Two Temptations
With escalating violence and unrest in our country, there are two temptations followers of Jesus face. One is to live in fear. To live in paralyzing anxiety about what may happen next. To always be looking over our shoulder. To circle the wagons and hunker down until the storm blows over.
The other temptation we face is to fight against the violence and unrest with the wrong weapons. We can be tempted to assume that victory will come if we align ourselves with the right politicians or political party. We might think that education is the solution to the ills of our culture. If people were just taught the right things, then there’d be widespread unity and peace. We might think that becoming more religious will protect us from the bad things of the world, that God will protect us if we clean up our lives and start acting better than we used to.
In A War with the Wrong Weapons
Christians in our culture are right to be concerned about increasing turmoil in our society. It’s a God-given impulse in us that makes us want to do something. Unfortunately, we usually run in to the battle with the wrong weapons. Paul says it this way in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.”
The passage we studied last week said that we must “put on the whole armor of God” (Eph. 6:11) if we want to survive the onslaught of evil in the world. This means that we must fight with spiritual, not physical, weapons. The passage last week said that the way we keep our feet in the battle is by standing in God’s strength as we put on God’s armor. Our passage this week tells us that the way we put on God’s armor is through prayer. The way we survive the spiritual war is by putting on spiritual armor, and the way we put on spiritual armor is through prayer. Prayer, not politics or presidents or public education, is one of our chief weapons in our battle against the evil one.
This is Paul’s point in our text this morning (Eph. 6:14-20). This passage easily divides into two sections. First, Paul tells us about God’s armor (vv. 14-17), then he tells us to pray in God’s Spirit (vv. 18-20).
The Belt of Truth
Let’s consider each piece of armor that Paul mentions. First, “the belt of truth” (v. 14). This isn’t a belt like we wear. It probably refers to the leather apron that the Roman soldier wore under his armor to protect his thighs. Paul is alluding to Isaiah 11:5, which, referring to the Messiah, says, “Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.” The Messiah will rule God’s kingdom with righteousness and truth. Paul’s point is that the armor of the Messiah is now provided for his people as they engage in spiritual warfare. God gives his people his own armor.
“Truth” in Ephesians refers to God’s truth as revealed in the gospel (1:13). The truth of the gospel gives God’s people a desire to walk in truth (4:24-25, 5:9). As believers fasten on the “belt of truth,” they’re strengthened by God’s truth and compelled to display truthfulness in their words and behaviors.
Paul says that this is the first thing we have to put on because it’s an absolutely essential part of the equipment. We have to put the leather apron of truth on before we put the other pieces on. If the truth of the gospel isn’t firmly fixed in our minds and hearts, we’ll struggle to withstand the lies of the evil one, and we’ll struggle to have any desire to fight at all.
We must start by remembering who Christ is and what he has done for us. We must remember that he carried our sin and shame to the cross and canceled the record of debt that stood against us, thus “disarming the rulers and authorities and putting them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Col. 2:15). The truth is that Christ defeated Satan and his lies on the cross.
Some of you this morning need to start by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, by being honest with him about your need for him, by asking him to forgive you and save you. The truth of his gospel will set you free, but you have to trust him. Others of you need to remember that the truth of the gospel means that we must “put away all falsehood” (4:25). If lying and being deceitful is a regular part of your life, you’re acting like Satan and his army. Others of you have things that the evil one has convinced you to keep in the darkness that need to be brought into the light. You need to courageously share the truth of your life with people who care for you. God’s people stand in and with the truth. God’s people are “truth” people.
The Breastplate of Righteousness
The next piece of armor we’re to put on is “the breastplate of righteousness” (v. 14). The Roman soldier wore a breastplate, or a piece of metal armor that covered his chest, in order to protect himself from arrows or wallops to the chest. Paul is referring to Isaiah again, where the Lord is said to put on “righteousness as a breastplate” as he comes to deliver his people and defeat his enemies (59:17). Paul says that believers need to put on this same breastplate as they face their spiritual enemies. God gives his people his own armor.
Some scholars think that this refers to the imputation of Christ’s righteousness that happens at the moment of salvation. When we trust in Christ, we’re instantly declared righteous before God because Jesus’ righteousness is credited to our account (Rom. 3:21-22). But this is something that God does, not us. We can’t make ourselves righteous.
The “breastplate of righteousness” is thus probably better understood as sanctifying righteousness, or “right living.” This is only possible if we’ve been made righteous by God. We can never be something that we aren’t. Paul is urging us to remember that God has made us righteous and to therefore live righteously. Just as the breastplate protected the soldier’s chest from enemy attacks, so a believer’s “right living” protects their hearts from the assaults of the devil. For example, if we’re living in habitual sin, we’re giving the evil one reason to accuse us and fill our hearts with shame and guilt and doubt and despair. But when we’re walking in holiness and putting sin to death, we’re spared from many of his accusations and attacks.
Gospel Shoes
In verse 15, Paul says that, for shoes, we should put on “the readiness given by the gospel of peace.” This is an unusual expression. Paul could mean that we must be ready to proclaim the gospel of peace or that we keep our footing as we stand against the onslaught of the evil one because we’re firmly grounded in the gospel of peace. Each interpretation has strengths and weaknesses. Paul could mean both, namely, that we find our footing in the gospel and that the gospel makes us ready to proclaim the gospel.
As those who have peace with God through the gospel, we should always be ready to speak the gospel to those at war with God. The gospel is the most important thing people need to hear because it’s the only way for people to be saved from the wrath of a holy God. Satan and his army doesn’t want anyone to hear the gospel, so we’ve got to put on gospel readiness.
Can you articulate the basics of the gospel? I ask our prospective members to tell me the gospel in thirty seconds or less because someone claiming to be saved by the gospel will by definition have a basic understanding of what saved them. God is the holy Creator of all things. We’re made in his image but fallen in sin. We deserve God’s judgment, but in mercy, God sent his Son Jesus to die in our place. When we trust in him and repent of our sins, our sins are removed and we’re given eternal life.
Ironically, the gospel of peace is what we must be prepared to announce as we engage in spiritual warfare. God’s peace available in Christ can subdue the strongest enemy, change the most obstinate heart, and reach the most unreached people group. We’re called to be ready to proclaim the gospel of peace and to stand in the peace that the gospel gives us.
The Shield of Faith
In verse 16, Paul says that we need to “take up the shield of faith” so that we can put out the “flaming darts of the evil one.” This shield refers to the large four foot by two and a half foot shield that would protect a Roman soldier. It was made of wood and covered with leather and doused with water in order to extinguish arrows dipped in tar and lit on fire.
The shield that believers are to hold is a “shield of faith.” Faith is our shield. Our trust in God and his promises is what Paul says will “extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.” These fiery darts will come at any time, which is why we must have our shield ready “in all circumstances.” The evil one is waiting for an opportune time to shoot us with the fiery darts of fear, anxiety, accusation, loneliness, doubt, despair, revenge, lust, guilt, or shame.
What do you do when those darts are flying toward you? Paul says to raise the shield of faith. But faith in what? Ultimately, faith in Christ, in who he is and what he’s done, in who he says we are. But raising the shield of faith also means remembering particular promises of God for specific situations. So last week when I was tempted with fear and anxiety, I remembered Psalm 23:5, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”
God’s word is full of particular promises for every situation that we face. As we grow in our knowledge and understanding of God’s word, we’ll also grow in our ability to raise up the shield of faith during battle. The shield of faith can also be used to protect others. Many Christians are lying wounded and incapacitated all over the battle field because the evil one’s arrows brought them down. When we see our brothers and sisters in need, we must grab our shield and run out to help them. We must hold the shield up over them and remind them of the great truths of the gospel. We must remind them of the promises of God. We must sit there as long as we need to until the arrows stop flying and their wounds are healed and they can get back in the fight. This is one reason why God gives us the gift of the church. We won’t be helped in the fight if we’re all alone. This is also one reason why we need to know our Bibles. How can we help people with promises we don’t know? How can we give people medicine we don’t have? How can we stir up a faith that’s lacking in us?
Helmet of Salvation
In verse 17, Paul says that we should take the “helmet of salvation.” Paul’s language is drawn from Isaiah 59:17, where the Lord is the one wearing the “helmet of salvation” as he saves his people and defeats their enemies. Paul says that God gives the helmet to his people for their protection. God gives his people his own armor.
As we focus our minds on what God has done for us and what he will do for us, the stronger our defense will be against the attacks of the enemy. We must remember that, though we’re in a fight against the devil, we fight a defeated foe (1:20-22). We must remember that God is taunting the evil one through the church, showing off his wisdom in uniting Jew and Gentile in one body through the cross (3:10). As we dwell on these truths, our confidence in the Lord will grow because we know that the outcome of the battle is sure. May we preach this truth to ourselves and wear it on our minds.
Sword of the Spirit
The last thing that Paul mentions is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” This last thing isn’t a piece of armor, but a weapon. So we’re not merely given gear to protect us from the enemy, we’re given a weapon in order to kill him.
Many times we feel like there’s nothing we can do to combat the evil in our lives, families, communities, nation, and world. But we can put on God’s protective armor, grab his Sword, and walk into the battle with courage. As Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship of the Ring were walking through the Mines of Moria, Frodo sensed the evil around them. It says that, “He felt the certainty of evil ahead and of evil following; but he said nothing. He gripped tighter on the hilt of his sword and went on doggedly.” In the midst of the evil mountain of this world, we must tighten our grip on the Sword that God has given us and go on doggedly.
The word of God is a Sword that builds our confidence and helps us keep going because we know it’s able to defeat the lies and schemes of the evil one. Jesus used this Sword in the wilderness when he was tempted by Satan. Jesus’ response to every temptation was, “It is written…” He simply quoted the Bible back to the devil in order to defeat him. Why should we think that our spiritual battles will be won any other way?
Pray in God’s Spirit
Paul picks an unusual metaphor to illustrate how we become “strong in the Lord.” Soldiers don’t typically get strength from armor. Armor is something that is on a soldier, not in a soldier. But notice that all the defensive armor that Paul talks about in this passage is internal in nature. Truth, righteousness, readiness given by the gospel, faith, salvation, are all things that are inside of us, not outside of us. This is why Paul concludes these verses on the armor by saying that the way we put on God’s armor is through prayer (vv. 18-20).
Paul is saying that the way to get this armor on you is by getting it in you, and the way to get it in you is through prayer. God’s strength comes to us as we put on this armor. The armor that God has provided for us is useless unless we’re in a living relationship with him where we receive strength and power from him through prayer.
Why do you think that churches and Christians who believe all the right things sometimes prove ineffective and are taken out of the fight? Because knowledge of the truth is not enough. As Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “There is such a thing as a dead orthodoxy.” Knowing the truth of God is not the same thing as walking in the power of God.
Christians and churches who are negligent in prayer are easy targets for Satan and his army because they don’t have any armor on. If our church is going to be strong, we must be a people who “stands” tall in prayer. This is why we spend more time than you’re probably used to in prayer during our worship service. Why we spend extended time in prayer on Wednesday evenings. Why we gather in my study at 9:30am for prayer every Sunday morning. Why I encourage you to pray through the church directory, “making supplication for all the saints” (v. 18). Why we pray for missions and evangelism and lost people. We need words to say and boldness to say them (vv. 19-20).
Many Christians and churches are weak in prayer because they don’t understand that we’re living in a spiritual war. John Piper explains like this: “Could it be that many of our problems with prayer and much of our weakness in prayer comes from the fact that we are not all on active duty, and yet we still try to use the transmitter? We have taken a war-time walkie-talkie and tried to turn it into a civilian intercom to call the servants for another cushion in the den…we see repeatedly in Scripture that prayer is a walkie-talkie for warfare, not a domestic intercom for increasing our conveniences.” We live in the midst of a spiritual war. God has armor for us. The way we put it on is by “praying at all times in the Spirit” (v. 18).
God’s Gracious Gift of Armor
This text says repeatedly that God wants to give us his own armor. What a gift of grace! The Lord of heaven and earth gives us his armor as we face the enemy. Imagine walking into a battle zone dressed just as you are right now. You don’t have a chance. You’re looking for the best place to run and hide. Then, right before the battle begins, a Navy Seal walks up to you and offers you his body armor, his helmet, his night vision, his boots, his weapons, and his radio. Wouldn’t you feel immediately better equipped for the fight? Your fears would decrease and your courage would increase because now you’ve got armor, you’ve got weapons, and you’ve got a direct channel to the commander who can send help. Now you’re running into the fight with confidence. But you’re also running in with humility and gratitude because you know that the armor was a gift. It’s not yours. You didn’t earn it. You’re not a Navy Seal. Someone greater than you saw your need and stepped in and helped you.
This is what God has done for us. He sees our need in the battle and he’s stepped in and offered us armor better than any Navy Seal. He offers it free of charge but he won’t put it on for us. We have to ask for his help in putting it on through prayer. We have to admit that we’re not as strong as we think we are, that our life is in danger, and we have to trust him. We have to believe that his word is true. We have to admit and confess that we have no business wearing his stuff, that we don’t deserve anything from him, that we have no righteousness of our own, that we’ll never have peace apart from him, that we can’t save ourselves. We have to receive his gift of grace with faith.
If you’ve received the gracious gift of God’s armor, you now have a chance in the battle because you have supernatural armor from another world. And if you’ve received this armor, you’ll commit yourself to keep putting it on through prayer because you know that your life depends upon it.