Paul has outlined for us the enormous power and resource at our disposal in our battle against the evil one. So far, we have learned about our foe. Unless we know who the enemy is, where he is, and what he can do, we have a difficult time defeating him. Not only here in Ephesians 6, but throughout the scriptures, God instructs us about the enemy, so there is no reason for us to unaware. Now, just because we have the resources does not mean Christian life is going to be easy.
Paul lists six weapons for us in our fight against Satan. Please make a note that they are in a group of three. The first three are the state you are in, and the next three, you pick up as needed. Also, keep in mind, we have five defensive weapons and only one with which we attack. I believe we have one because that is all we need.
Let us look at the first piece of the armor Verse 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, verse 11 that you may be able to stand.”, At the end of 13, “having done all to stand”. The idea is to stand against the attack of Satan, to be victorious when he comes. Therefore if you are going to stand against those things you must have your loins girded about with truth or truthfulness. What is Satan’s favorite weapon? Jesus said in John 8:44, “He is a liar as I said and the father of lies.” So the thing that Satan does is come with lies, with untruths. So we must know the truth. Everything that comes out of his mouth is a lie or a half-truth therefore, we would understand that the first line of defense is the truth. Let me describe the belt so you get the imagery a little. In Paul’s day a roman man, even a soldier wore a tunic. A tunic is a big, square piece of material for the most part. It had a hole in it for your head and two holes for your arms. You just threw it on, and it was kind of a non-gathered piece of material. But if you were going to go into a war, you do not want that thing flying around. In other words, girding your loins was gathering up all this loose material so that you could get ready to go. It basically is speaking of willingness, preparation. The belt was preparedness. A Roman soldier would not go into a battle with his dress flapping in the breeze. Somebody pulls it over his head, and that would be the end of it. The truth is an integrating force in the life of the victorious Christian. We can not flop our way through the Christian walk. We must be committed to the truth. Are you comfortable with all the loose ends of your life? Are you content with your prayer life? What is your attitude toward worship? Do you have a zeal for spiritual truth in the Bible? If you are satisfied with your small understanding of the greatness of God, if you are content with the sins in your life, you are an encumbered soldier, ill-prepared for the battle, you are sure to be defeated. In other words, are you all in? Are you committed to your Christian walk? Hebrew 12:1 tells us, “let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Are your loins girded with the belt of truthfulness? Remember the sword of the spirit, your only weapon of attack goes on this belt. Unless we practice the truth we cannot use the word of truth.
Let us look at the second piece of armor in verse 14 as well, “ And having put on the breastplate of righteousness” – the breastplate of righteousness. Devotion is crucial. Commitment is required, it is necessary, but it has to be backed up by the breastplate of righteousness. It would be nice if you were a Roman soldier and you got your belt on, and you pulled all the corners up, and you got your mini-tunic going, and there are no loose ends, you are serious, you are committed, but you can not run into battle unless you put one other thing on for sure and that is the breastplate. The breastplate covers the most vulnerable part of the soldier’s body. It Protects your vital organs. What are we talking about here? What kind of righteousness are we talking about? There is only one kind. We are talking about that righteousness which is imputed to us by faith in Christ. But is that what Paul is referring to here? I do not believe so. We do not have to put on that righteousness. God puts that on for us at the time of our salvation. We are covered by the proclamation of God with the righteousness that is not our own but belongs to Christ. But we also are called to demonstrate righteous behavior. We are a new creation. He has given us a new heart, and guess what breastplate protects? Your heart. In spiritual warfare, you need to be ready, girding your loins with a belt speaks of readiness and preparedness. You are committed, devoted, all the loose ends are tied, but you cannot go into battle without obedience to Christ. Holy living is the breastplate of righteousness. If there is a weakness in your life, hidden sins, acts of disobedience, wrong attitudes. You are vulnerable. When Satan sees sin, he moves into that crack. You become exposed as the temptations appeal to that crack in your armor. And, the smallest crack can be exploited in a very lethal way. Put on the armor. It starts with dedication, and it requires righteousness. When Paul says, put on the breastplate of righteousness, he simply saying put on, The Lord Jesus Christ. Make no provision for the flesh regarding its lusts. Protect your heart from all kinds of envy, jealousy, strife, bitterness, etc.
This brings us to the shoes of the gospel. Footwear is a multi-billion dollar industry. Today, we can find different kinds of shoes for various activities. It was not too long ago when all these choices were not available. When I was young, I had one pair of shoes. Many times I was playing sports in flip-flops or barefoot. Footwear is essential in warfare, and Julius Cesar figured this out. The Roman soldiers wore sandals with nails in the soles to give him better footing. Originally, you wore shoes for protection; today shoes are a fashion item. What does it mean when Paul says Shod your feet with the Gospel of the peace? The Roman soldier is standing, and his feet are firm, and he is able to hold his ground, and make quick moves, and keep his feet. He does not slip, and he does not slide, and he does not fall. Can you see how we are to be in our Christian life, standing firm, not constantly changing our position? You can have your loins girded with a belt of truth. And you can have your breastplate on, and you are living a godly and righteous life as the Lord commands, but unless you can stand on your feet, you are going to fall over. And so you must have a stable foundation.
Now, I have heard many pastors/preachers take this verse and talk to us about preaching the Gospel. Often this verse is used to say Paul is telling us to go evangelize and proclaim the good news. Now, the Gospel needs to be preached. Paul tells us in Romans 10:15, “How shall they hear without a preacher, and how shall anyone preach except he be sent,” and so therefore how beautiful are the feet of those who go and preach the Gospel of peace. Gospel needs to be shared, and it is our great commission, but that is not what Ephesians 6 is referring to. Ephesians 6 has nothing to do with preaching. It has nothing to do with going anywhere. What is the first word in verse 14; what is it? Stand – this is not going, this is standing. verse 11 – “that ye may be able to stand.” That’s the point. Verse 13: “That you may withstand, and having done all, to stand.” It’s all about standing, not about going. The focus here is not going and witnessing to the lost. The focus is not to preach/teach the word. The idea is to fight the devil. This is not a call for evangelism for an unbeliever, this is a conflict for a Christian. He is not talking about going anywhere and preaching, Paul is talking about standing where you are and fighting the devil. This is about our internal conflict with Satan. And thus our feet need to be shod with the good news of peace, we stand our ground; we do not slip, we don’t slide, we don’t fall when we are under attack. We must understand what Paul means by “Gospel Of Peace.” Bible tells us we are sinful from birth we are unrighteous, unjustified, weak, unsaved, and deserve the wrath of God( Romans 5:6-10). In other words, we are enemies of God. In Christ Jesus, we have a reconciliation with God. In John 14, Jesus tells us ” I give you Peace”. We have a peace treaty with God in the person of Jesus. It is a new covenant sealed by the blood of Christ. And this peace does not depend on us but on God. That’s the Gospel. The good news is that you are at peace with God. You and God are not on opposite sides anymore. You’re on the same side. God is on our side. That’s the Gospel of peace. So now Satan who is a liar tries to create doubt in your mind about salvation, whispering you are not worthy, you messed up again, etc. you can stand firm. You can tell him, you come against me all you want. Jesus is my anchor, and I am immovable because God is on my side.
A victorious Christian life is at our fingertips. The question is do we want to fight and win. Victory is guaranteed. Are you committed? Do you have a belt of truth? Do you seek to live a Holy life? Does your life reflect the faith you confess? In other words, do you have your breastplate on? And, lastly, have you put on the shoes of peace? Are you standing firm on the works of Jesus, or are you doubting the Lord? Today is the day to put on the armor and keep it on. Next time we will look at the rest of the armor. Amen
only savior jesus 