Ephesians 6:10-20
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
Each new month in 2025 I feel a level of surprise at its arrival as if I expected that this month time will slow and its rapid pace lessen. But alas, a new month is here, and I have had some verses on my heart that I’ve been wanting to share with you. I want to share them with you because of the profound impact they had on my life during a very difficult season—when I found myself unprotected, lacking God’s armor, and caught in a very real and intense spiritual battle. More than anything, I want you to know and experience the power of the gospel in your own life. Even though this passage is lengthier than I normally cover during speaking and praying scriptures, don’t stop reading too quickly, because I also want to share with you what the Armor of God is not.
The Armor of God
The apostle Paul, imprisoned at the time and likely seeing Roman soldiers every day, used the familiarity of powerful Roman armor to paint a picture of the power of the gospel in his letter to the Ephesians. He does this by using the six pieces of a Roman soldier’s armor – a belt, a breastplate, shoes, a shield, a helmet, and a sword – to connect specific parts of the gospel to each piece. The belt becomes the belt of truth, the breastplate becomes the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes become the readiness given by the gospel of peace, the shield becomes the shield of faith, the helmet becomes the helmet of salvation, and the sword becomes the sword of the spirit, God’s Word.
In Ephesians 6:11 we are instructed to “put on” the Armor of God, but what does “put on” mean and how can we do that? Is it a daily prayer? Action steps of our faith? If I don’t pray through the armor of God each day, am I not protected from the enemy?
I ended up seeking the wise counsel of my pastor who explained to me that the Armor of God is how we dress ourselves in the gospel. The Gospel is the ultimate Truth. It is the eternal plan of salvation through Christ Jesus which gives us our Resurrection Hope! Each piece of the Armor of God is a way for Paul to describe the gospel, reflecting on the same message of power and Resurrection Hope that he has been writing through his entire letter to the Ephesians which is now recorded and given to us.
So, with that in mind, let’s dive into the significance of each piece of armor!
Belt of Truth
A Roman soldier’s belt was typically the first piece of armor they put on to get ready for battle. They used it to secure other pieces of armor and to tie up their clothing so they could move freely in battle. In the same way, as soldiers in God’s army, we need to put on the belt of truth first. It serves as the foundation for the rest of God’s armor and helps us stand firm in the battles we face.
Perhaps you’ve heard the story of how experts prepare to identify counterfeit money. They study the real thing! You need to know Truth so you can recognize lies that come your way. Some of the biggest lies of the enemy are the ones that have parts of Truth interwoven in it which can cause confusion. These partial truths—remember that a partial truth is a lie—are happening all around us every day, and it can be really challenging to discern what Truth is if you think truth is defined as your own truth. It’s not. There is One Truth, the Gospel, and the Truth of the Gospel is that Jesus is the Son of God (John 14:6) and his word is Truth (John 17:7).
John 8:32 “…and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Breastplate of Righteousness
The purpose of a Soldier’s breastplate is to protect their most vital area – the heart – which is the center of their being. In the Bible, righteousness represents being in a right relationship with God. The only way we can be right with God is through Jesus’ work on the cross, paying the penalty for our sins. In 2 Corinthians 5:21 we learn that, for our sake, he (God) made him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him (Jesus) we might become the righteousness of God. When we put on the breastplate of righteousness, we are putting on our identity as children of God.
How do we put on the breastplate of righteousness? When we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead, we are believing that God is who he says he is, and we become a new creation, children of God, saved by grace through faith (Romans 10:9, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:8). If you have already done this, Hallelujah!, but you’re not done. Salvation is not a one-time event, and neither is putting on the breastplate of righteousness. While working out our salvation is never works-based, God’s grace works through our lives daily to grow in holiness (Ephesians 2:8). We also continually put on the breastplate of righteousness—our identity—in multiple ways: through remembering God’s work on the cross, through speaking Truth over yourself, and through having faith in the power of the gospel.
Romans 5:1 says Therefore, since we have been made righteous through his faithfulness, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Shoes – Readiness and Gospel Peace
A soldier’s shoes provide a firm foundation, protect the feet, and enable safe movement when called to go. What is our firm foundation? The gospel. Because of our sin we were destined to eternal death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. We have a living hope that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God and that no matter what happens here on Earth, we have Resurrection Hope for eternity (Romans 6:23, 1 Peter 1:3). The Truth of the gospel is our firm foundation and “putting on” this truth is what enables us to be ready to go in peace and share the gospel with nations.
Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Shield of Faith
A Roman soldier’s shield had multiple purposes. Defensively it was used to protect the body from enemy weapons. If combined with the shield of other soldiers, it could be used as a protective wall from the enemy. Offensively it was used to push against the enemy line or to bash enemies or knock them aside. When we pick up our shield of faith, we are trusting that God is who He says he is, and our future is secure in Him. This trust gives us strength to not listen to the lies of the enemy or succumb to his attacks. For example: When the arrows of comparison come our way, our shield of faith extinguishes those lies with Truth that we are made in the image of God for a purpose, fearfully and wonderfully made (Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 139:14). When the arrows of doubt come our way, we have faith that God keeps his promise that all things work together for good to those that love him and are called according to his purposes (Romans 8:28). Our shield of faith, trusting the power of the Gospel, is our defender against the enemy’s arrows of persecution and harm.
2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.
Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Helmet of Salvation
A soldier’s helmet protects the head, which in turn protects the brain and mind. In the same manner, salvation in Christ protects us and delivers us from the bondage of sin and eternal destruction (Romans 6:6-7, John 3:16, John 3:36). Two ways that we can protect our mind is to take thoughts captive and to renew our mind in Truth (2 Corinthians 10:5, Romans 12:2). This is important because the Bible also shows us that the mind influences the heart, and we should guard our heart above all else, because everything we do flows from the heart (Proverbs 4:23). Therefore, putting on the helmet of salvation is critical to protecting our mind and safeguarding our heart, too!
Here is an example of taking a thought captive and renewing our mind in Truth:
Lie – I have done too many bad things for God to forgive me.
Truth – Romans 3:23 All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 10:13 Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
When we put on the Armor of God, we cannot forget the helmet of salvation and its critical role in the power of the gospel for our hearts and minds.
Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Sword of the Spirit – God’s Word
The primary purpose of a Roman soldier’s sword was for close-quarters combat, and God’s Word is for close-quarters combat, too! Ephesians 2:17-18 reads, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication…” We know that the enemy comes against us with lies to personally attack us, but God’s Truth is our offensive weapon against the power of the enemy(Psalm 119:160). Jesus demonstrated using God’s Word to combat the enemy when he was tempted by the devil in the Wilderness. Each time the devil tried to entice Jesus into sin, Jesus responded directly with Truth (Luke 4:1-13). Every time we speak God’s Word and pray scripture, we are wielding the sword of the Spirit!
John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us,
who can be against us?
Summary
We all need the Truth and power of the gospel, and this passage is a reminder to dress ourselves in the Armor of God and the power of the gospel to daily walk out our faith. With the Armor of God, we have:
- Belt of Truth – The Truth of the Gospel (John 8:32)
- Breastplate of Righteousness – Our identity in Christ (Romans 5:1)
We are made righteous because of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf.
- Shoes – Readiness given by the gospel of peace – Firm foundation in the Truth of the gospel and sharing it with others (Matthew 28:19-20)
- Shield of Faith – Trusting in God’s faithfulness (Romans 10:17)
- Helmet of Salvation – Living out our salvation by taking thoughts captive and renewing our minds (Philippians 4:7)
- Sword of the Spirit – God’s Word – Speaking and Praying Scripture (John 16:33, Romans 8:31)
What the Armor of God is not
Now that we’ve covered some practical steps for putting on the Armor of God, I want to make sure to address a concern that I know I had before I studied the armor of God. My concern was, “If I don’t pray through the armor of God each day, am I not protected from the enemy?” I think that is false. Despite what I once feared, the Armor of God is not a legalistic prayer that you check off each day to be safe from the enemy. Instead, it’s greater than that. It is a call to action that there is a very real spiritual battle going on every day and we need to be dressed in the gospel to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
My life
I wish I could type this out and not have a personal example of this in my life, but I do. There was a time in my life when I thought I knew Truth. However, when I was beat up to my core, the devil came at me, and I was tossed into confusion and a very real and intense spiritual battle that I was unable to recognize at the time. Life took on an entire shade of gray that I did not understand, could not speak reason to, and did not know how to combat. I was in the fight of my life, but without any armor. I did not know to dig into God’s Word to find Truth and my feeble foundation of the little Truth that I did know was crumbling. I was in danger. After several months, in a moment of desperation, I remembered the armor of God and prayed it over my life, and a miracle happened. The chains of death broke free, and it was in that moment that I fully realized the spiritual warfare that I had been battling for so long. The healing journey continues, but Praise the Lord that He rescued me, restored my soul, and is leading me in paths of righteousness for His namesake.
Psalm 40:2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.
Psalm 23:3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Last words
If you have also experienced confusion in your life, you are Not Alone. The power of the enemy is great, but the power of our Creator is greater, and I am here to tell you that complete, pure Truth is found in Jesus Christ alone and you can experience the power of the gospel in your life. Pray it, live it, and let the power of the gospel be your faith-story. When we live out the Armor of God, it is God’s power made perfect in our weakness because it is HIS armor that we are putting on, and we are NOT ALONE when we use it. So, armor up, Soldier, and stand firm. There is a battle waging, are you dressed for it? 1 Peter 5:8 tells us the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour, and John 8:44 warns us that Satan is the father of lies. Clothe yourself in the Truth of God’s Word and stand firm, praying at all times. You will face hardship, you will face battles, you might even be shaken to your core, but remember you are Not Alone. We are strong because we are strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might, not our own (Ephesians 6:10, Isaiah 41:10).
This world is tough, and dressing yourself in the Armor of God is critical, your very soul is at stake. But do not fear. Remember Jesus’ words to his disciples in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
NOT ALONE MINISTRIES 