Warriors Of God
WARRIORS OF GOD
EPHESIANS 6:10-17
It’s an overwhelming thought that Christians face the “schemes of the devil,” but God gives us the strength and tools to withstand evil powers.
Conflict in the spiritual realm is a natural part of the Christian life. Many Christians today no longer have an awareness of the reality of the demonic world, but Paul’s awesome description of the spiritual forces against which the church contends must be taken seriously. The apostle insists that our conflict is ultimately with Satan and his hosts (6:11-13). Christ alone has subdued the demonic powers (see 1:20-23) and consequently he gives the Christian strength for conflict with Satan (6:10).
Paul urges the believers to put on the whole armor of God (6:11,13), and he proceeds to describe its parts. While his description may owe something to the Roman soldiers he saw around him while he was confined, its primary inspiration is drawn from Isaiah 59:17, which describes God as arming himself in order to rescue his oppressed people (see also Isaiah 11:4; 52:7). The influence of this passage from Isaiah is evident in this passage in 6:14-15,17.
The purpose of the belt was to hold the clothes in place in order to prevent their interference with movement. Truthfulness or sincerity constitutes the belt of the Christian warrior and holds together the other qualities in life. The breastplate protected the heart, lungs and other vital organs of the body. Like the divine warrior described by Isaiah, the believer protects himself by their integrity (6:14). An important part of the Roman soldier’s equipment were the military boots designed for long marches over terrain of every description. God’s warrior must be prepared to carry the gospel everywhere in response to the command of Christ (6:15).
After describing the clothes of the soldier, Paul speaks of his implements for battle. Faith is compared to an oblong shield, offering protection to the whole body. The unusual term Paul uses denotes a shield constructed of wood and covered with a thick hide. Arrows stuck in the hide, but they could not set it on fire even when they were loaded with flaming pitch.
When a believer experiences conflict, faith in Christ’s presence is like that kind of shield because it offers total protection against all the insidious attacks of the demonic hosts (6:16). The helmet of salvation identifies the Christian as a warrior of God because the helmet bears the divine crest. Christians have the assurance of their salvation, which permits them to focus all their energies on the battle at hand. The weapon used is as spiritual as the warfare (see 2 Corinthians 10:3-6). They trust in the written word of God and in every form of Christian utterance that is prompted by the Spirit of God (see Mark 13:11). Because they are equipped in this way, Christians may fight courageously for Christ even against spiritual forces greater than themselves.