The Armor of God


The reality of the great controversy, and that we are in a literal battle with a real enemy (Eph. 6:11), is revealed by Paul's use of war imagery in Ephesians 6:1-24.
Read Ephesians 6:11-17. What do these verses tell us about how real, and personal, the battle is?
It is not what the various pieces of armor are all about but rather what they represent that counts. Notice that Paul stresses that we need to take all of the armor, not just selected pieces of it. In so doing we will remain standing (Eph. 6:13), a metaphor used in the Bible to describe innocence in judgment (compare with Ps. 1:5). In other words, we will be victorious.
What holds all the armor in place is the belt, used as a metaphor for the truth (Eph. 6:14). So, the truth is what holds all our spiritual defenses in place. Jesus often talked about truth (John 1:14, 17; 4:24; 8:32; 14:6). The breastplate of righteousness follows (Eph. 6:14); "righteousness" is another key word in Jesus' discourses (for example, Matt. 5:6, 10; 6:33). In the Old Testament righteousness was understood as upholding justice and ensuring that everyone had a fair deal.
The military sandals (Eph. 6:15) represent the gospel of peace, an expression borrowed from Isaiah 52:7, that speaks about people walking vast distances to let people in captivity know that Jerusalem has been rebuilt and that God has restored the freedom of His people. It is another way of saying that part of fighting against evil is to let people know that God has won the battle already and that they can now live at peace with themselves, with others, and with God.
The shield of faith (Eph. 6:16) prevents "fire arrows" from hitting their intended target and causing wholesale destruction. The helmet of salvation (Eph. 6:17) parallels the crown Jesus shares with us (Rev. 1:6, 2:10), and the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) is our only weapon of self-defense, to be used as Jesus did when tempted by the devil (Matt. 4:4, 7, 10).

What does the fullness and completeness of the armor tell us about our total dependence upon God in the great controversy? How can we make sure that we are leaving no part of ourselves unprotected?

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