Ephesians 6: Standing Firm in the Armor of God

Introduction

Picture a nightmare: finding yourself in the middle of a fierce battle with no armor and no weapons. That is exactly what Paul wants to spare Christians. At Calvary Chapel Nice, the preacher continues the study of the letter to the Ephesians. The Sunday before, the church had looked at verses 10 to 12: "Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might." This morning, he stops at verses 13 to 18, the armor of God.

The tone of the letter changes. Paul first set out the glorious truths of the Gospel, then the way of life that flows from them. Now he warns his readers: the Christian life is not "a long, quiet river." It is lived in a battle, and God gives his people what they need to stand firm.

Outline of the message

1. Do not go into battle without your armor

When Paul writes, he is a prisoner in Rome, most likely chained between two Roman soldiers. He uses their equipment as a concrete picture to teach a spiritual truth.
In the first chapters, Paul describes our position in Christ, received by faith. The enemy wants to make us fall from it or doubt it. Paul then speaks of our walk, and the enemy wants to make us stray from the path Jesus has marked out. Finally, in the battle, he wants to keep us from fighting: by making us believe there is no battle, by distracting us, or by making us unable to act.
The battle is spiritual, and so are the weapons. "If I buy myself a baseball bat, it won't help me stand firm in my life with Jesus." These weapons are truth, righteousness, peace, faith, the assurance of salvation, the Word of God and prayer. Similar lists appear in 2 Corinthians 10, 1 Thessalonians 5 and Isaiah 59:17.
The "evil day" is not only the end of time. It is our human life in a world corrupted by sin, with seasons when we are attacked more. As in Psalm 23, there are green pastures and there is the valley of the shadow of death.

2. Stand firm: keep the position God has given you

Paul implies that we will be attacked. Jesus had told his disciples: if they persecuted him, they will persecute them too. The preacher takes the opposite stance to churches that announce a prosperity where everything must always go well.
He also implies that we have no need to be afraid: God is with us and Jesus won the victory at the cross. But we must not doze off, do things halfway, or feel sorry for ourselves.
Like soldiers on guard duty, we must be at our post and ready, whether or not an attack comes. When all is well, we let go and set down pieces of the armor. If the attack comes then, we are in trouble.
Verse 14 sounds like a general addressing his troops: "Stand therefore." Paul does not say "attack," he says "stand." God has placed me where I am; I do not need to go looking for fights elsewhere. The preacher notes that the church, throughout its history, has often forgotten that it was not wrestling against flesh and blood.
This takes nothing away from the mission to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, or to proclaim the Gospel outside the church.

3. The belt of truth: be ready for action

The Roman soldier's belt protected the lower abdomen and held in place rather loose clothing. At rest, he took it off; putting it on meant being ready to move. If you trip over your clothes at every step, you cannot fight.
Jesus says the same thing in Luke 12:35: "Let your waist be dressed and your lamps burning." The servants are waiting for their master, ready to serve.
Truth is first of all the whole body of Christian doctrine: what is true of God and of who we are in Christ. "God tells us: I created you, and this is how to live well." With this belt, we can act in this world with confidence.
It is also a life of integrity, consistent with what we believe. Otherwise Satan comes and says, "You are not worthy to serve the Lord," and we easily believe him, because he presses on things that are true. The preacher quotes a commentary: divine truth acknowledged becomes "practical truth within," an uprightness that makes us "recognize the enemy under all his disguises."

4. The breastplate of righteousness: stronger than your feelings

The breastplate covered the chest and the vital organs. We do not produce this righteousness: we receive it through Jesus Christ. It gives us confidence and an awareness of our status in Christ.
In the Bible, the heart and the kidneys often stand for the emotions. Satan attacks us there: "God doesn't love me. God doesn't answer. I'm not good enough. Maybe I'm not saved." The Bible's answer: by faith in Jesus Christ, you are justified. "No, you don't deserve it. You have sins you struggle with. But you are righteous."
Martyn Lloyd-Jones used to say: "Thank God for experiences, but do not lean on them. You do not put on the breastplate of experiences. You put on the breastplate of righteousness."
Feelings are shifting ground: fine the day before, depressed the next day without knowing why. God's righteousness does not change. It is our best defense against spiritual depression, sadness and gloom.
There is also righteousness in our actions: treating others justly protects the way we live.

5. The shoes of the Gospel of peace

Roman soldiers wore reinforced sandals with studs underneath for stability. Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar owed much of their success to their ability to move their troops far, fast and efficiently.
The word translated "readiness" speaks of preparation: being ready to seize every opportunity to proclaim the Gospel. "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news" (Isaiah 52:7, quoted in Romans 10:15).
We also need to remind ourselves of the Gospel. Satan wants us to look at our failings, to tell us "you haven't done enough," to push us toward legalism. The answer: "by grace you have been saved through faith" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The preacher sums up the Gospel: created to be in relationship with God, we are separated from him by sin. The law shows that our efforts do not repair that relationship. God sent his Son, who lived without sin, died in our place and rose again. Whoever says "I can't save myself, Jesus, save me" is saved.
It is a Gospel of peace: peace with God (Romans 5:11; 2 Corinthians 5:18), and peace with others as far as possible. "We are not called to be in conflict with one another all the time."

6. The shield of faith and the helmet of salvation

The Romans placed their shields side by side and over their heads, in a "tortoise" formation, to protect themselves from arrows. Faith is not more important than the rest of the armor, but it covers the whole body.
Satan sends flaming arrows into our thoughts, our feelings and our imagination: fears, lies. He is the father of lies. Faith blocks them and puts them out: "I am in you, Lord. I lean on your strength. You keep me."
The helmet, a leather cap reinforced with metal, protected the head and made it possible to hold it high under flying missiles. Elsewhere Paul speaks of the helmet of "the hope of salvation" (1 Thessalonians 5:8).
William Barclay used to say: "Salvation is not something that looks only to the past. The salvation that is in Christ gives us forgiveness for yesterday's sins and the strength to overcome sin in the days to come."
Discouraged by the news or by your own life? God tells you to think about your salvation: he will keep you to the end. "Glory to God, I am saved."

7. The sword of the Spirit and prayer at all times

A sword is useless without training. Under pressure and fear, we improvise badly. First you need to trust the Bible as the inspired Word of God: if you think your sword is broken, you will not use it. Then you need to study it, know it and handle it, because "you can make the Bible say anything."
Jesus, tempted in the wilderness, answers the devil by quoting Deuteronomy. "If our survival depended on knowing Deuteronomy by heart, which of us would do well?" The Word is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). It is the Spirit who inspired it and who helps us know which verse to apply and when.
The preacher sees prayer as the link with the one who leads: soldiers running in every direction without listening to their commander are heading for trouble. Praying at all times does not mean staying on your knees; it means having the reflex to pray.
There are all kinds of prayers: praise, thanksgiving, confession, lament. And all kinds of ways: alone or in a group, in silence or shouting, walking or kneeling, with eloquence or just "making noise before God," like children who want to let him know they are sad.
We do not pray often because we are too confident in ourselves. It is the Maginot Line: the strongest construction, and the enemy goes around through Belgium. One commentator points out that prayer must be constant, not only in times of crisis; intense, because for Barclay "a limp prayer never got anyone anywhere"; and unselfish, turned toward others too.
Praying "for all the saints": in the Roman tortoise, one gap weakened everyone. A soldier is not concerned only with his own safety. This armor is not reserved for leaders: it is for all Christians.

Key takeaways

The Christian life is lived in a real battle, but a spiritual one: we are not wrestling against flesh and blood.
Paul does not say "attack," he says "stand firm": keep the position God has given you in Christ.
Your feelings change; the righteousness received in Jesus Christ does not.
The Word of God is a sword you need to know and learn to handle, with the help of the Spirit.
Prayer keeps the soldier connected to his commander. It must be constant, intense, and offered for others too.

Personal application

Have you set down some pieces of your armor because everything is going well right now?
Which "flaming arrows" keep coming back in your thoughts: a fear, a lie, an accusation? How can faith put them out?
When you feel far from God, do you lean on your feelings or on the righteousness you have received in Christ?
If your survival depended on your knowledge of the Bible, where would you stand? What step can you take this week to train?
For which brother or sister can you pray with perseverance, so as not to leave a gap in the line?

Verses cited

Frequently asked questions

What does "stand firm" mean in Ephesians 6?

The preacher observes that Paul does not say "attack," he says "stand." God has already placed us in a position in Christ, he calls us to a way of life and he equips us for the battle. To stand firm is to keep that position where God has placed us, without retreating and without going looking for battles elsewhere.

Why does the breastplate of righteousness protect against discouragement?

The breastplate protected the vital organs, and the Bible often links the heart and the kidneys to the emotions. Satan attacks us through our feelings: "God doesn't love me, I'm not good enough." Our feelings change from one day to the next, but the righteousness received by faith in Jesus Christ does not. It is our best defense against spiritual depression.

Why does prayer go with the armor of God?

For the preacher, putting on the armor is not enough: the soldier must stay connected to the one who leads. Prayer, at all times and in the Spirit, keeps the Christian dependent on God. It must be constant, intense and unselfish, and it is also offered for all the saints, because a gap in one weakens all the others.