is using an illustration here, and he is saying to his fellow soldiers, ‘There will be aspects of the battle taking place today, but when they occur, remember the contents of the gospel of truth and the constant benefits of the doctrine of justification.
The shoes of peace
Obviously, it was essential for a soldier to wear strong sandals or shoes. They would help him if stood on a stone, or if he was wanting to feel secure in the place where he was under attack. His shoes would enable him to move with agility through dangerous situations. It may seem odd that Paul speaks about peace in the context of a battle.
Paul says that the shoes signify readiness that is the outcome of experiencing the gospel of peace. Readiness can mean resoluteness or determination. The question that arises here is, Why do we fight? Our answer must be that we fight to defend the blessings of peace. We should be ready to face any attempt to remove them. As Matthew Henry put it, ‘The preparation of the gospel of peace signifies a prepared and resolved frame of heart, to adhere to the gospel and abide by it, which will enable us to walk with a steady pace in the way of religion, notwithstanding the difficulties and dangers that may be in it.’
The mention of peace helps us appreciate what the apostle has in mind. Peace with God means we have been reconciled to him. Prior to believing in Jesus, we were at war with God. There was enmity between us and him. We also were at war with others, although we did not realise it. All we need to do to realise this is to remind ourselves how selfish we were. But at conversion we not only become friends with God, we becomes friends with his people, and find ourselves in the army of peace.
Connected to having peace with God is the blessing of having the peace of God in our hearts. The devil and his army cannot remove the status of reconciliation with God, but they will attempt to remove our enjoyment of it. Instead of aiming at our peace with God, they will aim their onslaught against our sense of the peace of God, which Paul says in Philippians 4 protects the hearts and minds of believers. In one sense, that is the focus of their attack, because if they can cause the soldiers of Christ to lose the confidence that comes from reconciliation with God, then they will not focus on the activities Paul goes on to describe in the remaining pieces of armour.
Application
I would mention two points in conclusion. First, we must remember that the only armour we need to wear is the armour that God provides. He knows the tactics of the enemy and has provided what is needed to frustrate his evil designs. Moreover, the divinely-provided armour fits us perfectly. If you and I turned up at an enlistment office, we would put on what they gave us to wear. So with the heavenly recruitment Provider.
Second, we can see from the first three pieces of the divine armour the importance of appreciating basic and core doctrines of the Faith. Paul mentions the importance of knowing the truth provided by the gospel, the importance of knowing the blessings connected to the provision of divine righteousness, and the importance of knowing that we are reconciled to God and because of that reconciliation we are also at peace with all others in the divine army.