Scripture Ref: Ephesians 6:10-18
Other Ref: The Bible Knowledge Commentary
The Preacher’s Commentary
The Believer’s Bible Commentary
The Complete Word Study Dictionary
1. Introduction
a. Many of us have been “glued” to the TV lately, attracted to and mesmerized by the winter Olympic games—participating vicariously through our favorite athletes.
b. We are drawn to their focus, their daring, their concentration, their sheer athletic skill and ability.
c. With that we take a quick inventory of our life and think, “If only…” coupled with an “I wanted to do that” or an “I could have done that.”
d. Take heart, we routinely compete in a manner consistent with these athletes, but on a grander and much more serious scale.
e. The point of view we seldom see or take is that these athletes are waging a battle—a battle against time, a battle against human frailty, a battle against endurance and capability, and a battle against fellow competitors.
f. We can learn from those athletes—their training, their preparation, their dedication. Paul gives us some specific training and preparatory tips to aid us in our battle.
2. Mental Preparation
a. Read Ephesians 6:10-18
b. V. 10 — Be strong in the Lord
(1) Paul closes this epistle by addressing all the family of God, appealing to them as soldiers of Christ.
(2) Each of us learns that this Christian life is a constant battle. Satan and his minions are committed to hindering and obstructing Christ’s work through us and knocking us out of combat.
(3) The more effective we become, the more we will experience Satan’s attacks. He doesn’t waste time and efforts on status quo Christians.
(4) By ourselves we are no match for him. So Paul’s preparatory command to us is that we should always be strengthened in the Lord and in His never ending resources.
(5) Just as the best Olympic athletes are those who are aware of their weaknesses and shortcomings and find strength and determination through that knowledge, God's best soldiers are those who are aware of their own weakness and ineffectiveness, and who rely solely on Him.
(6) Read 1 Cor. 1:27—But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
3. Physical and Spiritual Preparation
a. Olympic athletes rely on personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect the weak areas of their body for their chosen sport:
(1) Luge, bobsled, snowboard, ski—helmets to protect the head
(2) Skaters—tightly laced, over-the-ankle boots to protect their ankles.
(3) Hockey—helmets, shoulder pads, elbow pads, chest pads, knee and shin guards
(4) Weight lifters—sturdy belts to protect their waist and back
(5) Swimmers—goggles to protect their eyes and allow them to see in the water
b. Paul urges us to put on our spiritual PPE.
c. V. 11 — Put on the whole armor of God.
(1) As the Olympic games have evolved and become more complex, pushing the envelope of human stamina, endurance, and capability, so have the hazards associated with each sport—jump higher, go faster, spin faster and more frequently, defy gravity.
(2) With this growth, specialists have developed protective gear that not only protects the weak parts of the human body unique to a given sport, but have also allowed enlarging the expanse of that sport.
(3) We also need protective gear in this battle we wage. However, we need divine armor and we must be completely armed; one or two pieces will not do.
(4) Nothing less than God’s full armor package will keep us invulnerable.
(5) We may be tempted to think our enemies are human and try to fight with worldly weapons, but our real enemies are spiritual forces.
(6) Satan has all angles covered—discouragement, frustration, confusion, moral failure, and doctrinal error.
(a) He knows our weakest point and aims for it.
(b) If he can’t eliminate us or disqualify us by one method, he changes tactics and goes for another.
d. V. 12 — Know your enemy and know your limitations
(1) Much as Olympic athletes are aware of their limitations, they are also aware of their opponents weaknesses and limitations. And, they play or compete to those as much as possible.
(2) We too must be aware of our strengths and weaknesses, as well as our opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.
(3) We aren’t up against godless philosophers, crafty priests, Christ-denying cultists, or infidel rulers. We fight demonic forces, battalions of fallen angels, and evil spirits wielding tremendous power.
(4) Though we can’t see them, we are surrounded by them. While they can’t possess a true believer, they can oppress and harass him or her.
(5) As a Christian, we should not be morbidly occupied with them, nor should we live in fear of them, for while we are clothed in the armor of God, we have all we need to hold stand our ground against their onslaughts.
4. Our Spiritual PPE
a. V. 14 — The belt of truth
(1) The first piece of armor mentioned.
(2) Its most immediate and practical use was to gird or hold tight the soldier’s tunic so he would have free movement. It also provided a place to hang his sword. The imagery here is that truth holds together all other virtues and makes them effective and powerful.
(3) We must be faithful in holding the truth of God's word, but it is also necessary for it to hold us.
(4) Applying it to our daily lives, we must test everything by the truth. In doing so, we will find strength and protection in combat.
b. V. 14 — The breastplate of righteousness
(1) Much as the hockey player wears a chest pad to protect the vital organs in the chest and abdomen, so must we wear a chest pad.
(2) Paul calls it the breastplate of righteousness. As a Christian, we protect ourselves by righteousness. When we are clothed with righteousness we are impregnable. But how?
(3) Righteousness is conforming to the claims of God’s higher authority and standing in opposition to lawlessness.
(4) Righteousness is a gift. God, through the Cross, imputes us with righteousness. He sees us as though we are sinless. This imputed righteousness is triggered or activated by our faithful and obedient response to Him. Consequently, we are regenerated—made over into new creations by Christ dwelling in us by the power of the Holy Spirit.
(5) So, if we have committed no offense toward God and man, the devil has nothing to shoot at.
(6) Ancient warriors wore armor to protect them from fatal wounds, that they might live to fight another day. Our spiritual armor does the same.
(a) The most disturbing part of death is our fear of it, especially of what lies beyond death in the mysterious abyss of eternity.
(b) When we accept the grace of God, given us via the cross of Jesus, death is defeated. We know that He who gave himself holds our future and beyond death we have nothing to fear.
c. V. 15 — The shoes of the gospel of peace
(1) Much as the shoe is to the runner, the skate is to the skater, the boot is to the modern soldier, 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. Some believe the attention given to soldiers' boots was the secret of Roman conquest.
(2) Through the gospel we are prepared for all difficulties. It gives us the stability of sure footing. We can march over the rough terrain of life, over the mountain passes of excruciating pain and through deserts of fear and terror, without falling.
(3) We must be ready to carry the gospel any- and everywhere. Paul must have had Isaiah’s prophetic message from Isa. 52:7 in mind—How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"
(4) We must be prepared and ready to carry the gospel everywhere. To do so, we must wear the shoes of the gospel of peace.
d. V. 16 — The shield of faith
(1) 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, and then set on fire before they were thrown. A wooden shield could be set on fire by them.
(2) Consequently, shields were covered with a layer of leather and were large enough to protect the whole body. So even though the dart might pierce it, the fire would be quenched.
(3) This is a great analogy or simile—faith is like a shield, guarding us against all attacks of invisible and visible enemies.
(4) Much like the shields of the Starship Enterprise absorbing or deflecting the energy from an enemy’s weapons, so do our faith absorbs or deflects those weapons discharged against us.
e. V. 17 — The helmet of salvation
(1) We all know where our brain is located. We all, at least believe, but should know that our knowledge and our cognizance resides in our brain.
(2) Thus, our heads should be afforded protection during activities when it could be injured.
(3) Paul sees this helmet of salvation, worn by the Christian soldier, as the guarantee of divine protection and ultimate deliverance.
(a) The helmet offers protection of the knowledge that we are safe and secure.
(b) Our future life is secure because of God’s salvation.
(c) Salvation, is not only forgiveness of past sins, it is also the strength to overcome or conquer present and future sins.
(4) Wearing this helmet, we can have confidence—confidence that absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of God. If God is on our side, then why worry about who is against us?
f. V. 17 — The sword of the Spirit
(1) The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God.
(2) That word "is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword" (Heb. 4:12).
(3) 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.
(a) We must be rooted in Scripture, for it is the primary source of God's Word.
(b) Paul implies that we can always depend on receiving the needed word from God.
(c) It may be a word of comfort, a word of hope, a word of courage, or a word of challenge. But we can count on it being the right word at the right time for the right occasion.
(d) Our sword is the Bible and more. It is the word of the Bible brought to life by the Spirit to lift us up and for us to witness to, admonish, and exhort others. It is God’s indwelling by His Spirit, speaking to our spirit, and through our spirit to others.
5. Prayer, the Supplemental Armor
a. Read V. 18
b. While not mentioned as a part of the armor; prayer is the atmosphere in which the soldier must live and breathe.
c. It is the spirit in which he must don the armor and face the foe.
d. It should be continual, not sporadic; a habit, not an isolated act. We should use all kinds of prayer: public and private; deliberate and spontaneous; supplication and intercession; confession and humiliation; praise and thanksgiving.
e. Prayer should be in the Spirit—inspired and led by Him. Formal prayers recited from memory or read from a book without giving thought to their meaning—what value are they? Prayer should speak with the authority of the heart, its wants, desires, and needs.
6. Summary
a. Christendom is littered with the bodies of Christians who never discovered how to effectively fight "the wicked one."
(1) They depended on their own moral strength, not His.
(2) Sanctioned and supported by ethical wisdom, high ideals and precepts, committed to social and personal justice and righteousness, they encountered evil naked, with no spiritual protection.
(3) Sometimes they won: temptations were escaped, sin was labeled ugly and overcome, social crime was exposed and condemned.
b. Even the strength that comes fearing the consequences of our sin often empowers us to resist evil.
c. But ultimately, none of these ultimately adequate.
(1) Moral strength and high ideal at can wear down and we wear out. We need more.
(2) We need the resources of Christ who stands with us and fights with and for us against every onslaught of sin.
(3) We need the whole armor of God.
7. Invitation
