A girdle was a belt. Its most immediate and practical
use for a soldier was to gird (hold tight) his tunic so he might be
free in his movement; it also provided a place to hang his sword. The
imagery here is that truth holds together all other virtues and makes
them effectual.
Breastplate
of Righteousness
Paul talks about the belt of truth and the breastplate
of righteousness in the same breath and the same verse. If he is
following Isaiah 59:17, as he seems to be doing, the warrior “puts
on righteousness as a breastplate.” Yet Paul gives it a more
specific meaning. As the purpose of a breastplate is to guard the
most vital parts of the body, so the Christian protects himself by
righteousness. When persons are clothed with righteousness, they are
impregnable. In what sense?
1. Passions are redeemed and redirected. Do not
forget that righteousness, as Paul sees it, is first of all a gift.
God, through the Cross, imputes righteousness; that is, He looks at
us as though we were without sin. The imputed righteousness of God is
appropriated by our faithful and obedient response to Him. Thus we
are regenerated—made over into new creations by Christ dwelling
within us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Our passions, then, are
redirected. The drives and instincts of our lives move under the sway
of the indwelling Christ.
2. Death loses its sting. The most devastating
aspect of death is our fear of it, especially our fear of what lies
beyond death in the mysterious abyss of eternity. When we accept the
grace of God, extravagantly given us in the Cross of Jesus Christ,
death is defeated. We know that He who gave himself in Christ holds
our future and beyond death we have nothing to fear.
Sandals
of the Gospel of Peace
The caligal, military boots, was one of the most
important parts of the Roman soldier’s equipment. They were
designed for marches over every kind of tough terrain. It has been
said that the attention given to soldiers’ boots was the secret of
Roman conquest. So, Paul uses this image in verse 15: “having
shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”
Even though we may not grasp the precise meaning of this
metaphor, two possibilities can add to our strength in the Lord.
1. In the gospel the believer is prepared for all
difficulties. The gospel gives us the stability of sure footing. We
can march over the rough terrain of life, over the mountain passes of
excruciating pain, through deserts of fear and terror, without
falling out.
2. We must be ready to carry the gospel any- and
everywhere. The prophetic message of Isaiah 52:7 must have been in
Paul’s mind. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of
him who brings good tidings, who publishes peace, who brings good
tidings of good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your
God reigns’” (Is. 52:7, rsv). Missionary spirit, evangelical
zeal, preparedness, and readiness to carry the gospel everywhere—that
is at least one meaning of wearing the sandals of the gospel.
Some of the keenest observers of the current scene are
intimating that the times are coining when what is happening now in
Latin America and many other countries, may happen in the United
States—persons being imprisoned, persecuted, even killed for the
faith. To be ready for that our feet must be shod with preparation
of the gospel of peace. Is there any meaning in the striking
paradox that the soldier should be equipped for battle with a
declaration of peace? At least this: “Not by might, nor by power,
but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” (Zech. 4:6, kjv). The
only “power” the Christian can trust is the power of the Spirit,
and the manifestation of the Spirit is love.
Shield
of Faith
One of the most dangerous weapons of ancient warfare was
the fiery dart. The heads of the darts or arrows would be wrapped
with flax or hemp fiber, soaked in pitch, then set afire before they
were thrown. A wooden shield could be set afire by them. For that
reason, the shields were covered with a layer of hide and were large
enough to protect the whole body. Even though the dart may pierce the
shield, the fire would be quenched.
What a picture! Faith is a shield, guarding the believer
against all attacks of invisible and visible enemies. Be careful,
though. Paul never uses the word “faith” glibly as we
moderns do. We use it to refer to what we believe, and of the act of
believing. “I have faith,” or “I believe” rolls off our
tongue easily because we express ourselves in such vague ways. We may
be noting our belief in a person: “I have faith in her,” or
indicating our rational assent to certain dogma or beliefs. For Paul,
trustful obedience was always involved in faith (see commentary on
Gal. 2:16). Justified by faith, we live by faith, in trustful
obedience to Jesus Christ. This faith, Paul says, will “quench
all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”
The highway of life is strewn with the wreckage of
Christians who never discovered how to combat “the wicked one.”
They depend on their own moral strength. Sanctioned and supported
by ethical wisdom, high ideals and precepts, committed to social and
personal justice and righteousness, they face evil in naked
encounter. And some victories are won: temptations are escaped, sin
is labeled ugly and overcome, social crime is exposed and condemned.
Even the strength that comes from the fear of the consequences of our
sin often becomes a source of power in resisting evil.
But none of them are ultimately adequate. Moral strength
or the driving inspiration of a high ideal, at times wears down, and
we wear out. We need more. We need the resources of Christ who stands
with us and fights with and for us against every
onslaught of sin.
We need to recover viscerally the meaning of
justification by faith, for this is good news not merely at the point
of our acceptance, but in the resource for daily living it affords.
Jesus addressed a parable to those who “trusted in themselves”
(Luke 18:9–14). This is a message for us who have fallen into the
snare of “moralistic Christianity”—a works-righteous stance
that believes, consciously or unconsciously, that with our own
resources of moral goodness, ethical responsibility, and high
Christian ideals we can withstand “the fiery darts of the wicked
one.” Faith, our trustful obedience, our utter commitment and
dependence upon Christ for daily, as well as ultimate
salvation, is our only shield.
Helmet
of Salvation
Paul returns to his reminiscence of Isaiah who pictures
God with “a helmet of salvation upon His head” (59:17). The
helmet does not protect, but symbolizes God’s power and readiness
to save others. Paul sees this helmet of salvation, worn by the
Christian soldier, as the guarantee of divine protection and ultimate
deliverance. The future consummation of the Christian’s life is
secure because salvation has been given by God. If we “fake”
(receive) that helmet we are safe—not only in the sense of
being delivered from conflict and suffering, or removed from the
arena where fiery darts are flung in all directions, but safe from
the destructive powers of evil forces.
Salvation, then, is not only forgiveness of past sins,
it is strength to overcome, even conquer, present and future sins.
Wearing this helmet, we have confidence—confidence
that nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from the love of
God. So if God be for us, it does not matter who is against us (see
Rom. 8:31–39).
Sword
of the Spirit—The Word of God
Goodspeed sees this phrase as a parallelism for all that
has preceded it. There is a sense in which that is true. Truth,
righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation, are all of the Spirit
who speaks the Word of God. But the more complete meaning is to see
this phrase in the way we have seen the other words of Paul—not as
technical theology but as descriptive analogy. And, as with the other
items of Christian armor, this one should not be allegorized too
rigidly.
The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, and that
word “is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged
sword” (Heb. 4:12). In the New Testament “the word of God”
is never a general reference to “the Holy Scriptures.” It
means the word which God gives us to speak. We must be rooted
in Scripture, for the Scripture is the primary source of God’s
Word. But the challenge of Paul’s suggestion is that the Christian
may be open to and can always depend on receiving the needed word
from God. It may be a word of comfort for one’s emotional turmoil,
a word of hope for one’s quivering soul, a word of courage for
trembling knees, a word of challenge to one’s apathy, a word of
condemnation for one’s sin, a word of prophetic judgment for one’s
uninvolvement and insensitivity. It may also be the word which the
Christian is to speak—witness to be made, judgment to be shouted,
prophecy to be uttered, teaching to be shared.
Our sword, then, is the Bible, but it is more. It is the
word of the Bible made alive by the Spirit for our edification and
for witness, admonition, and exhortation with others. It is also the
inbreaking of God by His Spirit, speaking to our spirits, and through
our spirits to others.
That brings us to the next area essential for those who
would be strong in the1
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that
ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to
stand [Eph. 6:13].
We
have identified the enemy. Now Paul begins to identify the arsenal
which is available for defense. Nowhere is the believer urged to
attack and advance. The key to this entire section is the phrase to
stand.
The Bible speaks of believers as pilgrims. As pilgrims
we are to walk through the world. The Bible speaks of us as
witnesses, and we are to go to the ends of the earth. As athletes we
are to run. We are to run with our eyes fixed upon the Lord Jesus
Christ: “… and let us run with patience the race that is set
before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith …”
(Heb. 12:1–2). However, when the Bible speaks of us as fighters, it
says we are to stand. Very frankly, I would rather do a great deal of
old–fashioned standing than fighting.
Many years ago Billy Sunday, the evangelist, attracted a
great deal of attention by saying that up on the speaker’s platform
he was fighting the devil. I think that there was a great element of
truth in that, because it was a spiritual battle. The battle is
carried on wherever the Word of God is preached and the gospel is
given out. That’s the battle line today. That is where the enemy is
working. The enemy is not working down on skid row or partying it up
on Saturday night.
Years ago when I was active in Youth for Christ as a
young preacher, I was out every Saturday night. We used to say at
that time that Saturday night was the devil’s night and we were
making it the Lord’s night. Well, now that I have had many more
years to observe the situation, I think the devil was at home in bed.
I think he was resting up so he could come to church the next
morning. Why should he want to fight his own crowd? They belong to
him. I’m not sure he’s proud of them. In fact, I think he’s
ashamed of a lot of these alcoholics and these down–and–outers
and these up–and–outers. He could take no pride in them. He would
rather be out fighting where the spiritual battle is.
Personally, I never felt that I should carry on that
battle. That is, I never felt I should make the attack. The command
is to stand. It is the devil who will make the attack. Our command
is, “Having done all, to stand.”
I have never been enthusiastic about a group of defeated
Christians singing, “Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to
war.” I think it is more scriptural for the believer to sing,
“Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross.” Just to
be able to stand in an evil day is a victory for the believer.
This is an hour when my heart is sad as I look at a
great many churches. I love the local church and the local pastors.
There are a great number of wonderful pastors fighting the battle.
They are the men who are really on the battlefront today. I go to so
many Bible conferences as a speaker because I want to help them. I
have been a pastor long enough to know how wonderful it felt and how
I always appreciated it when others came to me and stood shoulder to
shoulder with me. My heart is sick when I see the attendance way down
and the interest gone in churches that at one time were great
churches. The members were blind to the fact that a battle was being
fought there, a spiritual battle.
Do you pray for your pastor on Saturday night? Don’t
criticize him, but rather pray for him. He needs your prayers.
The devil gives him enough opposition. You don’t need to join the
crowd that crucifies the man who is preaching the Word of God. You
ought to uphold his hands as Aaron and Hur upheld the hands of Moses
on behalf of Israel. My heart goes out to pastors who are in need of
congregations who will stand with them.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with
truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel
of peace [Eph. 6:14–15].
“Stand therefore.” This is the fourth time he gives
this exhortation to the believer. This is the only place that I find
Paul laying it on the line and speaking like a sergeant. Earlier he
said, “I beseech you,” but now he gives the command to stand. Not
only are we to be in a standing position, but we are also to have on
certain armor to protect ourselves. We are not to be outwitted by the
wiles of the devil; we are to be ready for his attacks.
“Having your loins girt about with truth.” In the
ancient garment of that day, the girdle about the loins held in place
every other part of the uniform of the soldier. It was essential. To
tell you the truth, if the girdle was lost, you lost everything. The
garments would fly open and the pants would fall down. We see this
routine in comedies, and the people laugh to see a man trying to run
or fight with his trousers drooping down. It looks funny in a comedy
routine, but it is not funny in a battle. A great battle in the past,
we are told, was won by a clever general who told his men to cut the
belts of their enemy while they were sleeping. The next morning the
enemy troops were so busy holding up their trousers that they weren’t
able to shoot their guns and, therefore, they lost the battle. We are
told to be girded with truth in the face of the enemy. Truth is that
which holds everything together. What is that truth? It is the Word
of God.
We need people to give out the Word of God and to give
it out just as it is written. Today we have many people giving
testimonies. We have football players, baseball players, movie stars,
television stars, all giving testimonies. Many of them do not know
any more Bible than does a goat grazing grass on a hillside. We need
people whose loins are girt about with truth. They need to know
the Word of God. (I could give you the names of a dozen peronalities
who have gone off on all sorts of tangents, into cults and “isms.”)
I admit that some testimonies are thrilling to hear, but they are
coming from folk who are standing there about to lose all their
spiritual garments! They are not girded about with truth, which is
the Word of God.
Every piece of this armor really speaks of Christ. We
are in Christ in the heavenlies, and we should put on Christ down
here in our earthly walk. Paul has already told us to put on Christ.
He is the One who is the truth, and we should put Him on in our
lives.
Any testimony that does not glorify Jesus Christ should
not be given. There are too many testimonies that glorify the
individual, such as, “I was a great athlete,” or “I was a great
performer, and now I am turning over my wonderful talent to Jesus.”
The implication is: Believe me, He is lucky to have me in His
crowd! Friend, you are lucky if you have Him. He didn’t
get very much when He got you, and He didn’t get very much when He
got me. This is a day when the little fellow really doesn’t have
very much to say. We get the impression that we need to be someone
great in the eyes of the world. No, what we need is to have our loins
girt about with truth so that we can give a testimony that glorifies
Christ. Christ is the truth. Truth alone can meet error.
“Having on the breastplate of righteousness.” Christ
is the righteousness of the believer. I do think, however, that it
includes the practical righteousness of the believer. Let’s be
clear that the filthy rags of self–righteousness are useless as a
breastplate, but I do think that underneath there should be a heart
and a conscience that is right with God. Only the righteousness of
Christ can enable the believer to stand before men and before God,
but the heart that is to be protected should be a heart that is not
condemning the believer. It is an awful condition to have sin in the
life while we are trying to carry on the battle. We can never win it
that way.
“Your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of
peace.” Shoes are necessary for standing. They speak of the
foundation. We need a good, solid foundation, and preparation is
foundational. I remember in hand–to–hand combat we were taught to
make sure our feet were anchored. Are your feet anchored on the Rock?
Christ is your foundation in this world. No other foundation can any
man lay but the one that is laid, Jesus Christ (see 1 Cor. 3:11). We
are to put on Christ. Oh, how we need Him today as we face a
gainsaying world and also spiritual wickedness in the darkness of
this world!
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye
shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of
the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in
the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and
supplication for all saints [Eph. 6:16–18].
The armor of the believer is a spiritual armor because
we fight against a spiritual enemy. We are to stand in that armor,
and that armor is Christ, the living Christ. Satan himself, in the
Book of Job, describes how God protects His own. He said, “Hast not
thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that
he hath on every side? …” (Job 1:10). God has provided protection
for us today in the armor He supplies.
“Above all, taking the shield of faith.” The shield
covered all of the armor. The shield referred to is a large shield
the size of a door. It was the shield of the heavy infantry. A
soldier stood behind it and was fully protected. Christ is both the
door to salvation and the door that protects the believer from the
enemy without. This is the picture in John, chapter 10. Christ is
both salvation and security.
“Faith” enables us to enter the door: “I am the
door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in
and out, and find pasture” (John 10:9). That is salvation. What
about security? Faith places us securely in His hands: “My sheep
hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto
them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man
pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:27–28). Faith enables us to
lay hold of the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith also enables us to stand
behind that shield which will quench all the fiery darts of the
wicked one.
“The fiery darts of the wicked.” He is shooting them
fast and furiously. I remember that when I was in college, I had a
brilliant philosophy professor who had studied in Germany. I
respected his intellect, although I didn’t realize at that time he
was intellectually dishonest. I looked up to him but, very frankly,
he was taking my feet out from under me. I would try to answer him in
class when I probably should have kept my mouth shut. But we became
friends, and we used to walk together across the campus after class
and discuss the questions I had raised. I came to the place where I
went to the Lord in prayer and said, “Lord, if I can’t believe
Your Word, I don’t want to go into the ministry.” Then the Lord
in a very miraculous way sent me to hear a man who was the most
brilliant man, I think, whom I have ever heard. He gave me the answer
to my questions. Then I began to learn that when a fiery dart comes
my way and I don’t have the answer, I am to put up the shield of
faith. And this is what I have been doing ever since. I have found
that the shield of faith has batted down the fiery darts of the
wicked one.
I remember that I was upset about questions concerning
the Genesis record of creation. I was ready to get out of the
ministry because I couldn’t accept certain things. The problem was
not with my pygmy intellect, although I thought it was at the time; I
just didn’t know enough. So I put up the shield of faith.
Someone was walking with me in Israel as we were
observing some excavations. He asked me, “Suppose they dig up
something down there that looks like it disproves the Bible. What
position would you take?” I answered, “I would put up the shield
of faith, and that would bat down the fiery darts of the wicked one.
I have learned that when a fiery dart is batted down, I will get the
correct answer later on.” I remember a time when the authorship of
John was being questioned—was the Gospel of John written by John?
Today it is pretty well established that John was the writer, but at
one time I had questions about it.
The fiery darts of the wicked one come fast and
furiously, and they are going to continue to come. The only thing
that will bat them down is this shield of faith. It is like a big
door. The hoplites, the heavily armed soldiers in the Greek infantry,
could move with those tremendous shields, put them out in front of
them, and stand protected shoulder to shoulder, while the enemy shot
everything they had at them. When the enemy was out of ammunition,
they would move in, certain of victory. That is the way to stand
against the fiery darts of the evil one.
“And take the helmet of salvation.” The helmet
protects the head, and God does appeal to the mind of man. I
recognize that He appeals to the heart, but God also appeals to the
intellect. Throughout the Scriptures God uses reason with man. “Come
now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be
as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like
crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isa. 1:18). “And as he reasoned
of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled,
and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient
season, I will call for thee” (Acts 24:25). Paul reasoned with
Felix; he appealed to the mind of the man as well as to his heart.
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”
(Rom. 10:17).
A theology professor who was a liberal said many years
ago when I was a student, “Faith is a leap in the dark.” That is
not true. God does not ask you to take a leap into the dark. In fact,
God says if it is a leap in the dark, don’t take it. God wants you
to leap into the light. God has a solid foundation for you, and how
wonderful it is!
Christ is the salvation of the sinner. He is the One to
receive the glory in it all. That plume on the top of the helmet is
Christ. He has been made unto us salvation. “And she shall bring
forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save
his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). Even before His birth in
Bethlehem He was marked out as the Savior.
Paul mentions this helmet in connection with salvation
again in another epistle. “But let us, who are of the day, be
sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an
helmet, the hope of salvation” (1 Thess. 5:8).
All the parts of the armor mentioned so far have been
for defense. Have you noticed that? Everything is for the front of
the individual. There is no protection for his back; nothing is
provided for retreat. Believe me, a retreating Christian is certainly
open season for the enemy; the enemy can get through to him.
Now we have two weapons for offense. The first one is
the Word of God, called the sword of the Spirit. “For the word of
God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two–edged sword,
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the
joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of
the heart” (Heb. 4:12). Christ is the living Word of God. He used
the Word of God to meet Satan in the hour of His temptation. Out of
His mouth goeth a sharp two–edged sword in the battle of Armageddon
(see Rev. 1:16; 19:21). He gains the victory with that sword. What is
it? It is the Word of God. We need that sharp sword going out of our
mouths today. The Word of God is a powerful weapon of offense. You
and I are to use it.
Our second weapon of offense is prayer—“praying
always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.” Praying in
the Holy Spirit is not turning in a grocery list to God. It means
that you and I recognize our enemy and that we lay hold of God for
spiritual resources. We lay hold of God for that which is spiritual
that we might be filled with all the fullness of God. Paul here
distinguishes between prayer and supplication. Prayer is general;
supplication is specific. All effective prayer must be in the Spirit.
The girdle of truth (v. 14a). Satan
is a liar (John 8:44), but the believer whose life is controlled by
truth will defeat him. The girdle holds the other parts of the armor
together, and truth is the integrating force in the life of the
victorious Christian. A man of integrity, with a clear conscience,
can face the enemy without fear. The girdle also held the sword.
Unless we practice the truth, we cannot use the Word of truth. Once a
lie gets into the life of a believer, everything begins to fall
apart. For over a year, King David lied about his sin with Bathsheba,
and nothing went right. Psalms 32 and 51 tell of the price he paid.
The breastplate of righteousness (v. 14b.)
This piece of armor, made of metal plates or chains, covered the body
from the neck to the waist, both front and back. It symbolizes the
believer’s righteousness in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21) as well as his
righteous life in Christ (Eph. 4:24). Satan is the accuser, but he
cannot accuse the believer who is living a godly life in the power of
the Spirit. The life we live either fortifies us against Satan’s
attacks or makes it easier for him to defeat us (2 Cor. 6:1–10).
When Satan accuses the Christian, it is the righteousness of Christ
that assures the believer of his salvation. But our positional
righteousness in Christ, without practical righteousness in the daily
life, only gives Satan opportunity to attack us.
The shoes of the Gospel (v. 15).
The Roman soldier wore sandals with hobnails in the soles to give him
better footing for the battle. If we are going to “stand” and
“withstand,” then we need the shoes of the Gospel. Because we
have the peace with God (Rom. 5:1) that comes from the Gospel, we
need not fear the attack of Satan or men. We must be at peace with
God and with each other if we are to defeat the devil (James 4:1–7).
But the shoes have another meaning. We must be prepared each day to
share the Gospel of peace with a lost world. The most victorious
Christian is a witnessing Christian. If we wear the shoes of the
Gospel, then we have the “beautiful feet” mentioned in Isaiah
52:7 and Romans 10:15. Satan has declared war, but you and I are
ambassadors of peace (2 Cor. 5:18–21); and, as such, we take the
Gospel of peace wherever we go.
The shield of faith (v. 16). The
shield was large, usually about four feet by two feet, made of wood,
and covered with tough leather. As the soldier held it before him, it
protected him from spears, arrows, and “fiery darts.” The edges
of these shields were so constructed that an entire line of soldiers
could interlock shields and march into the enemy like a solid wall.
This suggests that we Christians are not in the battle alone. The
“faith” mentioned here is not saving faith, but rather living
faith, a trust in the promises and the power of God. Faith is a
defensive weapon which protects us from Satan’s fiery darts. In
Paul’s day, arrows, dipped in some inflammable substance and
ignited, were shot at the enemy. Satan shoots “fiery darts” at
our hearts and minds: lies, blasphemous thoughts, hateful thoughts
about others, doubts, and burning desires for sin. If we do not by
faith quench these darts, they will light a fire within and we will
disobey God. We never know when Satan will shoot a dart at us, so we
must always walk by faith and use the shield of faith.
The helmet of salvation (v. 17).
Satan wants to attack the mind, the way he defeated Eve (Gen. 3; 2
Cor. 11:1–3). The helmet refers to the mind controlled by God. It
is too bad that many Christians have the idea that the intellect is
not important, when in reality it plays a vital role in Christian
growth, service, and victory. When God controls the mind, Satan
cannot lead the believer astray. The Christian who studies his Bible
and learns the meaning of Bible doctrines is not going to be led
astray too easily. We need to be “taught by Him as the truth is in
Jesus” (Eph. 4:21). We are to “grow in grace, and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).
Wherever Paul ministered, he taught the new converts the truths of
the Word of God, and this helmet protected them from Satan’s lies.
One Sunday afternoon, I visited a man who had been a
deacon in a local church, but was at that time involved in a false
cult. We sat at the table with open Bibles, and I tried to show him
the truth of God’s Word, but it seemed his mind was blinded by
lies. “How did you happen to turn away from a Bible-preaching
church and get involved in this belief?” I asked, and his reply
stunned me.
“Preacher, I blame the church. I didn’t know
anything about the Bible, and they didn’t teach me much more. I
wanted to study the Bible, but nobody told me how. Then they made me
a deacon, and I wasn’t ready for it. It was too much for me. I
heard this man preaching the Bible over the radio and it sounded as
if he knew something. I started reading his magazine and studying his
books, and now I’m convinced he’s right.”
What a tragedy that when his local church took him in,
they failed to fit him with the helmet of salvation. Had they
practiced the truth found in 2 Timothy 2:2, this man might not have
been a casualty in the battle.
The sword of the Spirit (v. 17b).
This sword is the offensive weapon God provides us. The Roman soldier
wore on his girdle a short sword which was used for close-in
fighting. Hebrews 4:12 compares the Word of God to a sword, because
it is sharp and is able to pierce the inner man just as a material
sword pierces the body. You and I were “cut to the heart” (Acts
2:37; 5:33) when the Word convicted us of our sins. Peter tried to
use a sword to defend Jesus in the Garden (Luke 22:47–51); but he
learned at Pentecost that the “sword of the Spirit” does a much
better job. Moses also tried to conquer with a physical sword (Ex.
2:11–15), only to discover that God’s Word alone was more than
enough to defeat Egypt.
A material sword pierces the body, but the Word of God
pierces the heart. The more you use a physical sword, the duller it
becomes; but using God’s Word only makes it sharper in our lives. A
physical sword requires the hand of a soldier, but the sword of the
Spirit has its own power, for it is “living and powerful” (Heb.
4:12). The Spirit wrote the Word, and the Spirit wields the Word as
we take it by faith and use it. A physical sword wounds to hurt and
kill, while the sword of the Spirit wounds to heal and give life. But
when we use the sword against Satan, we are out to deal him a blow
that will cripple him and keep him from hindering God’s work.
When He was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, Christ
used the sword of the Spirit and defeated the enemy. Three times
Jesus said, “It is written” (Luke 4:1–13). Note that Satan can
also quote the Word: “For it is written” (Luke 4:10), but he does
not quote it completely. Satan tries to use the Word of God to
confuse us, so it is important that we know every word that God has
given us. “You can prove anything by the Bible,” someone said.
True—if you take verses out of context, leave out words, and apply
verses to Christians today that do not really apply. The better you
know the Word of God, the easier it will be for you to detect Satan’s
lies and reject his offers.
In one sense, the “whole armor of God” is a picture
of Jesus Christ. Christ is the Truth (John 14:6), and He is our
righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21) and our peace (Eph. 2:14). His
faithfulness makes possible our faith (Gal. 2:20); He is our
salvation (Luke 2:30); and He is the Word of God (John 1:1, 14). This
means that when we trusted Christ, we received the armor. Paul told
the Romans what to do with the armor (Rom. 13:11–14): wake up (Rom.
13:11), cast off sin, and “put on the armor of light” (Rom.
13:12). We do this by putting “on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom.
13:14). By faith, put on the armor and trust God for the victory.
Once and for all, we have put on the armor at the moment of
salvation. But there must be a daily appropriation. When King David
put off his armor and returned to his palace, he was in greater
danger than when he was on the battlefield (2 Sam. 11). We are never
out of reach of Satan’s devices, so we must never be without the
whole armor of God.3
1
Dunnam, M. D., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). Galatians / Ephesians
/ Philippians / Colossians / Philemon (Vol. 31, pp. 237–241).
Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.
2
McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles
(Ephesians) (electronic ed., Vol. 47, pp. 179–186). Nashville:
Thomas Nelson.
3
Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol.
2, pp. 58–59). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
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