What is Meant by “Put on the Whole Armor of God?

 In Ephesians 6 we encounter that portion of Scripture where Paul commands us to clothe ourselves with the “armor of God”, the same armor that the Lord Himself wore in the day of battle (read Isaiah 59). God’s will for believers is to carry out a victorious campaign of warfare against the devil, overcoming all his schemes of deception.

The imagery that Paul alludes to, of a soldier arrayed in battle gear, is the very armor of God that “the Intercessor” (Isaiah 59:16) put on when coming into the world to do battle with the enemy so that he would save us from our sins. The Lord Jesus in battle: lived a life of perfect sinlessness, defeating the devil on every front (Matthew 4:1-11; Matthew 26:36-46), then by his death on the Cross he destroyed death along with the devil’s power (Hebrews 2:9-14, 1 John 3:8, Colossians 2:14-15); then by His Resurrection he grants to us the hope of eternal life (Titus 3:7).

Ephesians 6 must be read in the light of what Paul wrote in the chapters leading up to his command for us to put on the armor of God. In Ephesians 4:17 – 5:20 Paul describes the “wrestling” we do with the “old man”, that is, the sinful fallen nature that plagues every human being. Paul explains the need to overcome the darkness of the world by becoming the light, and then unveils the necessity of defeating wickedness by bearing “the fruit of the Spirit, that is goodness, righteousness, and truth.” (Ephesians 5:8) Our victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil is experienced as we cooperate with God, obeying his commandments and acquiring his virtues.

The enemy schemes to convince us to justify our sinful behaviors – lying, anger, stealing, corrupt speech, bitterness, wrath, slander, malice, sexual sins of all kinds, covetousness and greed, foolish talking, and jesting. Often the devil works through false teachers to deceive you into accepting some of these sinful behaviors as justifiable. As it is written in 6:12, our warfare is with “the rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness”, this is why Paul in 5:8-20 exhorts us to overcome the rulers of darkness by walking as children of Light, and to conquer spiritual wickedness by always staying ‘Awake”, daily redeeming the time, refusing to be a sleepy soldier at their post, refusing to waste precious time on worldly vices or devices, or unnecessary amusements, avoiding the escape of alcohol or drugs. Instead, we are motivated to daily being filled with the Holy Spirit.

We are to live as Jesus lived. We are to battle as Jesus did, with the very same armor clothing us – truth worn like a belt that signifies our loyalty to King Jesus, living righteously protects our hearts and vital organs like a breastplate, our protective footwear is living the Gospel of peace, when the fiery darts of doubts and false doctrines fly our way we extinguish them with “the shield of faith”, that is the wholesome words and sound doctrine of Jesus and the Apostles (1 Timothy 6:3; Acts 2:42); our heads (our mind, will, & emotions) are encased in the protective “helmet of salvation” by which we throw down every thought, every imagination, and every habit that is contrary to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). Lastly, once clothed for battle, we are then able to take hold of the sword, the sword of the Spirit, which is the rhema of God – God’s words in our mouths and subjugate the enemies of our souls (Matthew 4:1-11, Psalm 143:12, Luke 10:19, James 4:7-10, 1 Peter 5:8-10).

Paul finally reveals in verse 18 the context of this warfare and the necessity of the armor of God. It is when we stand in prayer, communally (in church), and personally as we daily live out our lives in Christ to the glory of God the Father. We are to “continue in prayer, being watchful with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 4:2) We are to “pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) We are to “Watch and pray that we enter not into temptation.” (Matthew 26:41) Prayer is to be as our breath, constant.

Brothers and Sisters, “Put on the whole armor of God by living a godly life of truth, of righteousness, of Gospel-driven peace, of being established in the Faith, of acquiring the mind of Christ, and by filling your mouth with the words of God as you pray without ceasing.