This is such a magnificent section of Scripture since it describes the armor and weapons God has given us to fight our enemy, Satan. You may find it hard to believe that we’re in the midst of a spiritual battle. But this is an important part of the Christian life. Even though Jesus has won the victory and has defeated Satan, the devil still is exerting his power in this evil world. Each day we all struggle “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).
Praise God that He provides an armor and weapons as we fight this battle! I want to give a brief description of each piece of the armor as well as our offensive weapons:
The belt of truth – A belt holds everything together. All of our beliefs are held together with the belt of truth, the truth of doctrine about God’s character, what He has done for us and what we have become as His children.
The breastplate of righteousness – A breastplate covers the heart. The breastplate doesn’t speak of our own righteousness but Jesus’ righteousness. He has cleansed me. And his righteousness protects my heart both physically and emotionally.
Feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace – This piece probably refers to a soldier’s boots. We always must be alert. Our feet always should be ready to move, whether it’s moving toward God when Satan attacks us or moving to share the gospel when presented an opportunity.
The shield of faith – Don’t think of this shield as a puny, round thing that barely covers your chest. This was a shield used by the Greeks during hand-to-hand combat. On the other hand, Roman soldiers used a large body shield. Our shield of faith should protect every part of our body and should be used to extinguish Satan’s flaming arrows.
The helmet of salvation – A helmet covers the head. The helmet of salvation protects our minds. This is so important because it seems that Satan so often first attacks our minds, ideas and attitudes.
The sword of the Spirit – The first offensive weapon is the sword of the Spirit. This is the Word of God and most likely refers to using specific biblical passages to defend us against Satan’s attacks.
Prayer – The believer’s “secret” weapon is prayer. Paul tells us that we should “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:18).
Have you claimed these spiritual resources from God as your own? How often do you use them? Do you prepare for each day by putting on the entire armor of God just as you put on your clothes? Will you fight your spiritual battles knowing that Jesus already has triumphed over sin and evil?