Join us as we look carefully at what the various pieces of armour actually are as described in Ephesians 6 and how they will protect us against the enemy that is out to steal, kill, and destroy.
SHOW NOTES
The Armour of God in Christ (6:10-20)
6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
We are strong when we remember our roots and are revived in our knowledge of God and His mighty power as Creator and Saviour. He can always inspire us in all places if we will remember who we are in Christ: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ (1:5-13). It is the power of God’s love which moves our hearts.
6:11 Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
Armour is for protection. It is those who know their vulnerability that wear armour. The armour of God is found in Jesus who has overcome the great enemy of God and righteousness, the devil or Satan (John 12:31; 16:11; Col 2:15; Rev 19:19-21). It is when we are “in Christ” that we are safe from the Satan. Add “the schemes” about the Beast, False Prophet, and the Dragon.
6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Jesus drew aside the veil and opened our understanding through His temptations, teachings, and deliverance miracles to the existence of Satan the supernatural enemy of God. Before Jesus we did not understand the enormity of the conflict in which we are engaged.
Now we know we are caught up in a conflict which started when one third of the angels (Rev 12:4) joined with one of the chief angels to challenge the government of God (Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:12-15). This is why we need God, and His angels help us every moment of the day. We have all these supernatural dark forces arraigned against us. These supernatural forces also invade the consciousness of men and women and so they become allied against the kingdom of God.
Self-condemnation, condemnation of others, lack of trust in God.
6:13 Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
It is a hard lesson to learn, but after doing everything we may not have succeeded and all that is left is to stand our ground. Jesus, during the last days and hours of His life, after He had done everything, and apparently failed had to simply stand His ground against the evil powers and the evil men who confederated against him.
Some of the pieces of armour of the LORD in the verses that follow are described in Isaiah 11:5; 52:7; 59:17; 61:10 as clothing or as armour.
6:14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place.
The different parts of the armour of God all refer to Jesus.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No‑one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus is “the belt of truth.” Truth is usually understood to be a collection of verifiable facts but in this instance “truth” refers to the person of Jesus Christ who brought us the truth about God and ourselves (John 1:14-18). This truth is that God makes everything good because of His love and we manage to make everything bad because of our sinfulness. The belt was the basis of the protective armour and served as a place to hang the sword. So, the belt of truth also makes a place to hang the sword of the Spirit. Jesus claimed the truth would set us free from our anxieties about God (John 8:32, 36).
He is also our “breastplate of righteousness.”
1 Corinthians 1:30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from GodCthat is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.
The breastplate was part of the protective armour to keep the heart from hurt. Knowing that Jesus is our righteousness keeps the heart from the permanent hurt of the failure we all experience in walking the Christian life. He lived the life we were meant to live and sets this merit to our account. His reputation becomes our reputation because he claims us as his siblings. We revel in our older brother!
6:15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
It is the knowledge of the gospel which readies our feet to move to others to tell them the good news.
Romans 10:15 (KJV) And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things!
When one understands the good news the desire to condemn and judge others disappears and in their place wells up a desire to tell of the love and acceptance of the LORD for every person on the planet.6:16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Faith comes to us because of Jesus and through Jesus.
Acts 3:16 . . . It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.
This faith in Jesus is the shield which protects us from the temptations of the evil one. It is not trying hard to overcome which protects us, it is not doing many good things, it is not a great devotional life (John 5:39) but trusting or having faith in Jesus’ righteousness.
6:17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
A helmet protects the head, the place where we think. It hardly needs to be said, but we will say it again and again: salvation has come to us through Jesus the Christ. This is what gives light to our understanding and protects our thinking.
Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
Acts 4:12 ASalvation is found in no‑one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
The sword of the Spirit is the knowledge of Jesus heart and His teachings. A sword is for defence and attack. In this case to break down the strongholds of evil and the misunderstanding of God.
Revelation 19:15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron sceptre." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.
Iron melts at about 1150 Centigrade, brass at 920, bronze 655, lead at 328. The iron age brought superior weaponry for the Romans. The iron sceptre referred to means the strongest force in the universe which is God’s love (SS 8:6-7).
Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, its passion as enduring as the grave. Love flashes like fire, the brightest kind of flame. 7 Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it. If a man tried to buy love with all his wealth, his offer would be utterly scorned.
The word of God is Jesus. He is the visible expression of the invisible God.
John 1:1 AIn the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
The glory of the LORD is his gentle, caring, passionate, non-violent, unconditional love (Exodus 33:19; 34:6-7; John 3:16-17; Romans 5:8).
1:17 For the law was given through Moses but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.
While Moses was about using law to deal with anarchy and the failure to understand love, Jesus was about the Kingdom of Heaven where love, not law, is the basis for relationships (John 8:1-11).