If we’re going to stand within the ranks of Christ’s military, we can’t be naive concerning the battle wherein we battle. The identical grace that reconciles us to God antagonizes us to the satan.
However God has not left us empty-handed. He has geared up us for the battle. And so we don’t gown casually, however we placed on the outfit that Paul describes in Ephesians 6: “Take up the entire armor of God, that you simply could possibly stand up to within the evil day, and having achieved all, to face agency” (v. 13).
As Paul mentioned in one other place, “the weapons of our warfare will not be of the flesh” (2 Cor. 10:4)—that’s, not issues made of material or metallic to placed on our bodily our bodies. What, then, has God given us for the non secular battle wherein all Christians discover themselves engaged?
The Belt of Reality
Stand subsequently, having mounted on the belt of fact… (Eph. 6:14)
For the Roman soldier, who was the epitome of navy prowess in Paul’s day, the belt was the foundational ingredient of a bit of armor. The opposite items have been connected to the belt and have been secured by it.
To put on the belt of fact is to acknowledge the significance of fact in an goal sense: “the phrase of fact, the gospel of your salvation,” by which the Holy Spirit adopts and seals us (Eph. 1:13). It’s God who saves us, and to depart from the Phrase of Reality delivered to us within the Gospel is to desert our Commander in Chief, to undermine our religion, and to make ineffective the entire equipment that God has given.
However there’s additionally a subjective ingredient to fact—that’s, our fact telling: “Having put away falsehood, let every certainly one of you converse the reality together with his neighbor, for we’re members certainly one of one other” (Eph. 4:25). The Christian just isn’t afraid of the reality however brings all issues out into the sunshine, the place Christ might shine on them and convey newness of life via the Gospel (Eph. 5:13–14).
The Breastplate of Righteousness
… and having placed on the breastplate of righteousness… (Eph. 6:14)
The breastplate, secured by the belt, protects the middle of the physique. For the Christian, righteousness protects us. And as with the belt, there’s each an goal and a subjective dimension.
Initially, our goal righteousness earlier than the judgment seat of God is the Lord Jesus Christ: “For our sake [God] made him to be sin who knew no sin, in order that in him we would turn out to be the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). In our union with Christ, we now have a standing with God that the enemy can’t threaten, and we now have no motive to concern the wrath of God.
Subjectively, we’re additionally to reside out that righteousness in all our days and all our choices. If we declare ourselves to be really in Christ and but reside unrighteous lives, we can be prone to each temptation. However what God has achieved for us in Jesus permits and quickens us to a life that pleases Him, guarding us from the snares of sin.
The Sneakers of Readiness
… and, as footwear in your toes, having placed on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. (Eph. 6:15)
A major a part of the navy prowess of Roman armies got here right down to good footwear. Effectively-fitted studded boots supplied traction, allowed for lengthy marches, and supplied a bonus over poorly shod enemies.
The Christians footwear are “the readiness” stirred up by “the gospel of peace.” Isaiah had proclaimed, “How lovely upon the mountains are the toes of him who brings excellent news” (52:7). Paul himself was “keen” to evangelise the Gospel due to the grace and salvation that it brings to those that hear and imagine (Rom. 1:15).
Wherever we go, whoever we’re, we now have a possibility, in phrase and deed, to proclaim the Gospel. Having buckled on the reality belt and donned the righteousness breastplate, we can’t neglect the footwear by which we go and proclaim what God has achieved. No, we’re to tackle the entire armor and, in so doing, proclaim the Gospel!
The Defend of Religion
In all circumstances take up the protect of religion, with which you’ll be able to extinguish all of the flaming darts of the evil one… (Eph. 6:16)
Roman troopers have been geared up with a big protect, greater than a meter excessive and practically a meter large, which a gaggle of troopers in formation might use to guard themselves from enemy arrows. Arrows carrying flaming pitch would strike the leather-bound shields and would shortly be extinguished.
The Evil One is an accuser. He fires the flaming darts of false guilt with nice rapidity and ability. But we will take up religion as our protect as we remind ourselves of the reality that girds us collectively:
From whence this concern and unbelief?Hath Thou, O Father, put to griefThy spotless Son for me?And can the righteous Decide of menCondemn me for that debt of sinWhich, Lord, was charged on Thee?
As darts of temptation fly our means, we might “resist …, agency within the religion,” realizing that “the God of all grace … will himself restore, affirm, strengthen, and set up” us (1 Peter 5:9–10). As we set our hope in Christ and the Gospel, we will stroll securely in righteousness via His energy at work in us.
The Helmet of Salvation
… and take the helmet of salvation… (Eph. 6:17)
The Roman soldier’s helm was forged from bronze or iron. Nothing in need of an ax or a hammer might pierce it. It was a supply of safety for one of the crucial weak components of the physique.
Now we have safety via the Gospel of Jesus Christ that the satan can’t penetrate. “I give them everlasting life,” Jesus promised relating to His disciples in all ages, “and they’ll by no means perish, and nobody will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28). To know that we’re in Christ is to know that we’re secure within the palms of the Savior, no matter evil might befall us on this world of bother (John 16:33).
As we expertise the hope supplied to us by this promise, we will once more resist the Evil One. As Martyn Lloyd-Jones put it,
When you’re attacked, besieged, tried, tempted, and the satan says, “There may be nothing in it, you would possibly as nicely get out of it, Christianity makes false guarantees, it doesn’t fulfil them—surrender!”, you reply by saying, “No, I’ve not been led astray by this instructing. I’ve at all times identified that there are steps and levels in salvation. I do know that I’m saved, I do know that I’m being saved, I do know that finally I shall be utterly saved.”
The Offensive Weapons
… and the sword of the Spirit, which is the phrase of God, praying always within the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. (Eph. 6:17–18)
Lastly, we depart the armor behind, and we come to the offensive parts of non secular warfare.
The Phrase of God strikes many individuals at this time—very similar to a medieval sword in a Scottish museum—as traditionally attention-grabbing however virtually ineffective. “Absolutely,” they are saying, “you don’t imagine that ebook, do you?” However we do imagine it, and we now have causes to belief it. We all know that it’s “worthwhile for instructing, for reproof, for correction, and for coaching in righteousness, that the person of God could also be full, geared up for each good work” (2 Tim. 3:16–17). And we do not forget that the Lord Himself turned to the Scriptures when it got here time to counter the enemy’s temptations (Matt. 4:1–11; Luke 4:1–13).
To depart from the Phrase of Reality is to desert our Commander in Chief, to undermine our religion, and to make ineffective the entire equipment that God has given.
Paul units the Phrase alongside prayer. They at all times belong collectively. The satan is unafraid of prayerless proclamation. As Paul himself wrote, “The letter kills, however the Spirit provides life” (2 Cor. 3:6). It’s as God speaks to us via the Phrase that we’ll discover energy to beat the Evil One. The Scriptures will not be a talisman with which to keep off evil; they’re a instrument God has given us to carry us to Him, the place we will take heed to His voice and draw on His energy for a lifetime of religion.
“The Panoply of God”
In certainly one of Wesley’s outdated hymns we discover these strains:
Stand then in His nice would possibly,With all His energy endued,And take, to arm you for the battle,The panoply of God.
A panoply is a full go well with of armor, not missing in any half. If we’re to take our stand towards the Evil One, we can’t neglect one piece of the equipment—not the readiness of the Gospel, not the Phrase, not prayer, nor every other. We should put on all of it in order that we could also be prepared for each offensive that comes our means. We are going to succeed once we give ourselves over in belief to our trustworthy God, who by His Spirit guards us for the day of redemption.
This text was tailored from the sermons “The Full Armor of God” and “The Soldier’s Weapons” by Alistair Begg.
