Last week, we studied Ephesians 6:10-13, and saw that--like it or not--we are at war. This war is not against flesh and blood, that is, people; instead it is a battle between the forces of Heaven and the demonic forces that are Hell bound.
We are called to stand--to hold our ground--in the strength provided by God that is available for each saint by putting on the metaphorical armor of God. This armor is not put on just when the need arises, but it is to be worn at all times; we are to be at a state of operational readiness. This is a preparedness against the well organized army of Satan; they spy out us, know our weaknesses and strengths. However, we must remember that greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. (1 John 4:4b, KJV); if we are in a state of operational preparedness you and I are enabled by God to defeat Satan and his methodia, his methods of tricks, schemes, and snares. Now, let's see how God provides metaphorical equipment so that we can "resist the devil"...so that "he will flee" (James 4:7b).
We are told by Paul repeatedly to stand in this passage of scripture. We are to hold our ground. With one exception, the full armor of God is defensive in nature and are designed to protect us. Paul was no doubt inspired by the Roman soldiers chained to him; they would be outfitted in full Roman armor (see verse 20 above).
The first part of the armor is what would seem to be an innocuous element, the belt of truth (girded your waist with truth). The belt in the armor was a practical thing; it was the centerpiece of the soldier's armor. It was a linchpin of sorts; it held everything together, was often the anchor for a scabbard or sheath to hold one's sword, and also like a belt that you or I wear it holds up our pants! J. Vernon McGee noted that in one case some men from an army slipped into the camp of the opposing army while they slept, cut their belts and when the opposing army went to fight they had to hold up their pants with one hand while trying to fight with the other. Also, the belt secured loose clothing.
All this being said, our anchor or standard, that which holds all together is truth. There are three "truth" elements; first, Jesus is truth (the way, the truth, the life John 14:6) and His truth is the very foundation of our faith. In addition, the believer's life must be marked by truth as a characteristic; if we are liars then all we say is suspect. Thirdly, the Word of God, that is the Bible, is truth and the gospel message is the ultimate truth. All of these truths hold it all together
Righteous Protection, Solid Foundation
There is a commercial on local TV for a basement waterproofing company that emphasizes the quality work and integrity of that company with the slogan "Strong Reputation, Solid Foundation". It's a good motto for the Christian life, one that I think fits the idea of being girded with truth. If you are truthful in your life, and live a life that is free from lies (including embellishment, exaggeration and deception), it makes it harder for the Satanic Mafia to attack.
The breastplate in the Roman soldier's array of armor was a critical piece of equipment that protected the central core of the soldier. The lungs, heart, kidneys and all internal organs were protected by this breastplate, was often made of leather or heavy linen, onto which were sewn overlapping slices of animal hooves or horns or pieces of metal (MacArthur). A sword thrust to any of these areas would not just be disabling, but also most likely lethal. Today, soldiers and law enforcement personnel wear Kevlar vests to do the same job.
Kenneth Wuest quotes the Expositor's Commentary: "With regard to the breastplate, the same authority says: 'As the soldier covers his breast with the breastplate to make it secure against the disabling wound, so the Christian is to endue himself with righteousness so as to make his heart and will proof against the fatal thrust of his spiritual assailants.'"
There are two different types of righteousness, the positional righteousness of the believer in salvation (initial sanctification or setting apart by God) and the progressive, increasing righteousness in our lives and we walk with Christ. However, it is the second one--progressive, increasing righteous living--that Paul has in mind; it "is the practical righteousness of a life lived in obedience to God's Word." (MacArthur).
MacArthur, in his Ephesians commentary, noted that there are three pitfalls to living a life without "practical righteousness":
Lack of joy. "Many, if not most, of the emotional and relational problems Christians experience are caused by lack of personal holiness. Many of our disappointments and discouragements do not come from circumstances or from other people but from our own unconfessed and uncleansed sin. And when circumstances and other people do manage to rob us of happiness, it is because we are unprotected by the armor of a holy life". For instance, when David sinned with Bathsheba, his unrighteousness stole his joy (Ps 51:12).
Fruitlessness. While we may do what appears to be good works and bear fruit, they are of no more consequence than wax fruit on a table; worthless.
Loss of reward. Loss of reward at the Bema, lack of a rewarding life now.
Reproach on God's glory. "The greatest evil of a Christian's sin is its reflection on his heavenly Father. Unholiness fails to 'adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect' (Titus 2:10)".
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.--J. Vernon McGee
The footwear of any army is one of the most essential parts of the armor, and that has stood as a standard truth throughout the centuries. An army that cannot march cannot win. Furse, in the "Art of Marching", stated "an army below the standard in marching power is at the mercy of a more mobile force". The Roman soldier wore "special sandals or military shoes that protected his feet without slowing him down. Roman soldiers had special shoes made of soft leather with studded soles. This allowed them to march farther and faster as well as giving them facility of motion in battle—they could dig in and hold their ground when in hand-to-hand combat." (Life Application Bible Commentary)
The footwear is the foundation for athletes as well. The football player wears football spikes, enabled him to hold his ground or to advance for a first down. For a football player to wear running shoes or even worse, to wear bowling shoes would not just be foolish but would potentially be dangerous not just for him but for his teammates. They are that "solid foundation" that enables the defensive lineman to hold on a goal line stand, and though not scoring points keeps the other team from scoring. The Baltimore Ravens won Superbowl XXXV with a great defense but a mediocre offense "defense wins championships".
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. (Warren Wiersbe)
The Gospel message is not just the foundation, but, pardon the pun, the footer upon which the solid foundation of the Christian rests.
Shields Up!
In the famed Star Trek series of television shows and movies, the USS Enterprise "boldly goes when no one has gone before". When an alien craft approaches in a threatening way, Kirk would often say "Red Alert"; the siren would sound, crew went to their battle stations, phaser banks would be energized but immediately the shields would be raised to protect the ship from attack.
We too have a shield, but ours is used to deflect fiery blasts from the demonic realm of Satan's Axis of Evil. Our shield is faith. This faith is "above all" in the sense that it is the "deflector screen" above the saint and the armor that he wears.
The shield of the Roman soldier was not a round shield and it was by no means a small one like those in artists depictions of the "Armor of God". It was, from the accounts I have read, either two foot or two and a half feet wide by four foot tall, and some had frames made of iron that were covered with leather or cloth that was soaked in water to make it fire resistant. The shield was also interlocking on the edges so that a phalanx or line of soldiers could make a solid wall; sometimes these walls were as long as one mile. When the enemy would shoot arrows into the air, the Roman soldier could use it as cover to hide under until the opponent exhausted his supply of arrows. Often, enemies would launch flaming arrows that were soaked in tar or another flammable materials trying to catch the Roman soldiers on fire. This shield would extinguish the flaming arrow.
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. (Warren W. Wiersbe) It is a reliance upon God that, as time passes, grows because of our walk with Him. We have our failures and successes, learn from them and also learn that God is there each and every time.
When a person comes to faith in Christ they immediately need to be taught the attributes of God. The reason why is that just some of these attributes--God being all knowing, all powerful, ever and all present, perfect, just and so on--will help the Christian to trust God more. Because God is in all time frames and all places at once, we can trust Him as He is with us during trial but is also at the other end of it. A few of the enormity of God also shows us that God is powerful enough to handle any situation we face. All of these facts, powered by the influence in the mind of the saint by the Holy Spirit, build faith and trust.
Satan launches assault after assault on the body of Christ. MacArthur gives a list, not all inclusive:"immorality, hatred, envy, anger, covetousness, pride, doubt, fear, despair, distrust, and every other sin" the majority being temptation. These are not "frontal assaults" but are more sly, sneaky and covert in nature.
Satan's Blows Of Doubt
The helmet of salvation. The Roman helmet covered the entire head, was made of either metal or leather, and often had protrusions that extended out to protect the jaws. We do not need to explain the need for head protection, as we have seen in the NFL, NHL and other professional and scholastic sports the tragedy of head injury. Our family knows this all too well, as our son suffered a severe head injury and endured post concussion syndrome in 2007 and 2008. Headgear then--and now--protected from the violent hits that could incapacitate or kill the soldier or athlete. It has come to light in recent years, with the suicide of Junior Seau and others that repeated head trauma causes long term effects.
Over the years I have seen how some folks are bombarded by the doubts of their own salvation. Some churches teach "conditional security" of the believer, meaning that if a person did some particular sin or sins that he or she would lose their salvation and go to Hell. I had the same belief my first year in Christ, and had no power in Him at all. In fact, I know that I had a sort of spiritual "repetitive concussion syndrome", as Satan sought to use a figurative "doubt club" to beat me over the head and doubt my salvation. However, when Jesus died on the cross, his work was a finished work, and all of my sins were "nailed to the cross" with Him (Col 2:13-14). I know that--I stand in that. The helmet of knowing my salvation is a done deal protects me from the "spiritual repetitive concussion" syndrome, not doubting just in my salvation but also in the promises of God.
The Roman sword was not a long broadsword as is often illustrated in Christian literature. The broadsword is a weapon that required a lot of strength, was unwieldy, and could not be used in close quarters. The word for sword here in the Greek describes a sword or knife that was between six inches to 18 inches long, very sharp and was used in a more precise skilled manner of fighting. In fact, the Roman army was called the 'short swords' because of its use of the short swords in winning battles" (Life Application Bible Commentary).
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). Like the Roman short sword, the meaning here is to defend the faith but also provide precise response in all areas of spiritual conflict. "The term Paul uses here for word is not logos, which refers to general statements or messages, but is rhema, which refers to individual words or particular statements. The apostle is therefore not talking here about general knowledge of Scripture, but is emphasizing again the precision that comes by knowledge and understanding of specific truths. Like Jesus did in the wilderness, we need to use specific scriptural truths to counter specific satanic falsehoods." (MacArthur). Like the short sword, this refers to precise, quick battle as we must do when battling false teachings and outright lies by the Satanic Mafia.
