Life in North America has become so thoroughly secular, we don’t even see how secular we are anymore. Even Christians who believe in God tend to see the Christian life in mostly secular terms. We acknowledge God but don’t think very often about evil spiritual forces. Satan has been caricatured so much that we’re a little embarrassed to even mention him. But that leaves us both vulnerable and confused. Vulnerable because you can’t protect yourself from something you don’t acknowledge. And confused because there’s a lot about this world that you can’t make sense of if you only try to explain it in terms of God. The Bible’s teaching about the armour of God helps correct our tendency toward seeing the world through secular lenses.
Wait, what? There’s armour?
The armour of God is described in Ephesians 6:10-18 against the backdrop of the battle attire of the Roman soldier. The armour includes the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:14), shoes fitted with the readiness given by the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15), the shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16), the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). Together, they picture a person who is secure in a battle. There are four takeaways for the Christian life.
1. You ignore evil spiritual forces to your peril
The passage starts by warning us that without this armour, we are in danger of falling to the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). It famously warns us that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood” and then describes what we’re really up against: rulers, authorities, cosmic powers, and spiritual forces of evil. Ever been in a series of inexplicable trials and found yourself asking, “Why are you doing this to me God?” Some of life’s obstacles and difficulties make much more sense when we realize that we live in a spiritual battlefield with evil spiritual forces arrayed against us.
2. The less you know, the more vulnerable you are
As you begin to look at the pieces of armour we’ve been given, it becomes clear how powerful truth really is. The reference to the belt of truth describes the leather apron worn under the armour to secure the clothing. Our commitment to truth undergirds all that we do. A Christian without integrity walks into battle with their pants down.
Roman soldiers had nails driven through the soles of their shoes to prevent them from being pushed back by an enemy charge. A deep grasp of the gospel gives a Christian spiritual traction to keep from retreating when attacks come.
The helmet of salvation is another layer of truth. It speaks to the conviction of the hope that springs from our salvation. In fact, 1 Thessalonians 5:8 calls this helmet “the hope of salvation.”
Obviously, this picture of the protection that truth brings wouldn’t be complete without what Paul calls “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). And you realize that knowledge really is power. In this case, spiritual knowledge is spiritual power. If you’re going to be defeated spiritually, it’ll probably begin with a casual attitude toward God’s truth.
3. Truth plus obedience produces Kevlar
Truth isn’t the full story. Truth must be combined with obedience to provide real protection. The breastplate of righteousness is not merely the justification that comes through faith. It’s talking about practical acts of obedience to God and His Word. This not only pleases God; it protects the believer. To give in to sin is to give ground to Satan (Ephesians 4:26-27). Each time you say yes to God, you claim His authority in that area of your life, and you experience His protection there, too.
4. Faith is a verb
I realize that faith is a noun. We tend to treat it as something that’s dull and static. You either have faith or you don’t. But faith in the Bible is active and dynamic. Faith is like a shield that can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one (Ephesians 6:17). Paul was picturing a large door-shaped shield made of wood and leather. It could be locked together with others to form a wall in front and a roof overhead. When we see flaming darts coming our way, we usually pray for God to take them away. God wants us to take up the shield that faith provides and choose to believe God and what God has said in the face of the lies that are thrown against us. It’s only when the arrows are flying that we see what we really believe. Engaging our faith, especially in community with others, protects us from the attacks that we inevitably face.
Are you aware of the spiritual battle you’re facing? Are you committed to truth and growing in your knowledge of the gospel, the hope of your salvation, and the Word of God? Are you acting on the truth you learn? And are you doing the hard work of choosing to believe God and His Word when it costs you something to do so? This is your protection in the battle. This is how you can stay standing when the bullets start to fly. May God give us all hope in taking up the armour God provides.
In awe of Him,
Paul
