The armor of God
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Paul here brings the cosmic battle down to the individual encounters the Christian is caught up in “when the day of evil comes,” that is, when he is assailed by sharp temptation or opposition. It is then that he will need a good defense system.
The military items Paul enumerates were the standard equipment of an infantryman in the Roman army. He mentions five pieces of defensive armor and one offensive weapon. The five defensive pieces combined make up the “full armor” that Paul uses as his picture of the spiritual protection God provides for the believer.
In its literal, military sense the “belt . . . around your waist” is the section of armor strapped on to protect the soldier’s midsection and thighs, whereas the “breastplate” covered his upper body. He had his “feet fitted” with appropriate shoes or boots and wore a “helmet” to protect his head. He used a round shield to ward off sword and spear thrusts or to deflect flying missiles in the form of arrows or thrown javelins.
Paul attaches spiritual significance to the various pieces of military hardware. He does not seem to intend that the “belt” should stand for “truth” and nothing else, or that the “breastplate” can represent only “righteousness.”
Rather, Paul is drawing together the various aspects of Christ’s redemptive work that the Christian is to rally to when he comes under attack. Hence we need not try to find distinguishing features among “truth,” “righteousness,” and “salvation.” Nor need we search for some difference between “faith” and the “readiness” that the gospel brings.
The power is God’s, and it’s all there for us. Paul’s point is, When attacked, look to Christ’s work as your defense.
However, the Christian doesn’t just have to hunker down and ride out the storm. He has one weapon of offense—and he needs no other! He has the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Armed with this, he not only can defend himself but go on the offensive as well, for that Word is “living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow” (Hebrews 4:12).
Using God’s Word, the Christian can rout any of the “powers of this dark world” or the “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” It only remains for him to be faithful in his use of the Word and regularly to turn to his almighty Lord in prayer.