Ephesus where the Ephesian church was located was an ancient Greek city and the Ephesians Paul wrote to knew the panoply used by Greek soldiers in times of war. A similar panoply was in use in Israel in the Old Testament. Paul used the armor in use in Old Testament to teach the Ephesians about spiritual warfare. He began from the known to the unknown, from the general to the specific in his teaching.
In verse 10, Paul begins by telling God’s people to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. They needed to be spiritually strong because they were faced by a dangerous enemy. In verse 11, he tells them to put on the whole armor of God. The panoply Paul talks about was used by heavy Greek troops who were to encounter the most fierce opposition in war. The basic armor consisted of helmet, shield, sword, and greaves or brazen boots. The purpose of the armor was to empower the Christian to stand against the schemes and machinations of the devil and his cohorts.
In verse 12, Paul tells God’s people that they were not fighting against fellow men but against chief rulers, authorities, rulers of the world, and highly refined sublimed evil which is the kingdom of darkness. The devil operates a well oiled machinery of wicked forces who can only be withstood through use of God’s armor. The evil army is stationed in most sublime stations in the universe.
In verse 13, he tells them to prepare for the evil day in the whole armor of God. As earlier noted, the Grecian armor used in the Old Testament is used in Paul’s teaching. It consisted of both offensive and defensive armor for attacking the enemy. At this point, it is good to discuss briefly the items which made up this armor before the study can pick the items selected by Paul to make up God’s armor.
The helmet was a defensive item which protected the head. At the top of the helmet was a crest, often for beauty and sometimes to terrify the enemy. Another defensive item was the girdle worn around the loins for holding tight the armor around the body. It also supported daggers and other small weapons. The breast-plate was another defensive item which covered the breast and back. It protected delicate parts like the heart, lungs, among others. Gauntlets were also defensive and they protected the hands up to the elbow area.
In the defensive collection was also greaves which covered the front of the leg, the sole, and the foot. A defensive shield, which was round, protected the body. It was either made of wood or metal. Another defensive item was the laiseion. This was a small oblong shield covered with hides and skins. A pelta was also small light shield used in defense. There was also the oblong shield which was always made of wood and was larger than the laiseion.
On the other hand, a spear was one of the offensive items. It had a long shaft of ash and the head was made of brass or iron. Another offensive item was the bipen which had a double face one at the opposite side of the other. An axe was also used as an offensive item. This was the common war axe. Iron club was another offensive item. A bow together with the quiver and arrows was an offensive item as well as the sling for shooting stone missiles.
The ancient Greeks were constantly armed for war and this explains why Paul chose to apply the armor they used to teach God’s people spiritual warfare. God’s people need to be constantly armed for war because the enemy attacks constantly. Having briefly discussed the armor used by Old Testament soldiers, the study will now move to the application of that armor based on Paul’s teaching.
In verse 14, Paul tells God’s people to stand which means they are to get ready for war. As they prepare for war, they are to tie the belt of truth around their loins. This belt holds other weapons in place around their bodies. This is the truth of God which is the word of God. Unless Christians tie the gospel around their “loins,” then they are doomed to be defeated by the enemy. Jesus is the truth and the way. Without Jesus, no war can be won. They are to put on the breast-plate of righteousness. Righteousness refers to holy living. The breast-plate is a defensive piece of armor and it protects the heart. The heart of a man represents his spirit. A holy life protects one’s spirit. Every Christian is expected to live a godly life following the example of Jesus and his or her spirit will be protected from any type of Satanic assault.
In verse 15, Paul tells the Ephesians to put on shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace. These are the greaves which protect the feet. Every Christian should study and make himself or herself ready to spread the gospel in whatever capacity God enables. This readiness to witness for Christ protects the Christian from passing through ways where there are demonic “nails” and other evil weapons of the enemy. If the feet are injured, a soldier is not able to continue warring. Satan attacks from below and from above. The gospel is to be of peace, bringing reconciliation between God and man, and between man and man. The gospel protects one’s spiritual feet from being disabled by Satan and this enables him or her continue fighting the good fight of faith.
Paul goes on and in verse 16 tells the Ephesians to also take the shield of faith referring to the great oblong shield which protects the whole body. Faith is a huge shield which protects the whole person from Satanic missiles. It is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen based on Hebrews 11:1. By trusting God based on his word, the Christian is fully protected. Faith makes hold on to Jesus regardless of the heaviness of the storms of this world.
Apostle Paul continues and tells them to put on the helmet of salvation in verse 17. Helmet protects the head. If the head is injured, the whole body is exposed to attacks and destruction. The helmet has an emblem of hope. The hope is salvation through Christ which protects God’s people from being tossed to and fro by heretic teachings. God’s people are safe in the blood of Jesus by which they were redeemed. The blood of Jesus protects the saint's “heads” from Satan’s lethal battle axe.
Finally, Paul finishes by telling the Ephesians to get offensive by taking the sword of the Spirit. This is the word of God spoken and applied by faith. Jeremiah 23:29 says the word is like fire. The people of God have a flaming sword by which they are to attack the enemy and demolish his kingdom. God’s people are not sit and let things be. They are to provoke and attack the enemy by prayerfully studying God’s word, speaking it over various situations, preaching it, and using it as God leads.
In verse 18, Paul concludes by encouraging God’s people to pray. No spiritual warfare can be worn without persistent prayer.
In summary, out all the defensive and offensive items of war used by Grecian army in the Old Testament times, Paul selected and applied the helmet, breast-plate, shield, girdle, greaves, and the sword. Out of them all, only the sword is offensive. Christians need only one offensive weapon which is the word of God.
In verse 10, Paul begins by telling God’s people to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. They needed to be spiritually strong because they were faced by a dangerous enemy. In verse 11, he tells them to put on the whole armor of God. The panoply Paul talks about was used by heavy Greek troops who were to encounter the most fierce opposition in war. The basic armor consisted of helmet, shield, sword, and greaves or brazen boots. The purpose of the armor was to empower the Christian to stand against the schemes and machinations of the devil and his cohorts.
In verse 12, Paul tells God’s people that they were not fighting against fellow men but against chief rulers, authorities, rulers of the world, and highly refined sublimed evil which is the kingdom of darkness. The devil operates a well oiled machinery of wicked forces who can only be withstood through use of God’s armor. The evil army is stationed in most sublime stations in the universe.
In verse 13, he tells them to prepare for the evil day in the whole armor of God. As earlier noted, the Grecian armor used in the Old Testament is used in Paul’s teaching. It consisted of both offensive and defensive armor for attacking the enemy. At this point, it is good to discuss briefly the items which made up this armor before the study can pick the items selected by Paul to make up God’s armor.
The helmet was a defensive item which protected the head. At the top of the helmet was a crest, often for beauty and sometimes to terrify the enemy. Another defensive item was the girdle worn around the loins for holding tight the armor around the body. It also supported daggers and other small weapons. The breast-plate was another defensive item which covered the breast and back. It protected delicate parts like the heart, lungs, among others. Gauntlets were also defensive and they protected the hands up to the elbow area.
In the defensive collection was also greaves which covered the front of the leg, the sole, and the foot. A defensive shield, which was round, protected the body. It was either made of wood or metal. Another defensive item was the laiseion. This was a small oblong shield covered with hides and skins. A pelta was also small light shield used in defense. There was also the oblong shield which was always made of wood and was larger than the laiseion.
On the other hand, a spear was one of the offensive items. It had a long shaft of ash and the head was made of brass or iron. Another offensive item was the bipen which had a double face one at the opposite side of the other. An axe was also used as an offensive item. This was the common war axe. Iron club was another offensive item. A bow together with the quiver and arrows was an offensive item as well as the sling for shooting stone missiles.
The ancient Greeks were constantly armed for war and this explains why Paul chose to apply the armor they used to teach God’s people spiritual warfare. God’s people need to be constantly armed for war because the enemy attacks constantly. Having briefly discussed the armor used by Old Testament soldiers, the study will now move to the application of that armor based on Paul’s teaching.
In verse 14, Paul tells God’s people to stand which means they are to get ready for war. As they prepare for war, they are to tie the belt of truth around their loins. This belt holds other weapons in place around their bodies. This is the truth of God which is the word of God. Unless Christians tie the gospel around their “loins,” then they are doomed to be defeated by the enemy. Jesus is the truth and the way. Without Jesus, no war can be won. They are to put on the breast-plate of righteousness. Righteousness refers to holy living. The breast-plate is a defensive piece of armor and it protects the heart. The heart of a man represents his spirit. A holy life protects one’s spirit. Every Christian is expected to live a godly life following the example of Jesus and his or her spirit will be protected from any type of Satanic assault.
In verse 15, Paul tells the Ephesians to put on shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace. These are the greaves which protect the feet. Every Christian should study and make himself or herself ready to spread the gospel in whatever capacity God enables. This readiness to witness for Christ protects the Christian from passing through ways where there are demonic “nails” and other evil weapons of the enemy. If the feet are injured, a soldier is not able to continue warring. Satan attacks from below and from above. The gospel is to be of peace, bringing reconciliation between God and man, and between man and man. The gospel protects one’s spiritual feet from being disabled by Satan and this enables him or her continue fighting the good fight of faith.
Paul goes on and in verse 16 tells the Ephesians to also take the shield of faith referring to the great oblong shield which protects the whole body. Faith is a huge shield which protects the whole person from Satanic missiles. It is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen based on Hebrews 11:1. By trusting God based on his word, the Christian is fully protected. Faith makes hold on to Jesus regardless of the heaviness of the storms of this world.
Apostle Paul continues and tells them to put on the helmet of salvation in verse 17. Helmet protects the head. If the head is injured, the whole body is exposed to attacks and destruction. The helmet has an emblem of hope. The hope is salvation through Christ which protects God’s people from being tossed to and fro by heretic teachings. God’s people are safe in the blood of Jesus by which they were redeemed. The blood of Jesus protects the saint's “heads” from Satan’s lethal battle axe.
Finally, Paul finishes by telling the Ephesians to get offensive by taking the sword of the Spirit. This is the word of God spoken and applied by faith. Jeremiah 23:29 says the word is like fire. The people of God have a flaming sword by which they are to attack the enemy and demolish his kingdom. God’s people are not sit and let things be. They are to provoke and attack the enemy by prayerfully studying God’s word, speaking it over various situations, preaching it, and using it as God leads.
In verse 18, Paul concludes by encouraging God’s people to pray. No spiritual warfare can be worn without persistent prayer.
In summary, out all the defensive and offensive items of war used by Grecian army in the Old Testament times, Paul selected and applied the helmet, breast-plate, shield, girdle, greaves, and the sword. Out of them all, only the sword is offensive. Christians need only one offensive weapon which is the word of God.
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