How to Put On the Full Armor of God (Ephesians 6 Explained)
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
The book of Ephesians is one of the most encouraging and widely applicable books in the Bible. The Apostle Paul opens by telling us about every spiritual blessing we have in Christ Jesus. He then celebrates God’s amazing grace by explaining that salvation is a gift from God and not obtained by human effort, while at the same time, God’s grace also includes divine empowerment to live the Christian life and do good works. In chapter three, he prays one of the most powerful prayers in all of Scripture, revealing the secret to living the Christian life and the importance of being rooted and grounded in the love of God. Despite all of this, Paul concludes this powerful epistle with a very sobering thought:
You are going to be attacked. There is a battle to fight in the Christian Life, and God wants you to be prepared.
Today, we are going to explore Ephesians chapter 6. And together, let’s discover and apply the full armor of God.
In Ephesians six, the Apostle Paul describes the spiritual armor that is available to all believers to withstand the enemy’s attacks. He uses the analogy of a Roman soldier’s armor, something his readers would have been well familiar with. In fact, Paul uses many analogies to describe the Christian life including: a race with a prize, an athlete seeking an imperishable crown, a farmer who reaps what he sows, a builder who carefully builds on the foundation of Jesus, an ambassador for Christ, a temple for the Holy Spirit, and a soldier who is to fight the good fight and live a life that is pleasing to God, His Commander in Chief.
Continuing with this soldier analogy, let’s turn to Ephesians 6, starting with verse 10:
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 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 firm.”
In these few verses, Paul answers some very important questions:
First, where does our strength come from? Friends, our strength comes from God. Just like Israel, the Lord is our strength and He fights our battles. The victory belongs to the Lord.
Second, who is our enemy? Believe it or not, your enemy is not the person on the other team, the other political party, the other nation, the one taking you to court or even the one persecuting you. Your enemy is the devil and all of his unseen forces at work in the spiritual realms. Once we realize this, it changes how we see people, how we pray, and how we armor up.
Now, who exactly are these rulers and authorities and what is their goal? Well, the Apostle Paul doesn’t go into great detail about these entities. We should regard them as being plentiful, organized, on many different levels and with many different ranks. However, they all have one common goal: to knock the Christian down from their place of standing. To make you fall.
Friends, there may be times in your life when God uses you in powerful ways to advance His Kingdom and take back lost ground against the enemy. However, in the heat of the most intense spiritual battles in your life, your job is simply to stand firm and not get knocked down. Take courage, God has given you everything you need to stand firm. We stand in the gospel, we stand in grace, we stand in faith, we stand in freedom, we stand in unity, we stand in the Lord, and, of course, back to Ephesians 6, we take up the whole armor of God so we will be able to stand firm.
So what exactly is the armor of God? Let’s continue starting with verse fourteen:
“Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…”
Friends, the armor of God includes:
• The Belt of Truth,
• The Breastplate of Righteousness,
• The Shoes of Readiness,
• The Shield of Faith,
• The Helmet of Salvation, and
• The Sword of the Spirit.
Did you notice something subtle but profound in this passage? There’s a shift in the verb tense—a small but insightful clue revealing the difference between preparation and active engagement. You see, as Paul reveals the armor of God, the first three are past-tense:
• “Having fastened the belt of truth…”
• “Having put on [already] the breastplate of righteousness…”
• “Having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.”
You see, these are foundational. We should have them on already, before the battle even begins. In contrast, the last three are present-tense action verbs in the heat of spiritual battle:
• “Take up the shield of faith…”
• “Take the helmet of salvation” and
• “Take the sword of the Spirit.”
Friends, if you haven’t grounded yourself in truth, righteousness, and the gospel, you’ll be scrambling when the arrows fly. But if you have, you’re ready to fight. Simply remind yourself of these things you already have, and then actively engage in warfare, armed with your faith, your salvation, and the power of God’s Word.
Let’s take a closer look at the armor of God:
The Belt of Truth. The belt was central to a Roman soldier’s armor. It held everything together. Likewise, truth is the foundation of our faith, and it undergirds every other piece of armor. The enemy’s greatest weapons come in the form of lies and deception, which we combat with truth. Let me ask you… what lies does the enemy speak to you? I encourage you to find bible verses that specifically address these to disarm his deception.
While truth is found in the pages of scripture, more profoundly, it’s embodied in a person. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Putting on the belt of truth involves not only knowing God’s Word, but knowing Jesus Christ, who is the Word and the Truth, more and more in a personal and redemptive way. This is not a one-time event, but a lifelong pursuit.
The Breastplate of Righteousness. The breastplate protects the most vital organs, especially the heart. Spiritually, the heart represents the core of who we are. The enemy wants to attack your heart with lies, discouragement, temptation, and guilt. But God gives you His righteousness as protection!
There are two aspects of righteousness in the Bible. The first is the righteousness of God that is given to us when we place our faith in Jesus Christ. On the cross, Jesus absorbed your sin, paid the penalty for it, and then graciously gives you His righteousness. You’re not only forgiven of your sins, you are holy and blameless in His sight because your right standing with God isn’t based on your works but your faith in Christ’s perfect life and sacrifice.
The second aspect of righteousness is the visible fruit of righteous living as we grow in spiritual maturity and are being conformed to image of Jesus. Again, this doesn’t increase our right standing with God, but it does protect our hearts as we walk and live in the center of God’s will. While we receive Christ’s righteousness at salvation, we are also called to live righteously and we can do this because we are dead to sin, filled with the Holy Spirit, and a new creation.
The Shoes of Readiness. The gospel of peace is what grounds us, making sure we are ready for whatever comes our way. The enemy wants to disrupt your peace. He thrives on confusion, worry, and fear. But you don’t have to be afraid. God’s peace is available in any circumstance to guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
There are countless Bible verses on the topic of peace but the context in this passage focuses on the gospel—the good news that you have been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. Remind yourself daily that you have been made right with God by faith, and have peace with God through your Lord Jesus Christ. Just as soldiers wear shoes to advance in battle, we must be ready to share the good news and bring this peace to others. “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.”
The Shield of Faith. The helmet protects the head and the breastplate protects the heart, but the shield is versatile—it can move to protect any area under attack. The enemy’s attacks are not predictable. However, he usually attacks when and where you are most vulnerable. Faith is what blocks these attacks. Fear, doubt, temptation, guilt, shame, distraction, lies and deception… The enemy’s attacks come in many forms but your faith can extinguish them all.
Roman soldiers would soak their shields in water to extinguish flaming arrows. Likewise, if you “soak” in God’s Word, your faith will benefit as you will be able to apply specific promises that address your situation.
Roman soldiers would also link their shields together to form an impenetrable wall. This highlights the importance of community and discipleship. The armor is individual, but the battle is communal. We can’t live the Christian life alone. We need each other to stand with us in faith, support, prayer, and encouragement.
The Helmet of Salvation. The mind is one of the most vulnerable areas in any battle. The enemy knows this and he wants to confuse, distract, and deceive you any way possible. Did you know there is a direct correlation between your thought life and your spiritual victory? We are transformed by the renewing of our mind. That is, changing the way we think. You can choose to think about things that are good, excellent and praiseworthy. When stray thoughts enter your mind, and they will, you have the power to set your mind on things above resulting in life and peace.
When we talk about the helmet of salvation, let’s remember what we are saved from. The beauty of salvation is that we are saved from the penalty of sin, the power of sin, and one day, we will be saved from the very presence of sin. Salvation has many dimensions to it. Remind yourself daily what Christ has done for you, how much He loves you, that your sin is paid for and not held against you, that you are holy and blameless in His sight, that He is with you wherever you go. You can be content in any situation because you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. He is preparing a place for you in heaven, and you will be with Him in paradise for all eternity. When negative thoughts come, take them to Jesus, counter them with truth, and focus on Him.
And finally, The Sword of the Spirit. The sword is unique among all the other armor, for it is our only offense. The other armor protects, but the sword fights back. Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. We don’t just defend against spiritual attacks, we fight back with the Word of God. Jesus beautifully demonstrates how to use the sword of the Spirit when he was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. “Man shall not live by bread alone...” “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him alone.” In every instance, Jesus spoke the written Word out loud. Friends, the Word of God is powerful, and the enemy cannot stand against it.
Just as a soldier trains with his sword, we should all be well-trained in God’s Word. Remember, the enemy knows scripture, too. He will often misuse, misquote, and flat-out distort the truth for his purposes. Knowing the difference between right and wrong is usually pretty easy. It takes a much greater discernment to recognize the difference between right… and mostly right.
Let’s keep our swords sharp by memorizing scripture and meditating on it. Just as iron sharpens iron, we can also sharpen our swords by being in close fellowship and discipleship with other believers. “The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword.”
Friends, the truth is you are going to be attacked. But don’t be afraid. You can stand firm if you put on the whole Armor of God. I hope this video is a blessing to you. If you were encouraged or equipped, please like, subscribe, leave a comment, and share this video with as many people as possible. We need financial support to produce future videos like this. If you would like to help us advance the Kingdom with our online ministry, details are in the video description. Well, from all of us here at Christianity Engaged, God bless you abundantly.
SUBSCRIBE