Mike Focht 3/21/2025
Paul’s exhortation to the Ephesian church has encouraged Christians through the ages. His description of the armor of God is familiar territory to many of us. That said, I think there is a common mistake made when preachers, teachers, and commentators address this passage of Scripture. When speaking about the armor of God, one can easily take each piece of armor and expound on how it was used in battle—making the belt, breastplate, sandals, shield, helmet, and sword the focus.
The apostle certainly wanted to illustrate a spiritual truth through the armor, but I don’t believe they were ever intended to become the emphasis. The emphasis should be on the spiritual virtues and not the physical armor. After all, Paul was clear that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood.
As always, Scripture is our best commentary and teacher when interpreting the Word of God. We will learn what Paul is doing here in Ephesians when we look at how he speaks of spiritual armor in his other epistles. Paul, very familiar with Roman soldiers and their garb, will use the image of a panoplied soldier to illustrate what he is exhorting believers to do. Teachers who make “tight” elaborations between the Roman soldier and the garb have misplaced the emphasis, which is meant to be on the spiritual virtues that God has given as our armor.
Romans 13:12: The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. When Paul wants to exhort believers to wake up and walk in the light, he makes God’s armor the armor of light.
2 Corinthians 6:7: by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left… When Paul wants to exhort the Corinthians to walk in righteousness before God and not stray from that righteous pathway, he makes the armor of God the armor of righteousness.
1 Thessalonians 5:8: But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. When Paul wants to exhort the Thessalonian believers to allow the cardinal virtues of faith, hope, and love to be their focus, he makes the armor of God the armor of faith, hope, and love.
In all these illustrations, the Christian man or woman is prepared to stand against the devil by being outfitted or armored in God’s strength and virtue. Paul is exhorting the same way with the Ephesians. Paul’s focus was on the spiritual virtue and not the specified piece of armor illustrating the virtue. Our focus should be the same.
What does that mean for us individually? It means that there will always be a battle around the truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation, and the Word of God. How do we wrestle and withstand the evil one? By armoring ourselves against the pressures of the world, the flesh, and the devil with God’s truth, righteousness, gospel, faith, salvation, and Word. When each virtue has its proper place in our lives, we will be armored with the armor that God provides. May God give us all grace to be watchful to this end!