The armour of God. A study from Ephesians 6 - Part 1

Introduction

Paul’s letter to the churches in Ephesus is different from his other letters. In the other letters are more personal references and greetings. There are normally specific issues, practical or doctrinal, that are the purpose of the letter. Ephesians is not like this.

“In many respects Ephesians reads more like a sermon - in some parts more like a prayer or a mighty doxology - than a letter written to meet some special need in a church or group of churches.”

(Foulkes F. Tyndale New testament Commentaries Ephesians, 2008, p 19-20)

Perhaps this is why I love this letter so much; it is packed with great teaching and practical guidance that is obviously and readily applicable today.

We have already looked at Ephesians 1 and 2, considering the truth of who we are in Christ. In this study we are looking at Ephesians 6: 10 - 18, the armour of God. It is important to understand the context of that passage before we dive into it.

As we read this letter it seems like it all builds towards the instruction to stand in 6: 10-11. There are clear sections to this letter.

1. Chapters 1 and 2: who we are in Christ

2. Chapter 3 - 4: 16: unity in Christ, we are all one body

3. 4: 17 - 6: 9: living a Christlike life

4. 6: 10 - 18: the armour of God

In broad terms we can think of chapters 1-3 as God’s story, Paul expounding the gospel. Then 4-6 as our story, how we are to live in response to Jesus. Understanding the sections that lead up to our passage will help us to see why we need the armour of God.

Personal Question

• Take time to read the full letter and write down any challenges God is giving you.

• Ask God to help you live for Him as Paul describes.

Why we need the armour of God

The “Finally” of 6:10 is not simply a way of drawing the letter to a close. Rather it is a way of introducing the climactic point of this letter. This point is vital and seems, at first, to stand somewhat at odds with the rest of the letter, yet it is a crucial part of the whole.

When we read the letter up to this point we read Paul’s instructions for life; life in the church, as community, and as individuals. Paul is calling the church to unity in Christ.

“There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Ephesians 4: 4-6

Reading on in the letter we see Paul outline a standard for Christian living. From chapters 4, 5, and 6 we read about living as children of the light and the practical application of who we are in Christ (as described in chapters 1 and 2) in our daily lives.This covers family, relationships, work, personal characteristics, and morality.

It is after this description of the Christ-like life that Paul urges us to be strong. Why is this urging here, why is it important today? We may not talk about spiritual warfare very often but it is real. When we live as Paul describes, as passionate followers of Christ, united in Him, then resistance comes, there will be spiritual attacks. These attacks come to try and stop us living for Christ.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Ephesian 6: 12

We need to be aware of this truth; not obsessed with it, and not ignorant of it.

“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.”

(Lewis, C.S. The Screwtape Letters, 1941, Preface)

We are instructed to stand, and we need the armour of God because the spiritual battle is real.

“It is, of course, a surprise to many people that there is a ‘struggle’ at all. Yes, they think, we find it difficult from time to time to practise our Christianity. We find it hard to forgive people, to pray regularly, to resist temptation, to learn more about faith. But as far as they’re concerned that’s the end of it. They have never thought that their small struggles might be part of a larger campaign.”

(Wright, T. Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters, 2002, p73)

The spiritual battle is real, and it’s not all about large scale attacks against whole people groups, or communities. It is not all newsworthy and horrific. It is also these small daily struggles.

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.”

Ephesians 4: 14

We need to be aware of these cunning schemes, these deceitful wiles of the devil (Foulkes F. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries Ephesians, 2008, p176) if we are to stand and be strong.

Paul is encouraging us with the detail of the armour of God and also warning us of its necessity.

There is much that could be said on spiritual warfare, but that is not the focus of this study. Rather we will turn our attention to the armour of God. It is enough for our purposes here to acknowledge that this battle is real, that living for Jesus will be met with opposition, but it is always worth it.

Personal Question

• Which of the two traps, from C.S. Lewis, are you most likely to fall into?

• Ask God to help you with that.

• Ask God to help you live for Him no matter what.

Be strengthened

As we get to the armour of God Paul introduces it with the instruction to be strong in the Lord (verse 10). This reads like an instruction, something we are to do. Yet in the Greek it reads differently, coming from the root ‘endunamoõ’ meaning to ‘make strong’. It could be translated as “be continually strengthened in the Lord and in his mighty power”. This changes the emphasis, it moves our focus off our activity and on to God. It is much easier to live as Paul has described when our focus is on God and not on “Christian activity”. Yet often we can find it easier to focus on activity than on God.

We see this same word used in Romans as Paul talks about Abraham.

“Yet he [Abraham] did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God.”

Romans 4: 20

Abraham kept his focus on God, he focused on the promise giver not the promise. As Paul writes to the churches in Ephesus he is calling them to focus on the God he has described in the first three chapters as they look to live the Christian life.

We do not need to strengthen ourselves. We need to focus on Jesus and be continually strengthened by Him.

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me”

2 Corinthians 12:9

We do not need to bring our strength, or the activities we engage in good though they may be. We are to rely on the grace of Jesus. This should be a regular part of our life, a daily coming to Jesus to be strengthened by His mighty power. Jesus, in John’s gospel, calls us to continue in Him.

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

John 15: 4

Jesus is the vine, we are the branches (for more detail on this and the other “I am” statements of Jesus see the two part study; Part 1, Part 2). Paul, in Ephesians 6: 10, is saying the same thing; remain connected to Jesus. In practical terms this means coming to Him every day in worship and praise, it means handing each day over to Jesus and asking Him to strengthen you by His mighty power, it means reading the Bible to get to know Him better. All of this is part of the armour of God, as we shall see, it is all simple enough to do every day. It is, as Paul puts it, how we take our stand.

Personal Question

• Do you find it hard to come to Jesus everyday?

• Take time now to ask for him to strengthen you today.

Stand

Pauls uses the word “stand” four times in this passage, across verses 113-14. This repetition signifies importance, Paul is emphasising a point and we should ask what that point is and what it means for us today.

When we look at the Greek we see there are two words here:

• Antistēnai (a compound verb) - to withstand, resist or oppose; at the start of verse 13

• Stēnai (standard verb) - to make a stand, be present, to stop; the other three instances

These are related words with subtly different meanings. Together they convey the sense of resistance against one thing, and being present with another. Resist the devil, and be present with Jesus. These instructions to stand are clear, and Paul makes it clear what we are standing against, as we’ve already looked at.

It is interesting that we are called to stand, and stand firm, we are not called to advance, or charge, or chase down the enemy. Rather we stand. We can stand because we are made strong and empowered by God and His mighty strength.

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

James 4: 7-8

“Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

1 Peter 5: 9

Here we have two different New Testament writers pick up the same theme. The devil is prowling, he is wanting to draw people away from Jesus. We, as followers of Jesus, are to stand, to resist, to oppose him. We are to draw close to God. All of this has echoes of Moses leading the people out of Egypt.

“Moses answered the people “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Exodus 14: 13-14

We see this in Jesus. When He is in the wilderness (Matthew 4: 1-11), the devil tempts him and He stands firm. He uses the word of God, in this case Deuteronomy 6 and 8, to counter the attacks. He does not go on the offensive. Jesus stands firm in righteousness and truth.

We are called to stand, God is doing the fighting and we know that through Jesus’ death and resurrection the victory is already won. It is with faith in Jesus, trusting in Him, and following Him that we are called to stand. As we come to look more closely at the armour of God we shall see that it all helps us to stand firm; it is primarily armour not weapons.

Personal Question

• Spend time drawing close to God, tell Him where you struggle to stand.

• Ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen you.

Part two of this study is available now