Stand Firm in God's Armor

STAND FIRM IN GOD’S ARMOR

An Exposition of Ephesians 6:10-20

By Pastor Brian Wilbur

Date: July 28, 2024

Series: Special Occasions

Note: Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard   Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

INTRODUCTION

I invite you to turn to Ephesians 6. At this coming week’s Vacation Bible School, the children will be taught about what it means to stand firm in God’s armor. I thought that it would be good to devote one sermon to the same topic, by unpacking Ephesians 6:10-20.

THE SCRIPTURAL TEXT

Holy Scripture says:

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:10-20)

WALKING THROUGH THE TEXT

If anyone has the thought, after hearing this sermon, that we barely scratched the surface, that would be correct. I have in my library a 500-page book by William Gouge on the whole armor of God. Another 17th-century work, which I don't have in my library, is by William Gurnall about Christians standing in God’s armor, and it runs to about 1200 pages. And the 20th-century preacher, Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones, who preached several dozens of sermons on every passage, preached several dozen sermons on Ephesians 6:10-20. So, we are just scratching the surface this morning. We are just cracking the door open and hopefully giving you a line of thought and encouragement to press into in your walk with the Lord.

There are five points that I want to call to your attention, and then I will conclude with some application to lead us into our prayer time.

1. The Nature of the Battle (v. 12)

First, you must understand the nature of the battle that you are in. The battle is a spiritual one, as verse 12 says:

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

Every single Christian believer, every Christian household, and every Christian congregation faces stiff opposition from the powers of darkness. Satan desires to have you, confuse you, blind you, and take you captive to do his will. Satan’s intent is to lead you away from single-minded devotion to Christ. Satan’s plan of attack is to deceive you, incite you to pride, and make you embittered against people you should love. Satan wants you to doubt God, believe lies, and twist Scripture. Satan will strike against you and your loved ones, until he succeeds at knocking you off balance and causing you to fall down.

All of us realize, to one degree or another, that life in this fallen world is characterized by conflicts, difficulties, and trials. The problem is that we often misidentify the actual problem. There can be no doubt that in this very season – and in every season – within the life of our congregation, there are swirling about in our heads and conversations various attempts to misidentify the actual problem. We often assume that our adversaries are mainly people (“flesh and blood”), or earthly circumstances (everything has turned against me!), or physical conditions (poverty or disease), or tangible objects (if only the Smartphone had never come to me!). While these things are often participants in the conflict, they are not the primary combatants. It is especially tempting to turn people into our primary adversaries, but this is especially detrimental:

“But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.” (Galatians 5:15)

It is not difficult to imagine how our relationships with one another goes sideways, for within our family and congregation and relational network, we disappoint, frustrate, and offend each other often enough. Nevertheless, we must be resolved to make war against our sin and our sinful reactions, and pursue peace with one another:

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32)

The alternative is to make peace with our sin, and to make war against each other, which results in embittered relationships becoming a dwelling place for demons. When we yield to anger and bitterness, we grieve the Holy Spirit and give the devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:26-31).

So, we have to reckon with the true nature of the spiritual battle that we are in. We are in a battle against evil – a battle that transcends people and politics. We are opposed by evil powers that operate in the unseen realm. Paul uses four terms to refer to these sinister forces: rulers, authorities, “cosmic powers over this present darkness”, “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”. Paul also referred to “the devil” at the end of verse 11 and to “the evil one” at the end of verse 16. The evil powers of verse 12 are the devil’s agents, the devil’s messengers, the devil’s league of demonic powers and unclean spirits who make war against God and God’s image-bearers.

Needless to say, rightly identifying the problem is crucial to navigating and overcoming the problem. Physical problems require physical resources; financial problems require financial resources; political problems require political resources; educational problems require educational resources; and so on. So many people think and act as if their primary problem is found in the visible earthly realm, and so they seek tangible earthly resources to combat the problem. In verse 12, the Lord is teaching us that our primary problem is spiritual in nature, and thus we need special resources that are suitable for a spiritual battlefield.

2. Your Goal in the Battle (v. 11, 13, 18, 19-20)

Second, you must have a clear view of your goal in the battle. Your goal is to stand firm as God’s representative on the battlefield. Think about the context of Ephesians 1-6: God has bestowed upon you His gracious salvation upon you, His people – those of you who believe in Him. He has raised you from spiritual death and brought you into His family. He is restoring your character to reflect His holy character. He has called us to peace within the body of Christ, and to walk in love toward one another, and to practice godliness in our homes as husbands and wives and parents and children. That is the work of God in our lives, and we are called to stand firm in all of these good things that God has worked into us individually and congregationally as a body of believers.

We are outfitted “to stand against the schemes of the devil” (v. 11). The goal is “to withstand in the evil day” (v. 13). When is the evil day? There may be especially evil days, and there may be a climactic final evil day sometime in the future, and there may be times of special and intense testing along the way, and yet at the same time we recognize that every day is evil and dangerous “because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16). The goal is, “having done all, to stand firm” (Ephesians 6:13).

Another goal is for the gospel to keep advancing. This is implied in verse 15, that “the readiness given by the gospel of peace” gives us the footing, stability, and mobility required to proclaim the gospel message far and wide. The aim of gospel advance is specifically mentioned in verses 19-20, when Paul requests that his brothers and sisters pray for him, that he would be a faithful and wise ambassador who boldly proclaims the message of the gospel.

Our goal, then, is to be a church of faithful believers standing firm together in God’s good purpose for our lives, standing strong against the enemy and the enemy’s lies, bearing good fruit that glorifies and honors Christ, and carrying the message of the gospel to the ends of the earth.

3. Your Responsibility in the Battle (v. 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19)

Third, you must embrace your responsibility in the battle. God did not ordain that you sit this one out. God did not ordain that you watch the battle from a safe distance – not that there is a safe distance, mind you. God did not ordain that others fight on the battlefield while you luxuriate at a five-star resort. It might be okay for you to be a spectator at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, but it is not okay for you to be a spectator on the spiritual battlefield.

So, let me call your attention to some of the verbs in these eleven verses, which make it very clear that we must assume the role of an active combatant:

• “be strong in the Lord” (v. 10)
• “Put on the whole armor of God” (v. 11)
• “take up the whole armor of God” (v. 13)
• “Stand” (v. 14)
• “praying” (v. 18)
• “keep alert” (v. 18)

Do you ever get into a day and quickly find yourself overwhelmed, outmatched, and subdued by all the people, circumstances, and needs that are shouting at you? Instead of standing firm in God’s armor, you rushed ahead in your own strength and immediately became a sitting duck for a junior officer in Satan’s army. It wasn’t 9:00am yet, and you already needed a field hospital to dress your wounds and nurse you back to repentance. Don’t feel bad – we’ve all been there. The point, though, is that God requires of us activities of spiritual preparedness, spiritual alertness, and spiritual engagement in combat. These activities are not self-willed, but commanded by our Captain as part of our service in His army.

I say to each and every one of you: you must be actively involved in your own spiritual defense, in your own protection against the enemy, and in your own progress as a Christian growing into maturity. The instruction that Paul gave Timothy is applicable to every believer: “train yourself for godliness” (1 Timothy 4:7) and “pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace” (2 Timothy 2:22).

4. Your Strength for the Battle (v. 10)

Fourth, you must know where your strength for the battle comes from. Whenever we talk about our activities and our responsibilities, which we must do because God assigns certain responsibilities and activities to us, nevertheless there is a risk that we will get to thinking that the successful carrying out of our responsibilities depends on our own strength. It doesn’t. In and of ourselves, we are weak and unfit for the battle. Left to our own best efforts, we will falter and fail. The famous hymn tells the truth:

“Did we in our own strength confide,

Our striving would be losing,

Were not the right man on our side,

The man of God’s own choosing.

Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He–

Lord Sabaoth His name, From age to age the same,

And He must win the battle.”[1]

In Ephesians 1, Paul prayed that Christians would know and understand “what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ Jesus when he raised him from the dead” (Ephesians 1:19-20). God employs His death-defeating power on our behalf. In Ephesians 3, Paul prayed that the Father would “grant [us] to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in [our] inner being, so that Christ may dwell in [our] hearts through faith” (Ephesians 3:16-17), toward the goal that we “be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19). In Ephesians 5 we are instructed: “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). In other words, don’t be under the controlling influence of alcohol, but instead be under the controlling influence of God’s Spirit.

All this leads up to Ephesians 6:10 – “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” How will we not undermine but actually build up the body of Christ? How will we put away the sins of the old man and put on the character of Christ? How will we navigate strained relationships and experience peace within the church family? How will we live righteously and sacrificially as husbands and wives, as parents and children, as masters and servants? How will we resist temptation on all these fronts and remain faithful to the Lord? How will we stay the course and not make a shipwreck of our lives? Not by walking in our own wisdom and strength, but by trusting in the Lord and relying on His strength. David was in a real fix in 1 Samuel 30: King Saul of Israel was against him, the commanders of the Philistines were against him, the Amalekites had burned the town where he lived and had taken captive all the wives and children of him and his men, and some of his own men were talking about stoning him. He might well have thought that everyone and everything was against him. What did David do? He “strengthened himself in the LORD his God” (1 Samuel 30:6)! You must do the same thing! It doesn’t matter who or what is against you. If God is for you, then you have everything you need, and yet you must actively seek His face in order to be strengthened by Him.

Apart from Christ we can do nothing, therefore we must abide in Him and draw nourishment from Him (John 15:4-8). We must internalize the faith expressed in the psalms:

“I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.” (Psalm 18:1-3)

Our strength is not found in tricks, formulas, mantras, religious rituals, or mystical practices. Our strength is found in the personal God, and we discover His strength as we walk in fellowship with Him, and as we treasure and obey His words. Remember: the Lord created the world out of nothing by the word of His power, the Lord redeemed the children of Israel from the land of slavery, the Lord answered the prayer of Elijah and sent fire to consume the altar, the Lord turned water into wine and turned five loaves and two fishes into a meal for thousands, the Lord healed the sick and sent demons packing, the Lord took our sins and carried them to the place of judgment, the Lord vanquished the power of death and opened the door to heaven. The arm of the flesh is a vain hope for success, but the Lord’s own arm wins salvation for His people. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5) The Lord is our strength in the spiritual battle.

5. Your Outfit for the Battle (v. 11, 13)

Fifth, you must wear and wield your divinely ordained outfit for the battle. Your outfit is “the whole armor of God” (v. 11, 13). Your outfit is perfectly suited to the occasion. Athletic wear is suited for track and field; formal wear is suited for weddings and banquets; and business attire is suited for the office. But the active spiritual battlefield requires a warrior’s outfit.

This armor is given to us by God

This phrase “the whole armor of God” points us to two important things about this armor. The fact that “the whole armor of God” is ours to “take up” (v. 13) and “[put] on” (v. 11) means that this armor is given to us by God. Our divine Commander in Chief has furnished us with an outfit that is suitable for the spiritual battlefield. If you know that you wrestle against “the cosmic powers over this present darkness”, and if you know that your Commander in Chief has given you a complete outfit of armor for your protection and success, but you refuse to exert yourself to take it up and put it on, then where does that leave you? Would you meet an opponent on the tennis court with a ping pong paddle? Would you shovel snow on a cold winter morning with flip-flops on your feet and a teaspoon in your hand? If the enemy was approaching you with battle tanks, would you ride against them on bicycles and mopeds? Yes, it’s a humorous look – but honestly, this is the way many Christians look in the midst of the battle, because they are facing the powers of darkness on the spiritual equivalent of bicycles and mopeds. Don’t you know what God has provided for you? Don’t you know His promises? Don’t you know His strength? Don’t you know His equipment that He has graciously given to you? In the physical realm, you make a regular habit of having the right outfit and the right tools for the occasion. And yet if we are lulled into complacency on the spiritual battlefield, should we really be surprised that life and family and relationships and worship aren’t working out so well for us?

This armor is the armor that God wears

The phrase “the whole armor of God” also teaches us that the armor of God is, in fact, the armor that God Himself wears. If the Lord outfitted us in gear that He didn’t wear but knew that we needed to wear, that would give us reason enough to wear it, because He is the Lord and He knows best. But when we consider the reality that the Lord outfits us in gear that He Himself wears, this should encourage us to pay closer attention.

Isaiah 59 describes the deplorable spiritual condition of Israel: there is bloodshed, evil, dishonesty, lying words, and multiplied transgressions; the land is without justice, without righteousness, without truth, without peace, and without an intercessor to stand in the gap. That is the context in which we are told:

“[Then the LORD’s] own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him. He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head” (Isaiah 59:16b-17a).

The Lord intends for us to see Him as the Divine Warrior, outfitted with the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation, going forth to redeem His people and judge His adversaries.

An earlier passage in Isaiah teaches us about the Lord Messiah:

“Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.” (Isaiah 11:5)

We also know that from the mouth of the Lord Messiah “[comes] a sharp two-edged sword” (Revelation 1:16), which correlates with God’s words functioning as a spiritual sword in our hands on the battlefield.

The God-Man, Jesus Christ, is the Divine Warrior who puts on the armor of truth, righteousness, faithfulness, and salvation, and now as His followers we are called to put on the same armor that He Himself wears. Romans 13:14 tells us to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ”; Ephesians 5:1 exhorts us to “be imitators of God”; and Ephesians 6:11-13 tells us to put on God’s armor – the armor that God wears and that God wills for us to wear, also.

This armor highlights the believer’s high position

Our calling to wear God’s armor highlights the high position and honor that God confers upon His people. Imagine an army in which the members of the high command, and a few elite fighting forces, are given the best gear, the best resources, the best protection, the best supplies, whereas the mass of foot soldiers are expected to rush the enemy ill-equipped and ill-defended. But in God’s kingdom of grace, from God Himself to the least saint, the armor is of the same exquisite quality for all. Men and women, old and young, parents and children, seasoned disciples and brand new believers – each one of us is commissioned into the Lord’s army and is expected to wear and wield the same gear that belongs to our Commander in Chief. The greatest saint among us still needs to take up and put on the whole armor of God. The least saint among us is already qualified by God’s grace to take up and put on the whole armor of God.

Brothers and sisters, as we stand in the strength of the Lord and His almighty power, and as we operate in the equipment of the Lord’s complete and holy armor, then will we “be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (v. 11). God’s armor – obediently put on, faithfully worn, and wisely applied – is the guarantee of our protection and success on the battlefield.

An important comment about the pieces of armor

Specific pieces of armor are highlighted in verses 14-17. Before briefly highlighting these armor pieces, I want to make an important comment. The qualities and virtues associated with God’s armor pieces are capable of being understood in more than one sense. And honestly, I’m not sure that Paul intends us to pin down the meaning to one sense only. These are metaphors (belt, breastplate, helmet, etc.), and they invite us to think about all that Scripture teaches on the corresponding subject (truth, righteousness, salvation, etc.). What do I mean that the qualities associated with the armor pieces may be understood in more than one sense? Well, consider these questions. Is the belt of truth the objective truth of God, or is it our learning to be His truthful and sincere followers? Is the breastplate of righteousness the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, or is it our walking in practical righteousness? Is the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace our being anchored in the gospel of peace, or is it our practicing peace as a community of believers centered around the gospel, or is it our proclaiming the gospel to an unbelieving world? Is the shield of faith referring to the objective content of our faith (God’s promises!), or is it referring to the subjective act of putting our confidence in and exercising faith in the Word of God? To such questions, I like to answer: Yes! Generally speaking, I would say that it is wise and necessary to begin with the objective reality of what God has said and done. This armor, after all, is His armor – His character, virtue, and power in action achieving His good and perfect will. And then we’re called to put that on and to take refuge, as it were, in God’s character and in God’s mighty deeds, in which we must be rooted. And yet, these objective realities must absolutely get worked out practically in transformed lives.

The belt of truth (v. 14)

It is instructive that the first specific aspect of armor mentioned is truth: “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth” (v. 14). Translators understandably assume that the reference to a belt is implied, but the phrase more literally says, Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth. The Christian warrior’s first action as he or she prepares for the battle is to be girt with truth! God’s truth as revealed in Scripture is definitive of all the armor: regarding the breastplate of righteousness, Scripture reveals the truth concerning righteousness; regarding the gospel of peace, Scripture reveals the truth of the gospel; regarding the shield of faith, Scripture reveals the truth about God’s character and God’s promises, which must be the object of our faith; regarding the helmet of salvation, Scripture reveals the truth about salvation; and regarding the sword of the Spirit, verse 17 tells us plainly that the Spirit’s sword “is the word of God” – and Scripture itself reveals the true words of God. In a very real sense, “the whole armor of God” is the entire body of truth revealed in Scripture, which we must take up by faith and faithfully apply to the temptations and trials that we face.

And as a matter of fact, the foundational role of truth is perfectly suited to the nature of our enemy’s attack, which is lies. Jesus teaches us that the devil “does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Everything that comes out of the devil, everything that the devil throws at us, is a lie, deceit, illusion, half-truth, twists and turns that he leads us down. And the only way to be able to discern truth from error – the only way to be able to spot a lie that would injure us – is to be saturated with the Word of God. If you are not saturated with God’s Word, then you are a sitting duck for the enemy’s lies. We must be anchored in the truth.

The breastplate of righteousness (v. 14)

A breastplate protects your heart and other vital organs. And so, the breastplate of righteousness – what Scripture reveals to be true about righteousness – is vital to your spiritual protection. You must know and understand the doctrine of imputed righteousness: in and of yourself you are a sinner who cannot do anything to make yourself righteous in God’s sight, but God imputes Christ’s righteousness to you the moment you first believe in Him. The doctrine of imputed righteousness simply means that Christ is your righteousness. You must also know and understand the doctrine of practical righteousness: those who have been justified by God’s grace must proceed to grow in a lifestyle of practical righteousness and practical obedience. Spiritually speaking, it is not safe to walk in paths of unrighteousness, wickedness, and disobedience. One of the ways that the Lord keeps us safe is by leading us in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Proper footwear (v. 15)

No one wants to traverse difficult terrain without proper footwear. Feet are easily bruised, and toes are easily stubbed. We need footwear that is durable, able to absorb impact, and allows for maximal mobility. For us Christian believers, our spiritual footwear is “the readiness given by the gospel of peace” (v. 15). The gospel of peace gives us a ready, well-prepared, and firm footing by which we can stand firm in the battle. What this means, first and foremost, is that we ourselves are standing secure in God’s grace (Romans 5:2 and 1 Peter 5:12), standing secure in the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1), and standing firm in our faith in God’s promises (2 Corinthians 1:18-24). You know who you are in Christ, you know whose you are, and you know the One who upholds you by His own steadfast love and faithfulness. Such firmly footed people don’t shrink back from the battle, but stand their ground and press on.

That said, the gospel of peace is given to us not only so that we have a firm footing, but also so that we have a clear message to proclaim to others. We aren’t on the battlefield for the sole purpose of survival; we are also on the battle field for the sake of mission, to declare the gospel of peace and make new disciples, that is, to bring more sinners out of this present darkness and into the light of the Lord. And so, it is virtually impossible to read Ephesians 6:15 without remembering Isaiah 52:7, which brings together the concepts of feet, gospel or good news, and peace:

“How beautiful upon the mountain are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”” (Isaiah 52:7)

Understood in the New Testament sense, we bring good news to the Jew first, but also to the Gentile; to Zion, and to the whole world. We don’t traverse the battlefield with bitter complaints about the hardships that we have to face in warfare “against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (v. 12). Such grumbling is not fitting for soldiers who are enlisted in the gracious King’s army. What Paul told Timothy is applicable to us all: “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 2:3) Are you a good soldier? Good soldiers firmly rooted in the gospel of peace are not known for circulating complaints. Instead they are known for publishing God’s message of salvation, God’s word of grace and peace, God’s good news of great joy for all who believe. If your mindset is to wrestle against flesh and blood, then you will make war against the fleshly man who opposes you. But if your mindset is to wrestle against the devil and his minions, then you will seek to deliver your human opponents from the devil’s grip by preaching the gospel of peace to them.

The shield of faith (v. 16)

The defensive weapon is “the shield of faith”, which must be taken up and wielded “[in] all circumstances” order to “extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one”. The devil is assaulting you with “flaming darts” – with lying words and deceitful promises – all day long. Entertainment is there to distract you, media is there to confuse you, social media is there to make you anxious, advertisements are there to make you feel discontent, gossips and slanderers are there to stir up a critical spirit, politics is there to convince you to put your confidence in men – so many lies are coming at us all the time. How do you combat the lies of the enemy? By lifting high the shield of faith, remembering God’s promises, and standing firm upon His Word.

The helmet of salvation (v. 17)

Though I don’t have time to get into it, I would also point out that even as a helmet protects your head, so “the helmet of salvation” – that is, all that Scripture teaches concerning the great salvation that God confers upon His people – is crucial to the protection of your mind. A mind not fixed on Scriptural truth is a mind prone to confusion, darkness, and misdirection. We understand and rest in the triumphant salvation that our King has already achieved for us, even as we also wait expectantly for Him to bring about the consummation of our salvation on the last day.

The sword of the Spirit (v. 17)

The offensive weapon is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”. It is interesting that in verse 17, the taking of the sword of the Spirit is conjoined to the taking of the helmet of salvation, and that this taking of the helmet and the sword is meant to bear fruit in unceasing prayer (v. 18-20). Isn’t this remarkable? We make progress on the battlefield through prayer. Having this one offensive weapon, the Spirit’s sword which is God’s Word, and being grounded in all that Scripture teaches concerning salvation – while we certainly proclaim these things with our mouths – these things must especially become the focus and heartbeat of our prayers. The helmet of salvation points to a well-grounded, well-guarded mind full of Scriptural truth, and the sword of the Spirit points to a Spirit-governed, spiritually sensitive mind that is able to take specific words of Scripture and wield them wisely, pointedly, and in a timely fashion, in prayer.

APPLICATION

With that in mind, let me share an application that will help to prepare us for our time of prayer. Over and over again, Scripture teaches us that the two things that matter most are the Word of God and prayer. Here in Ephesians 6:10-20, all the Scriptural knowledge of the truth concerning salvation, righteousness, and peace, are meant to find expression in spiritually vital prayer:

“praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (v. 18).

What should we be praying about? The prayer of verses 18-20 cannot be separated from the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God) in verse 17, and really cannot be separated from any of the instruction. Can we be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might while being prayerless? Taking up the sword of the Spirit and praying in the Spirit, are closely connected. We must pray for God’s Word to get worked out in people’s lives.

The recurrence of “all” in verse 18 is intentional and important. How often? At all times. What types of requests should we be making? All prayer and supplication, all that is consistent with God’s revealed plan for our lives. How engaged should we be? With a view toward frequent prayer, we should be alert with all perseverance. For whom should we pray? For all the saints, which means all true Christian believers throughout the world, and this certainly includes all the brothers and sisters within our own church family.

So let’s get the picture here. Ephesians 6:10-20 teaches us to see that our brothers and sisters are in a spiritual battle, having to wrestle against powers and forces that are far beyond their own ability to handle. Your brothers and sisters are prone to lose heart; they are vulnerable to temptation; they can drift from the pure teaching of God’s Word; they can be timid and lose their nerve; they can suffer blows and setbacks in their spiritual walk; their marriages and families can come under attack; they can be overwhelmed by the fiery darts that are daily shot at them; they can grow weary in doing good; they can be sinking amid difficulties and forgetting about the Lord’s faithfulness. And my question is: what are you doing about it? What are you going to do about it? Are you going to be a spectator to the battle wounds of your brothers and sisters? Are you going to watch people stumble and fall? Are you going to be Monday morning quarterback who has shiny pearls of criticism for everyone else? Or are you going to be right in the middle of the battle, helmet on, girded with truth, guarded by righteousness, made ready by the gospel, shielded by faith, fiery darts whizzing by, sounds of combat all around, evil rearing its ugly head, little fires breaking out, the devil busy waging a misinformation campaign – but there you are, faithful at your post, standing amid people that you love, and with your sword in the air you are praying for all your brothers and sisters (v. 18), and praying also for preachers, that they may have courage and wisdom to boldly declare the truth of the gospel (v. 19-20). 

If South Paris Baptist Church successfully withstands the evil of our day and its members stand firm together in God’s holy purpose, and if we stand our ground and grow together in Christian love, a big part of the explanation will be that, by God’s grace, we took the Word of God seriously enough to pray like crazy for one another.

ENDNOTES

[1] From the hymn “A Might Fortress Is Our God”, written by Martin Luther and translated by Frederick H. Hedge.