The Armor of God

 August 10, 2025                                                                                                            

Ephesians 6:10-20

What does the well-dressed person wear today?  Nearly everyone has closets filled with clothing and rarely do we wear out anything.  We have a fine variety of things to wear.  I believe that most of the clothing in our closets is what clothing experts call “out of style.”  If something is out of style, it hangs in the closet until it comes back into style or we give it away.  Today I want to talk about clothing which never goes out of style and which continues to look good all the time.  In fact, it is wise to wear this kind of clothing.

The apostle Paul writes an excellent letter to Christians in the city of Ephesus.  He ends the letter with a discussion of evil and what Christians need to wear in order to protect and to defend themselves against the evil of the day.  Paul begins the section with an odd statement, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12).”  Going up against evil people is one thing, but going up against “spiritual forces of evil” is rather frightening.  Hollywood has given us a steady diet of films that appear to trivialize evil.  The movies are scary but more frightening is the actual presence of evil in the world.

Sometimes I think I am becoming too concerned about evil.  I recall one professor that said evil is a passive presence rather than an active force.  When I think I am becoming too conservative in my theology of evil, something comes in my view that reminds me evil is real and aggressive.  Once I was looking at an issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, an excellent quarterly journal written for both clergy and laity about archaeology in the Holy Land.  In that issue, I ran smack into an ancient pagan idol which The Franklin Mint modernized and offered for sale.  It is a ten-inch-high sculpture in hand-painted porcelain of a goddess.  Yes, it is an idol.  She is holding an obelisk which is described in the advertisement as the “ancient symbol of eternal power.”  The advertisement continues: “Feel the power; the Eternal life force captured in luminous porcelain accented with 24 karat gold, and holding a genuine crystal obelisk.  Her destiny is to rule with invincible energy and elegance.  She is power . . . and in her graceful hand, a radiant crystal obelisk drawing on the infinite energy of the Sun.”  How would you like to set up a shrine with a idol like that in your home?  Neopaganism has been growing in popularity and the ancient goddess which the people of Israel were tempted to worship is back in our culture.  Is evil passive?  No way!  It is an active force in our world and comes in different forms to do its terrible work. 

Paul writes that we are not struggling with flesh and blood but against the cosmic powers of this present darkness.  The psychiatrist, M. Scott Peck wrote a book entitled This Present Darkness.  He writes that his daughter once drew his attention to the fact that evil is “live” spelled backward.  He drew on that observation and wrote, “Evil is in opposition to life.  It is that which opposes the life force.  It has, in short, to do with killing . . .  and murder . . . Evil is also that which kills the spirit.  There are various essential attributes of life—particularly human life—such as sentience, mobility, awareness, growth, autonomy, will.  It is possible to kill or attempt to kill one of these attributes without actually killing the body . . . Evil, then, for the moment, is that force residing either inside or outside human beings, that seeks to kill life or liveliness.  And goodness is its opposite.  Goodness is that which promotes life and liveliness.”  We do not have to look far to see evil in this world.  During the 20^th century millions died due to war and conflicts.  The 21^st century continues that pattern.  The world is a dangerous place and predatory evil stalks it.

It is fearful to realize the predatory nature of evil and our human vulnerability to it.  However, Paul describes things we need in order to live in this world and, in his words, “so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes (Ephesians 6:11b).”  To stand against, to keep alert, and to always persevere means that you put on the outfit that for Christians never goes out of style.  If you are wearing the outfit Paul describes, you will be able to deal with the challenges that come your way. 

Paul says, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God… (Ephesians 6:10-11).”  He describes the uniform of the typical Roman soldier and attaches to each part a word of power.  Roman soldiers dressed quite differently from soldiers today but what they wore and carried was both to protect them from being hurt and to aggressively fight in battle.  They had defensive and offensive equipment.  Like the modern soldier, they wore helmets on their heads and belts around their waist.  Modern soldiers often wear body armor as the Romans wore a breastplate to protect the chest and internal organs.  Romans wore shoes on their feet as modern soldiers wear boots.  While the modern soldier carries a rifle, a Roman soldier carried a sword and shield.  Paul emphasizes that what we are up against is aggressive and that we are in battle.  We need both defensive and offensive equipment.

On the defensive side, we need the belt of truth around our waist.  The power of evil is in its ability to deceive and lie.  Once I was leading a youth group and a young teenager said, “Lies are like bunnies.”  Did you ever notice that when you lie, you have to undergird the first lie with others.  You tell one lie then before long you have to tell another and another.  Lies reproduce like bunnies.  What is the best protection against a lie?  It is truth.  Truth stands on its own and needs no support.  You do not have to build a house of cards to undergird it because it stands tall and strong.  Evil comes and, in its lies, tries to convince us that the Gospel is a lie and that what is wrong is right.  Christ Jesus came and revealed God’s truth.  To live faithfully in the world, we need to be people of truth.  Put on the belt of truth around your waist.

Roman soldiers wore a breastplate of a hard material to protect their hearts and other vital organs.  A quick stab from a spear or sword to the heart brings sudden death.  In the spiritual sense, the heart is the symbol of the center of the soul, the center of our personality.  Our very being needs protection as a soldier’s heart needs protection from the strike of a sword.  What is the best way to protect our very being?  Paul tells us to put on the breastplate of righteousness.  Righteousness is another of those holy words that mean several things.  It can mean virtue, purity, goodness, morality and principle.  It can also mean integrity.  The best protection you can have for your heart is integrity.  As your beliefs and actions take on a godly coherence and unity, you will live in the world as one who stands fast and firm.  Lack of integrity of some Christians has done a lot of harm to the Church.  It gives the evil one more ammo to use against the Church and to deceive others.  One of the best things you can do to protect yourself and others against the schemes of the devil is to live out your faith in Christ Jesus.  When what you say you believe and how you live in the world agree, you have the righteousness that comes from God.  Put on the breastplate of righteousness and integrity.

All soldiers, Roman and modern, wear a helmet to protect their heads from injury.  In addition, Roman soldiers carried a shield to protect themselves.  Paul tells us that part of God’s armor is the helmet of salvation and the shield of faith.  As long as we are seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, we are wearing the helmet and carrying the shield.  As long as we are growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are wearing the helmet and carrying the shield.  As long as we are serving Christ Jesus alone and reject the one who comes to lie, steal and destroy, we are wearing the helmet of salvation and carrying the shield of faith.

It is interesting that there are two types of offensive equipment that we need to carry in order to stand firm in a world where the evil one moves to bring death and destruction.  As for shoes, Paul says, “…and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15).”  Others translate what Paul says we should wear as, “whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.”  One of the finest offensive weapons we are to carry is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17b).”  Proclamation of the gospel of peace is the aggressive measure that destroys the enemy.   The enemy lives on exploitation, oppression and the fears of people but the gospel of peace comes to liberate people from oppression and fear.  Wherever there is God’s peace, the evil one has difficulty.  In Hebrews, one finds these words, “For the word of God is alive and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword.  It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).”  As we search and study the Bible and fill ourselves with the word of the Lord, we will present ourselves as a living witness to God’s truth in the world.  The message of the Gospel, the Word of God in Christ Jesus, is the most powerful weapon we have to defeat evil.  Daily we go into battle, but if we are not armed with the word of God we are not prepared.  Study the Scriptures and arm yourself with the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.

Paul then wraps up the entire package by reminding the Christians in Ephesus of the importance of prayer.  He says, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people (Ephesians 6:18).”  In order to prepare to fight the battles of life, we do well to pray, pray, and pray some more.  The whole armor of God is bound up in prayer and nothing can prevail against the one whose life is lived in fervent prayer.

The best clothing to wear today is not sold by Prada or Coach or any other human designer.  The Lord has designed the best clothing we need to wear to deal with the challenges of life.  We live in a world where good and evil are in conflict and where there are forces which seek to deceive and destroy us.  As you put on the whole armor of God, you will be able to stand firm and prevail against the evil spiritual forces.