Intro
Imagine what it would be like this morning if today’s news headline read: “America at War.” What if you woke up today to the news that war has broken out between America and China? Every military base would be on high alert. Every mother would be concerned about the future of her sons and daughters. The reality of war would have everyone’s attention.
The first point of our text today is that we are at war. It is a war more deadly than any war. It is a war for the eternal souls of men and women. Are you prepared for war? Are you equipped to navigate your part of it successfully? That is what our text is about today.
In the two previous messages, we have dealt with Ephesians 6:10-13. I want to read that to give context for the verses that follow. Ephesians 6:10-13:
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”i
I. THE WILES OF THE DEVIL
According to verse 11, what we need to be able to stand against is “the wiles of the devil.” The word translated wiles is methodeia. We get our English word method from it.ii In this context, it means strategies or tricks to deceive.iii The devil is a deceiver. God has a wonderful plan for your life. The devil has a “not so wonderful” plan for your life.
He has long-term strategies to undermine the good things God wants to do in your life. He began working those tactics very early in your life. Perhaps he wants a root of bitterness in your heart. He will have people do hurtful, offensive, unjust things to you, then he will whisper resentment in your ear. He will do that over and over to convince you of the lie that you cannot trust anybody, including God.
Diabolos is the Greek word translated devil. We get our English word diabolical from it.iv Its primary meaning is slanderer. The devil will slander you. He will slander others to you. He will even slander God to you the way he did Eve in the Garden (Gen. 3:4-6). The slander is ultimately designed to separate you from God and from his people. How many people no longer attend church because the devil has worked this strategy against them. He is using the failures of prominent leaders right now to convince people they need to withdraw from the church and go it on their own. Big mistake. There are major changes that need to happen in the American church, but isolation from one another is not the answer.
When a lion chooses his prey, he looks for the one buffalo or antelope that is separated from the herd. That one is easier prey. People do disappoint us at times. That is why we must keep eyes on the Lord.v God has called us to community, and we must not forsake the assembling of ourselves together (Heb. 10:25).vi The pattern that we are to follow is stated clearly in Acts 2:42: “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” They continued steadfastly in those four dynamics of worship. And we must do the same. Has Satan tried to use unjust treatment and offenses to sabotage God’s plan for your life?
For another person Satan’s long-term strategy may be to cultivate lust in the heart. Early in that person’s life the enemy begins to expose the individual to sexually explicit ideas and material. He entices the person toward an inordinate focus on that aspect of life. He may even introduce perversions. It is a diabolical strategy to destroy the person’s love for God and proper love for other people. “The thief,” Jesus said, “does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10). No matter what he entices you with, that is his ultimate intention toward you.
Another person may be hit with covetousness and be led to believe that getting things is the most important thing in life. Paul’s major battle with sin may have been in the area of covetousness (Rom. 7:7-11). The Apostle John warned, “Do not love the world or the things in the world” (1 John 2:15). An inordinate love for material things will crowd out your love for God. It will consume your time, energy, and attention so that you miss out on God’s best for your life.vii
We all have different devils to fight. And some people fight a life-long battle with covetousness. We are all tempted in this way to some degree. But for some people, it is the prominent strategy against them.
What has been Satan’s long-term strategy against you? What has he tried to use to sabotage God’s plan for your life? Paul cautioned the Corinthians to not let Satan get an advantage over them, and he added “for we are not ignorant of his devices [noema: evil purposes]” (2 Cor. 2:11). Recognize Satan’s strategy against you and use God’s strategy to defeat it.
Rather than recognizing the source of these temptations, some people conclude that the tendency toward a certain sin is “just the way I am.” That is exactly the way Satan wants you to look at it. The homosexual says, “I was just born this way.” As a part of fallen humanity, you may have been born with a greater tendency toward a particular sin than others. The brokenness of Adam’s sin is not distributed evenly in the human race. Just as one person might be born with a particular physical defect, we are all born with some sinful tendencies, and the strength of each of those tendencies may vary from one person to another. But God’s redemption does not reinforce the brokenness. God’s redemption heals the brokenness so that we may have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10).
A problem with the LGBTQ agenda is that it embraces the sin instead of resisting it. On top of that, it insists that everyone else reinforce that stance. But any violation of God’s standards is to be resisted, not embraced. Heterosexual sin is to be condemned just as firmly as homosexual sin. Lying, stealing, greed, covetousness cannot be justified by simply saying, “That’s the way I am.” God wants to deliver us from all those things because they are opposed to our ultimate wellbeing. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10 NIV).
II. THE ARMOR OF GOD
To enjoy that fullness, one thing we must do is to “Put on the whole armor of God” (Eph. 6:11). Ephesians 6:14-18 describes that process:
“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”
BELT
The first piece of armor we must put on is the belt of truth. The Roman soldier’s primary clothing was a tunic, an outer garment “usually made of a large, square piece of material with holes cut out for the head and arms. In close combat this loose tunic could get in the way and hinder movement.viii Therefore, before battle the soldier would gather it up and tuck it into his heavy leather belt.ix Jesus referred to a similar action when he said in Luke 12:35, “"Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning.” It speaks metaphorically of being prepared for action. In Luke 12 it is referring to preparation for Christ’s return. It conveys an attitude of readiness and discipline. The belt might be loosened, and the tunic allowed to flow freely when the person was just lounging around. But for quick and free motion in combat, that tunic was to be tucked into the belt.
This belt is the belt of truth. We must cloth ourselves with truth if we are going to stand against the wiles of the devil. Satan’s turf is lies and deception. We must stay off his turf. He is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). The truth is always what God says about the matter. He is the final word on truth, and he has revealed truth to us in Scripture.
Certainly, our doctrine must be based on that biblical truth. But the primary idea in our text is truthfulness, sincerity, and honesty. Ephesians 4:15 says we are to speak the truth in love. Biblical love is truthful. Biblical truth-speaking is loving; it seeks the highest good of others. It is not manipulative. It is not self-serving. It is transparent and honest.
We can look back into the book of Ephesians and find practical applications of these pieces of armor. It serves as a kind of commentary on our text. For example, Ephesians 4:25 says, “Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor.’”
When we operate in hypocrisy, manipulation, or any form of untruthfulness, we are vulnerable to the devil’s attacks. A half-truth is still a lie. We have just witnessed the downfall of Pastor Robert Morris because his half-truth got exposed. When we are lying, we have stepped out of the protection of God into the domain of Satan. The first thing we must understand about winning our battles is that we must be operating in truth.
Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). “Truth does not make you free. It is the truth you know that makes you free.”x That is one reason it is important to abide in the word. That is one reason we must fill our hearts with truth of God’s word. That is one reason that we love the truth. It will make us free if we know it. It does not benefit us if we do not know it.
During World War II, a Japanese soldier named Onoda was assigned to a small island in the Philippines and told to defend the island against the invading Americans. When the war ended, leaflets were dropped on the island informing him and his three companions that the war was over. But Onoda and his companions dismissed the leaflets as American propaganda. “They remained hidden in the wilderness among stinging ants and snakes, living on a diet of banana skins, coconuts and stolen rice, convinced that the enemy was trying to starve them out.” For 30 years this man lived as a prisoner to those horrible conditions. It was not until 1974 that a Japanese explorer found him and convinced him the war was over. In truth, World War II was over in 1945. But because Onoda did not know that truth in his heart, it did him no good for the next 30 years.xi It is not the truth that makes you free; it is the truth that you know that makes you free.
It is not truth that protects you from the enemy. It is the truth that you operate in that enables you to win your spiritual battles. Every piece of this armor is extremely practical. Scriptural truth must be applied to our lives. It is not just the hearer of truth that wins the battle, but those who live in that truth (James 1:22).
BREASTPLATE
Secondly, we are to put on the breastplate of righteousness. We are to live right according to the revelation we have in the Bible. The soldier’s breastplate covers the vital organs including the heart. “Keep [NIV: Guard] your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23). This breastplate of righteousness is vital to the safety of the soldier.
All of this armor is supplied to us by God.xii God gives us his imputed righteousness. Paul’s intent in our text is not that people would receive imputed righteousness. He is talking to believers.xiii Believers already have imputed righteousness. He is telling believers to cloth themselves with righteous behavior—put it on. “Imputed righteousness makes practical righteousness possible, but only obedience to the Lord makes practical righteousness a reality.”xiv We must put the breastplate of righteousness on through practical obedience to the Lord.
Again, we can look back in this epistle and see specifics of this instruction. For example, Ephesians 4:22-32 tells us to:
“Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. 26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” The next chapter continues with additional practices of righteousness.xv
That’s the way you put on the breastplate of righteousness. The Apostle John wrote, “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous” (1 John 3:7).xvi
Jesus gave the Parable of the Two Builders. The torrential rains and terrible winds came down on both houses. Both experienced the trials of life. But the house that was built on a rock (solid foundation) withstood the storms. In contrast, the house that was built on the sand collapsed. The difference between the two structures was obedience. The parable begins: “"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them” (Matt. 7:24). That person is the one who built on the solid foundation of obedience, or we might say the practical fruit of righteousness. The other builder heard the same truths, the same biblical instruction. The only difference was that he did not do what he was told to do (James 1:22).
Any point of unrighteous behavior in our lives is a crack in the armor. It leaves us vulnerable to the enemy. Our success in spiritual warfare is not found in how loud we yell or how high we jump. It is found in purity of heart and how we live our daily lives.
I enjoy watching the old Gomer Pyle episodes on television. Gomer was not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but his heart was pure and sincere. I watched one episode in which a con artist was cheating people with fake, worthless jewelry. I may have some of the details wrong, but you will get the point. This con artist offered Gomer a ring for $100. The ring was worth no more than $10. But he told Gomer it was worth $1,000 and that he is selling it to him for only $100 because he had hit some hard times and needed the money. He asked Gomer not to tell anybody how cheap he had sold the ring to him since he never sold his jewelry so cheap. Gomer’s response was not what the con artist expected. Gomer said he really liked the ring, but in good conscience, he could not buy it from him. It just would not be right to take advantage of him in the situation. It was not Gomer’s intelligence that enabled him to escape this con man’s trap. It was the integrity of his heart. He was committed to doing what is right, and the con man’s enticements simply did not work.
Proverbs 11:3 says, “The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.” Operating in integrity is like a soldier’s breastplate. It guards the person from the tricks of the devil. It guides the upright, the righteous, in such a way that they escape the devices of the devil. Put on “the breastplate of righteousness.”
SHOES
Ephesians 6:15: “and having shod your feet with the preparation [NIV: readiness] of the gospel of peace.”xvii The NLT suggests this understanding of the verse: “For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared.”
These military sandals “were made of very strong leather.” The leather was pulled tightly on the feet. The soles were studded with spikes “to give sure footing.”xviii The sheer footing of every soldier was essential to the Roman battle strategy. The Roman armies knew how to line up with one another and with their large shields form a solid barrier against the enemy. “As long as they stood together on a flat, open field and did not break ranks, their legions were considered virtually invincible.”xix These sandals gave them the firm footing to do that.
The last place in this epistle that we read the word “peace” was in Ephesians 4:3 where we are commanded to endeavor “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” The Gospel is a message of peace. Through the Gospel, we have peace with God (Rom. 5:1). God gives us that through the cross of Christ. Every believer already has peace with God.
Our text is talking about living in peace with others. Our minds are to be kept by the peace of God ruling in our hearts (Phil. 4:6-7). And we are to pursue peace with others. Hebrews 12:14-15 emphasizes this: “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.”xx Our text is talking about being peaceable in our attitude and actions toward others.
Jesus said a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand (Luke 11:17). Satan understands that principle quite well. That is why his strategy is often divide and conquer. That is why Paul warned the Galatian church, “If you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!” (Gal. 5:15).
SHIELD
Ephesians 6:16 begins with the words epi pas (above all). It either means “in addition to” as the NIV translates it, or it “means ‘Over all:' so as to cover all that was put on before.”xxi “Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”
The shield referred to here is thureos. It was about 4 ft. long and 2½ ft. wide designed to cover the whole body.xxii These wooden shields we typically covered with metal or leather. “Before battles in which flaming arrows might be fired, the leather would be wetted to quench any fiery darts launched against them.”xxiii
The fiery darts represent temptations launched against the believer. It might be a temptation to tell a lie or to steal something. It might be temptations toward discouragement or compromise. The suggestions of the devil have to be quenched, and faith is the key to doing that. “This is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith” (1 John 5:4).
The faith here is not a set of doctrines even though sound doctrine is essential. The faith Paul is referring to is confidence in God. It is trusting his character and his word. Eve’s confidence in God was undermined by Satan in the Garden (Gen. 3:1-6). Hebrews 10:35 counsels Christians who were under attack: “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.” We have to keep our shield of faith held up against the suggestions of our adversary. God is good. God is reliable. His word is sure. Faith trusts God. Faith obeys God because of that trust.
Conclusion
We have discussed four pieces of the armor in our test: the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, the shoes described as the preparation of the gospel of peace, and the shield of faith. In his metaphor, Paul also lists the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit. We will discuss those in our next message along with Paul’s comments about prayer that follow the metaphor.
Paul is telling us the equipment we need in order to live a successful Christian life. The armor listed is highly effective against your adversary. We will face opposition, but God has provided everything we need to win the battles. Put on the armor, my fellow soldiers. Put on your armor.
ENDNOTES:
i All Scripture quotes are from the New King James Version unless indicated otherwise.
ii “Middle English, prescribed treatment, from Latin methodus, from Greek methodos, from meta- + hodos way.” Method: Etymology,” Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary. Accessed at https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/method#word-history.
iii Friberg Lexicon.
iv “Like the word devil, ‘diabolical’ traces back to Latin diabolus, which itself descends from Greek diabolos, a word that literally means ‘slanderer.’” “Diabolical,” Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary. Accessed at https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diabolical.
v Cf. 12:2.
vi Cf. 1 Cor. 12:12-21; Eph. 4:11-16.
vii For a fuller explanation, see Richard W. Tow, Authentic Christianity: Studies in 1 John (Bloomington, IN: WestBow Press, 2019), 95-110.
viii Cf. 2 Tim. 2:4.
ix John MacArthur, Ephesians, 349.
x I once heard Tony Evans put it this way. Charles Spurgeon wrote, “You will so know the truth as to be
influenced by it, actuated by it, filled by it, strengthened by it, comforted by it, and by its power you will yourself be made true.” Charles Spurgeon, “Believing on Jesus, and its Counterfeits,” The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit (Pasadena, TX: Pilgrim Publications, 1971, AGES CD-ROM 2.0).
xi James Balmont, “Onoda: The man who hid in the jungle for 30 years,” April 13, 2022, BBC. Accessed at https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20220413-onoda-the-man-who-hid-in-the-jungle-for-30-years.
xii Tou thou (of God) in Ephesians 6:11 is a genitive of origin.
xiii Ephesians 6:10 begins this discussion with “Finally, my brethren.”
xiv John MacArthur, Ephesians, 352.
xv Cf. Rom. 13:12-14.
xvi For a discussion of this see Richard W. Tow, Authentic Christianity: Studies in 1 John, 170-189.
xvii Albrecht Oepke understands hetoimasia as referring to “readiness for active propagation of the Gospel.” Gerhard Kittel, G. W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1967), 312.
xviii James M. Freeman, Manners and Customs of the Bible, 462.
xix Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, 553.
xx Cf. Ps. 34:12-13.
xxi Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Eph. 4:16. Electronic Database. Copyright © 1997-2014 by Biblesoft, Inc. Contr. W. Robertson Nicoll, ed., The Expositor’s Greek New Testament, vol. 3, 387.
xxii Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Eph. 4:16. Electronic Database. Copyright © 1997-2014 by Biblesoft, Inc.
xxiii Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, 554.
