Spiritual Armour (2) (Ephesians 6:16-18)

We have already thought about the first three pieces of armour that Paul mentions in this passage. It is assumed that Paul follows the order by which a soldier would put on the armour and this helps us understand the points he is making about being ready for spiritual warfare. The first three seem to be items that the soldier would be wearing all the time, and they depict spiritual benefits that are given to Christians. 

First, we need to put on the belt of truth, which can represent the message of truth, the gospel. Second, we must put on the breastplate of righteousness, which can represent the righteousness of Christ which, like a breastplate, protects our vital organs from enemy attack (the devil cannot remove Christ’s righteousness from a believer). Third, we have the shoes connected to the gospel of peace. Just as shoes gave stability to a soldier, so the fact that we have peace with God through the gospel gives stability to Christians as they face the devil’s onslaught. So believers know the truth of the gospel, wear the robe of Christ’s righteousness, and are given stability because they have been reconciled to God and now belong to his family.

Yet they need more when engaging in spiritual warfare. So Paul mentions another three items taken from what a soldier would need in order to ensure victory and gives to each of them a spiritual application. What are they?

First, there is what he calls the shield of faith. The shield that Paul has in mind is a large shield that a soldier could hold in front of him or above him. A soldier would soak this shield in water before a battle in order to prevent fiery darts, hurled by the enemy, burning it or him. The equivalent of soaking with water is faith. Of course, faith is not something that can be weighed. What makes faith important comes from the object of one’s faith.  

In the spiritual battle, as in a human conflict, the soldier needs a flexible shield because of the likelihood that the darts will come from different directions. They don’t come, as it were, in a straight line in the same direction. Rather they can come from all directions. Normally, the darts of the devil come in the form of temptations and accusations, and they can come with force. What do we do when they come? We respond through what we believe about the truth.

There are many examples of temptations that could be listed. One way to respond was exemplified by the Saviour when he was tempted after his baptism by the devil. Jesus made it clear that he would not do anything that was against the Word of God. Following his example requires that we know what the Bible says. A person with faith in God loves the word of God and finds it straightforward usually to practice what it says. It is hard for the devil to make someone fall who is committed to obey the Bible because of his or her faith in the Lord.

It is important to notice that Paul is not suggesting that faith somehow prevents us from being bruised by the devil. Instead, he is saying that our faith can be assaulted, and our faith can experience the onslaught. Faith is our action that we use to defend ourselves against the devil. It is faith in God, faith in Jesus, but our faith will be tried and tested.

Second, there is the helmet of salvation. Paul mentions the helmet and the sword together under the one verb, suggesting that they are put on simultaneously. The soldier is already holding his shield in one hand, but with the other he puts the helmet on his head and then takes up the sword.

Obviously, the helmet protected the head of a soldier. After all, if he received an axe through his brain, he would be immobilised; or if an arrow penetrated an eye, his vision would be affected. The equivalent of the helmet is salvation. What should a Christian soldier think about if he wants to defeat the devil? The answer is that he should meditate on the great salvation that God has provided for his people. The devil will try and get us to stop thinking about salvation, but we must resist that temptation. 

Thinking about salvation keeps our minds alert and enables us to see what God has done, is doing and will yet do for us. We can think about salvation in the past, in the present and in the future. In the past, we were delivered from the penalty of sin, in the present we are delivered from the power of sin, and in the future we will be delivered from the presence of sin. We need constantly to take up the protection that God has provided for our minds and vision in order to overcome the attacks of the devil.

Third, there is the sword of the Spirit. The sword here is a small sword designed for battle at close quarters. Paul says that the sword of the Spirit is the word of God, and in his day, it would have been the Old Testament. I suspect what he has in mind is using specific promises and instructions that are suitable to prevent a particular attack of the devil. Sometimes we will be tempted to use our own wisdom to defeat the devil. He is not frightened by that response. Instead we need to use the sword of the Spirit which he has given to us.

It looks to me as if Paul is saying that knowledge of the Bible is crucial in spiritual warfare. The Bible strengthens and enlarges our faith, it informs us about salvation, and it provides statements that the devil cannot defeat. So, at one level, the method to use in spiritual warfare is straightforward. It is also the same method for all Christian soldiers. We should note the two things that the apostle John says about those he calls young men. He says that they are strong because the word of God abided in them and he says that they have overcome the wicked one.

Paul mentions something else that is crucial for a successful outcome in a spiritual battle and that is prayer. It could be that he is suggesting that prayer is the spiritual equivalent of the battle cry that a soldier would use. The war cry was designed to frighten the opponents. Bunyan once said that Satan flees when he sees a saint upon his knees, and that no doubt is the case.