The Armor of God – Part I
EPHESIANS 6:10-18
ONE OF THE GREAT AND MOST FAMILIAR PASSAGES IN EPHESIANS – and I could say the entire N.T. – is Ephesians 6:10-18 in its description of the exhortation to put on the whole “Armor of God”…
NAS Ephesians 6:10-18 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
“IN THIS ENTIRE SECTION PAUL IS PAINTING A METAPHOR FOR HIS READERS based on the attire of a Roman soldier prepared for battle and its similarity to the Christian prepared to do battle against spiritually evil forces.” – NET Notes
MOST PROBABLY THE IMAGERY IS NOT THAT OF A WARRIOR BEING ENABLED to conquer cosmic powers hostile to God. More likely the picture Paul is painting is that of a soldier strengthened in the Lord to stand defensively against the onslaughts of the evil one (rewritten from Hoehner).
I READ SOMEWHERE SEVERAL YEARS AGO AN UNFORGETTABLE FACT ABOUT ancient warfare, specifically about the Roman army and hand-to-hand combat… It seems that after the Roman soldiers withstood the first wave of combat, in the following interim before the second wave, Roman commanders would call out to their soldiers, “Who can stand?” Obviously, if you couldn’t stand, you couldn’t fight. Standing had to do with being capable of withstanding more combat. It is as if Paul is saying to us, “Who can stand against the onslaughts of the evil one?”
“THE ARMOR OF GOD”: “THE SOLDIER’S PROTECTION” – McGee
“GENERALLY, WE COULD SAY THAT PAUL’S MAIN CONCERN IS for Christian welfare. Consequently, he uses the term ‘stand’ instead of the familiar word ‘walk,’ the term he has used repeatedly in chapters 4-6 in reference to the believers’ lifestyle. You’ll remember he encouraged believers to walk in unity, holiness, love, light, and wisdom.” – Garner/TAR
NAS Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.
THE NKJ READS…
NKJ Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
THE NIV HAS…
NLT Ephesians 6:10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
I SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED MAKING THIS ONE VERSE THE ENTIRE BLOG, so significant are Paul’s words. Honestly, it was very difficult for me to decide to write only 2 messages on “The Armor of God.” There was a part of me that could see 4 or 5 messages instead of the 2 I have planned. So rich is the verse. So rich is God’s Word.
“BE STRONG” CAN BE A MISLEADING TRANSLATION OF THE GREEK TEXT in v. 10… “Be strong” sounds to us that this is something we do on our own. But the Greek word here ἐνδυναμοῦσθε (en-du-na-mous-thay) is a passive verb. Passive means someone or something other than ourselves is responsible for the action. Probably a better translation is…
NET Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power.
I WOULD ARGUE THAT INSTEAD OF “IN,” A BETTER TRANSLATION MIGHT BE “by” or “with”: “be strengthened by the Lord and by the strength of His power” or “be strengthened with the Lord and with the strength of His power”…
(Technical note: I must add that Hoehner thinks the imperative is not in the passive voice but rather the middle. If that is case then there is an emphasis placed upon the responsibility of the believer to do this.)
SOME SCHOLARS SEE A PARALLEL WITH JOSHUA 1…
NAS Joshua 1:6 “Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
GOD’S WORD REPEATEDLY CALLS FOR VALOR AND FIRM RESOLVE on the part of believers.
THERE ARE SIX PIECES OF ARMOR LISTED IN THIS PASSAGE. In Part I of this study of “The Armor of God” I would like to have you think of vv. 10-13 as an introduction. In next week’s blog covering vv. 14-18, we will look at the actual pieces of the armor themselves.
VERSE 10 BEGINS WITH THE WORD “FINALLY.” As you may imagine, the word indicates he is nearing the end of his letter. The NAS lists six verses beginning with the word “finally”; Paul is the author of all of them. Here are two examples…
NAS 2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
NAS 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that, as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you may excel still more.
IN RESPECT OF ALL THAT PAUL HAS SAID IN HIS LETTER, and I believe especially since chapter 4:1, Paul addresses the church’s and the individual Christian’s conflict with evil spiritual powers. “Be strong in the Lord” is Paul’s admonition. “Be continuously empowered in union with God. God is the source of spiritual power, the power needed to do battle with Satan. Spiritual battles require spiritual strength.” – Liberty Commentary/TAR
PAUL USES THREE DIFFERENT GREEK WORDS FOR “STRENGTH.” The threefold use of the general term may be seen, I believe, as emphatic: God wants us to be strong!
THE FIRST GREEK WORD IS ἐνδυναμόω (en-du-na-ma-o) – 1. to cause one to be able to function or do someth., strengthen 2. to become able to function or do someth., become strong a. of one who is physically weak b. usu. of inner or moral strength [BDAG]
I THINK THIS WORD HERE IN V. 10 IS EMPHASIZING INNER OR MORAL strength… It is used this way, for example, in Romans 4:20…
NAS Romans 4:20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God,
THE SECOND GREEK WORD FOR “STRENGTH” IS κράτος (kra-tos). 1. ability to exhibit or express resident strength, might a. of God’s power b. of intensity in might 2. a specific product of resident strength, mighty deed [BDAG]…
THIS WORD SPEAKS HERE IN V. 10 OF INTENSITY IN MIGHT. Paul used the same word back in chapter 1 in verse 19…
NAS Ephesians 1:19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might
AND THE THIRD GREEK WORD FOR “STRENGTH” THAT PAUL USES IN V. 10 of chapter 10 is ἰσχύς (is-koos)… capability to function effectively, strength, power, might [BDAG]
AND THIS WORD EMPHASIZES MIGHT. Look again at 1:19…
NAS Ephesians 1:19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might
RATHER THAN SEEING THESE WORDS AS DISTINCT FROM ONE ANOTHER, I think Paul intends them to be seen as complimentary to one another and a linguistic way of placing strong (intentional pun) emphasis…
NAS Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.
“BE STRONG IN THE LORD” WOULD BE SUFFICIENT; by adding “and in the strength of His might” is emphasizing the already potent point.
BE SURE TO NOTE THE SOURCE: “IN THE LORD”… “HIS MIGHT.”
“BELIEVERS CAN BE STRENGTHENED NOT ONLY BY THE PERSON OF THE LORD but also by His resources.” – Hoehner (B.K.C.)
NAS Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
THE LORD’S STRENGTH IS ALWAYS MORE THAN SUFFICIENT for the battle – always!
WHAT A WONDERFUL MESSAGE FOR US TO HEAR, today or any day!
NAS Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
“GOD SUPPLIED THE PANOPLY, THE COMPLETE ARMOR, BUT He expects the Christian to put it on, spiritually speaking.” – Liberty Commentary/TAR… (We get our English word panoply from the Greek word πανοπλία [pa-na-pli-a] used here in v. 11 and translated “full” or “whole.” Panoply means full, complete, any impressive and magnificent display or array of something.)
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP IN MIND AS WE STUDY THE ARMOR THAT the purpose of the armor is to enable us to stand spiritually against the schemes of the devil.
THIS IS A SPIRITUAL BATTLE WE ARE CONSIDERING, TO BE SURE, BUT, as I think you can envision, the spiritual often works itself out in the physical arena of life.
“THE GREAT SUPERNATURAL WARFARE RAGING THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSE that Paul describes in 6:11-12 is between God and His angels and the forces of Satan. Because Christians belong to God they are drawn into this spiritual conflict as they are attacked by the various ‘schemes of the devil.’ God’s enemies become their enemy.” – MacArthur
“ONE OF THE GREATEST MISTAKES ANY CHRISTIAN CAN MAKE IS to assume that salvation in Christ brings the cessation of all problems.” – Kent
AS YOU KNOW, “SATAN IS THE SUPERNATURAL ENEMY WHO REBELLED against God in God’s own heavens, who succeeded in luring man from innocence to sin in the Garden of Eden, who repeatedly tried to destroy God’s chosen people, Israel. This is the enemy who tried to stop the birth, ministry, and resurrection of God’s own Son, Jesus Christ. This is the enemy of unequalled wickedness who seeks to thwart Christ’s coming again and who will oppose Him with desperate and unprecedented fierceness when He does return.” – MacArthur
SATAN IS THE ENEMY; THE BATTLE AGAINST HIM CAN ONLY BE FOUGHT IN God’s power and in God’s armor.
I HAVE TITLED THIS MESSAGE “THE ARMOR OF GOD,” BECAUSE the words come directly from the text and because that is the traditional title for this great passage. But I have often thought the main thought is not the armor but the concept of standing.
HERE WE HAVE THE REASON WHY WE NEED THE FULL ARMOR. “Put on the fll armor of God that you may be able to stand.” The purpose of the armor is to enable us to stand against the schemes of the devil.
“STAND” IS THE GREEK VERB ἵστημι (hiss-tay-me). As I studied this word, I found it has many shades and variations of meaning. But I think it is clear by the context that Paul intends for the word to be understood in the sense of resistance: to stand against something.
“SOMETIMES IN OUR CHRISTIAN LIVES WE NEED TO STOP AND TAKE OUR STAND. There are times when the Devil attacks with all his cunning and strength. During a satanic attack, the best reaction is defense, not offense.” – Garner…
THIS PASSAGE ON “THE ARMOR OF GOD” IS ABOUT STANDING AGAINST SATAN and his attacks on us as believers in the Lord.
“SCHEMES” IS THE GREEK WORD μεθοδεία (meth-a-dei-a)… It speaks of craftiness, cunning, trickery. Paul used the same word in 4:14…
NAS Ephesians 4:14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
SATAN IS DECEPTIVE; HE IS A DECEIVER. He has certainly deceived the world. I could give a number of examples but perhaps the biggest is the fact he has deceived the world into thinking he does not exist or that he is comical fictional figure.
NAS Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
“THUS FAR PAUL HAS INSTRUCTED BELIEVERS TO PUT ON THE FULL ARMOR of God and has explained the purpose for this, namely, to be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Paul now explains the nature of the warfare for which the believers are to prepare.” – Hoehner
STANDING IS PRIMARILY SPIRITUAL AND NOT PHYSICAL, BUT as I’ve studied and taught this great passage, I’ve leaned toward what I humbly believe is a more accurate way of looking at things. I think it’s both. I know I’m opening up a subject more suited for another blog than a brief paragraph, but I feel I must at least include mentioning the possibility of it being both. I think but one example should suffice to tell you where I’m coming from: Who would not agree that our passage in Ephesians is speaking first and foremost of spiritual standing? But at the same time is not much of that spiritual battle waged in the physical world in our personal lives? I believe it is. Let me make this point of the physical involvement with the spiritual and return immediately to Ephesians 6 and its spiritual emphasis…
“THE PHRASE ‘WORLD-RULERS OF THIS DARKNESS’ DOES NOT REFER TO human rulers but to the evil spirits that rule over the world. The phrase ‘the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens’ is simply redefining the previous phrase (apposition).” – NET Notes…
“IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES” NOT ONLY EMPHASIZES THE NATURE OF THE forces but also indicates the locality from which they originate…
AGAIN, THIS IS MAINLY A SPIRITUAL BATTLE WE WAGE AS CHRISTIANS in the world today…
“STAND, THEREFORE”…
NAS Ephesians 6:13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
“STAND,” AS WE HAVE SAID, MEANS TO “STAND AGAINST, TO RESIST”…
“IT IS EASY FOR BELIEVERS – ESPECIALLY IN THE WESTERN WORLD, where the church is generally prosperous and respected (even today, we would have to acknowledge – TAR) – to be complacent and become oblivious to the seriousness of the battle around them. They rejoice in ‘victories’ that involve no battles and in a kind of peace that is merely the absence of conflict. Theirs is the victory and peace of the draft dodger or defector who refuses to fight. They are not interested in armor because they are not engaged in war.” – MacArthur
“GOD GIVES NO DEFERMENTS OR EXEMPTIONS. His people are at war and will continue to be at war until He returns and takes charge of earth. But even the most willing and eager soldier of Christ is helpless without God’s provision. And that is Paul’s point here: ‘take up the full armor of God.’ We have His provision in being His children, in having His Word, in possessing His indwelling Holy Spirit, of having every resource of our heavenly Father. God is our strength, but His strength is appropriated only through obedience (my point above about the physical counterpart – TAR). His mighty armor must be put on (v. 11) and taken up (v. 13).” – MacArthur
I THINK THIS PASSAGE ON “THE ARMOR OF GOD” PERFECTLY FRAMES Paul’s letter. In the first chapters, Paul emphasizes what God has done for us in Christ. In the following chapters, he emphasizes our responsibility in living in accordance to all God has done for us in Christ. Now here at the end of his letter, Paul focuses on the very real danger that confronts all followers of Christ…
NEXT WEEK, LORD WILLING, WE WILL PICK UP AT V. 14…
NAS Ephesians 6:14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
– Professor Thomas A. Rohm
