Eph 6:10–17 — The Armor of Christ, Part 1

We are almost finished with our study of Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians. This morning we come to the concluding exhortation. In this section Paul urges the saints at Ephesus to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. He exhorts them to put on the full armor of God so that they will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. This is a favorite text. It has even made its way into our hymnody. For example, Charles Wesley’s hymn, “Soldiers of Christ arise, and put your armor on.”

And yet the popularity of this text doesn’t make it any easier to interpret and apply. One of the problems that plagues the contemporary evangelical church is the tendency to isolate this text from its context, and to view it as a separate treatise on spiritual warfare. When this hermeneutical error is committed, various aberrant practices typically follow. Christians are told that they need to be on the lookout for Satanic activity. Before you know it, people are claiming to see Satan’s hand everywhere. He is responsible for anything in life that makes us unhappy. The devil is to blame when I sin. The devil is the one who caused my car to break down. The devil is responsible for my financial troubles. And so on.

Another aberration common in certain Christian circles occurs when Christians become obsessed with the idea of demonic possession. Now I readily grant that demonic possession does occur today. But I do think that too many Christians have a tendency to see it as a pervasive phenomenon. According to this view, not only are most unbelievers regarded as basically demon possessed, but Christians too can suffer Satanic oppression.

There are many theological issues here that we can’t get into, such as the question of whether it is even possible for a believer to be oppressed or possessed by demons. I am firmly convinced that the New Testament gives a resounding. No to that question. We can’t get into all of that here. But there is an even greater problem with this fascination with demonic activity. It is this. It causes people to be on the lookout only for the supernatural forms of demonic activity, when in reality Satan’s activity in the world is primarily ordinary. For example, in Eph. 2:1-2, Paul describes all of us, when we were unbelievers, as having been powerfully influenced by Satan. That influence is seen primarily in the fact that unbelievers are enslaved to their sinful lusts and desires.

Another ordinary form of Satanic influence in the world is spiritual deception. This is taught throughout the Bible. E.g., Revelation 12:9: “And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world.” This form of Satanic influence is particularly subtle. When we look at the many religions of the world, and we see the many millions who are devoted Muslims, or Buddhists, or followers of Judaism - we are looking at Satan’s brilliant spiritual deception. Apart from the elect, it seems that Satan has deceived practically the whole world. These religions have much that is attractive. Their followers are often quite moral and righteous in their personal lives. But we should not be surprised, for “even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light … [And] his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness” (2 Cor. 11:14-15). By means of these Christ-denying religions based on works righteousness, Satan “has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.” They are spiritually blind to their desperate need of Christ.

So Satan’s activity in the world today manifests itself not only in the supernatural manifestations of evil, but in very ordinary ways, even ways that have the appearance of righteousness.

As a corrective to these aberrations, then, it is imperative that we view this passage in light of the preceding context. It is only when we do so that we will be able to understand what Paul is referring to here when he talks about spiritual warfare, about standing firm against the schemes of the devil, about extinguishing the flaming arrows of the evil one. This is highly metaphorical imagery. And so it is easy to take it out of context, and let our imaginations run wild. We are tempted to read the text as if it were a description of some fantastic spiritual battle that Christians are to be engaged in, as if these various aspects of our armor referred to various supernatural weapons with which we can zap the enemy and perform all kinds of spiritual fireworks.

To counter these problems, then, we need to have a clear grasp of how this passage fits into Paul’s overall argument in Ephesians. Recall that Ephesians is divided into two major sections: chapters 1-3 and chapters 4-6 - the indicative, the statement of fact concerning our union with Christ; and the imperatives, or exhortations, that flow from that union.

What this paragraph does is to wrap up the preceding imperatives and exhortations of chapters 4-6, by summarizing them all under the general theme of spiritual warfare. You see, the things that Paul has exhorted us to do in chapters 4-6 are not going to come easily. As we attempt to implement each apostolic injunction in our lives, our families, and in our congregational life together - we will encounter the opposition of Satan.

For example, the call in chapter 4 to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace - that is never an easy thing. Our spiritual unity as believers in Christ is constantly under Satanic attack, whether through wolves in sheep’s clothing who disseminate false teaching, or through ungodly attitudes that produce division and schism in the body.

Sometimes, our unity is challenged on a more personal level. It is not easy to love our brothers and sisters in the body. Conflict can develop because of personality differences, because of unwholesome words that we speak to one another, or because of an unwillingness to forgive one another even as God in Christ has forgiven us.

Recall Paul’s warning in chapter 4:26-27: “Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.” When anger and bitterness are not dealt with, our unity in Christ is ruptured, and the devil has gained a foothold. Spiritual warfare isn’t about supernatural combat. It’s about simple things like not allowing anger to fester in your heart toward a brother or sister in Christ.

In chapter 5 Paul exhorted us to walk as children of light, to flee from the immoral lifestyle of the unbelieving world around us, and to expose the shameful deeds of darkness with the light of Christ. Here again, we will face opposition. The world opposes us because it cannot bear being exposed. Our own flesh opposes us as we wrestle with our corrupt desires for sinful things.

Beginning in chapter 5:21 through 6:9, Paul exhorted us to let our union with Christ be tangibly expressed in our human relationships, whether as husbands and wives, or as children and parents, or as slaves and masters. These relationships are further areas of practical Christian living where spiritual warfare is to be expected.

Now we understand what Paul is talking about when he says that we are involved in a spiritual conflict. He is talking about ordinary problems that we face in the Christian life. Paul says, When you look at these conflicts and problems - lack of unity in the church, lack of brotherly love, marriage problems, and so on - do not fall prey to the temptation to view these problems only on their surface. Rather …

Read verse 12.

And why is it imperative that we not view these problems in merely human terms? Why does Paul want us to probe beneath the surface and to see the cosmic dimensions of our spiritual conflict? Because the only way that we will be successful in this conflict is if we are prepared to engage in this conflict, not in our own strength, but in the strength and in the victory of Christ himself.

Read v. 10.

We aren’t fighting an enemy that we can deal with on our own. We are dealing with a supernatural enemy, and therefore we need supernatural power to resist that supernatural enemy.

So what is this supernatural power? What is this “full armor of God” that Paul tells us is available to us and that we must put on, if we are to be enabled to stand firm against the enemy?

The armor of God is nothing less than Jesus Christ himself. Hence the title, “The Armor of Christ.”

There are three pieces of evidence supporting this identification of the armor as the armor of Christ.

First, observe the parallelism between verse 10 and verse 11. In v. 10. Paul urges us to be strong, not in our own strength, but in the strength of Christ. In v. 11, he explains how we are to do this, how we are to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. We are to do so by putting on the full armor of God. Putting on the full armor of God, then, and being strong in the strength of Christ are one and the same thing.

Second, the Christological meaning of the armor of God is highlighted by the verb that Paul uses: he says, “put on the full armor of God.” Paul used the verb “to put on” back in chapter 4:24 in reference to putting on Christ. He says that we have put off the old man and have put on the new man. Recall that the old man is Paul’s way of referring to our old life of sin and condemantion under the headship of Adam. Antithetically parallel to the old man is the new man. If the old man is life under the first Adam, then the new man is our new life in Christ, the second Adam. We are being recreated in the image of Christ who is the image of God.

So the fact that Paul urges us to “put on the armor of God,” intentionally echoes his prior exhortation to “put on the new man,” which is Christ himself. The armor of God, then, is simply another way of describing the new man. The only difference is that Christ is here viewed, not as the second Adam, but as the Messianic warrior who comes to judge his enemies and to deliver his people.

The third piece of evidence supporting a Christological interpretation is the Old Testament background. There are six items in the armor of God as laid out in vv. 14-17. Five of the six items are described using terms taken from the book of Isaiah.

EPHESIANS 6. ISAIAH. 14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth. and having put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17. And take the helmet of salvation. and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Isaiah 11:5 Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, and faithfulness [Heb. “truth”] the belt about His waist. Isaiah 59:17. He put on righteousness like a breastplate and a helmet of salvation on His head. Isaiah 52:7. How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” [no OT reference] Isaiah 59:17. He put on righteousness like a breastplate and a helmet of salvation on His head. Isaiah 49:2. He has made My mouth like a sharp sword. Isaiah 11:4 … And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath [Heb. “Spirit”] of His lips. He will slay the wicked.

Now it is important to point out, contrary to the opinion of some scholars, that when Paul quotes an OT passage, he isn’t just snipping certain words and phrases out of context. He is interpreting the original passage in light of its eschatological fulfillment. And so when we look at these quotations from Isaiah, we find that Paul has not randomly cited them. In each case, Isaiah is prophetically looking ahead to the coming of the Messiah in redemptive judgment. In judgment, because the Messiah is pictured as a warrior who comes to execute vengeance upon his foes. But it is redemptive judgment, because the destruction of his foes is simultaneously the deliverance and redemption of his people.

Now, one thing that Isaiah did not perceive, of course, was the distinction between Christ’s first and second comings. He did not know that God would fulfill these prophetic oracles in two stages. The first stage of fulfillment would be at the first advent of Christ, in which his foes would be conquered in principle, but leaving them still with a degree of activity in the world. It would only be at Christ’s second coming that the victory achieved in principle at his first coming would be fully manifested in final judgment.

The analogy from World War II of the close relationship between D-day and V-day is helpful. On D-day, the allies stormed the beaches of Normandy and made a successful incursion into the territory occupied by the Nazis. But it wasn’t until V-day one year later that the allied forces reached Berlin and brought the third Reich to an end. Yet in a sense, the success of D-day was such a devastating military blow, that it virtually guaranteed the ultimate victory of V-day.

So it is with Christ. The ultimate triumph of Christ over the principalities and powers, yet to be visibly manifest at his second coming, will merely be the outworking of the decisive victory that Christ achieved in principle at his first coming.

Eph. 1:19-23 is the already. Eph. 6:10-17 is the not-yet.

And so we now understand why Paul in Ephesians 6 describes the armor that we are called to put on using language taken from Isaiah’s depiction of the Messiah. Paul is explaining to us in clear terms that our victory against the hosts of darkness can only come by means of union with Christ. We are enabled to stand firm in our spiritual conflict with the devil and his hosts, not because we have any great spiritual powers of our own, but solely because we have been made partakers of the victory of Christ.

This is why Paul never tells us in this passage that we must go out and slay the enemy. For the enemy has already been defeated. Our task is merely to stand in that victory. To stand firm against all the schemes of the devil..

Let me give you an illustration of how this works. Two brothers in the church are having serious problems in their relationship. Both sides have grievances with the other. Bitterness and anger continue to fester. As long as these two think that their struggle is with each other, as long as they go on regarding one another after the flesh - they will continue to have problems.

But if these brothers recognize the true spiritual dimensions of the problem, if they wake up from their spiritual slumber, they will realize that their real enemy is not one another, but the rulers and the powers that Christ has already defeated. And then they will be determined not to let those defeated powers turn Christians against one another. They need to lay claim to the solid reality of Christ’s victory over his enemies. Rather than being sidetracked by their petty differences, they will then strive to stand united in their witness to the gospel of Christ.

You see, it’s not that they must do something to actively subdue Satan. It is a matter of faith. They need only reckon Satan’s defeat to be a fact.

Church of Jesus Christ, awake! You are engaged in a cosmic battle. It’s not an earthly battle with flesh and blood and chariots and horses. And it’s not a matter of spiritual fireworks and casting out demons. It’s a spiritual struggle taking place right now in our day-to-day existence, in our churches, and in our relationships. The good news is that the outcome is not up in the air. The battle has already been decisively won by Christ himself. He has been exalted far above every ruler and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he is exalted over all things to the church. Let us therefore stand firm against the schemes of the evil one.