When the Apostle Paul was writing Ephesians
6:14-17, he was thinking of a Roman soldier dressed in armor. If anyone had intimate
knowledge of Roman weaponry, it was Paul because of his frequent imprisonments.
He had viewed many Roman soldiers fully equipped from head to toe.
The rise of the Roman Empire was due
to the well-equipped Roman Soldier who was trained in strategy, weaponry,
defense, and understanding the enemy. Using the Roman Soldier's armor as a
visual example, below is an explanation of Paul’s message:
1.
“So stand strong,
with the belt of truth tied
around your waist…” (Ephesians 6:14, ICB)
The Roman soldier put
a wide loin belt (with loops) around his waist that held such objects as a
sword, darts, ropes, and a ration sack. When the soldiers conquered a city,
they would empty ration sacks to make room for gold and jewelry. The belt was
tied in several places to stay in place, so that no matter how the soldier
moved the belt was always in place with weapons at the ready. If the belt
were not on straight, this would cut down on efficiency in battle (and may even
cost him his life).
The belt was the
first thing that the soldier put on. Just as God’s commandments are first thing
a Christian must put on. Without the belt of truth, we have no foundation on
which to base our warfare with the enemy. As
we get everything that is untruthful out of our lives, we become more like
Jesus (and safer from spiritual attack).
2.
“…and having on the
breastplate of righteousness.” (Ephesians 6:14, BRG)
The Roman’s
armor design proved to be light weight, with ease of movement, and protection
from blows. This breastplate was attached to the belt by leather thongs passed
through rings on the bottom to keep it solidly attached. One key area the
Soldier's breastplate protected was the heart. It is a weapon of defense
against all those slanderous accusations, and outrageous strategies of the
devil. We are righteous in God's sight because of what Jesus’ death and
resurrection has done for us. Spiritually, we need to protect out hear from the
enemy.
3.
“Above
all, take up the shield of faith
with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil
one.” (Ephesians
6:16, TLV)
The Romans
had a long, rectangular, knees-to-chin shield which protected from arrows and
spears and could be knelt behind during an arrow barrage. It was quite a bit
heavier and clumsier that the smaller Greek circular shield; but there was a
series of exercises, a manual of arms, designed to give the soldier flexibility
and strength in the use of the shield. Groups of soldier who were besieging a
town could form close together and hold their shields over their heads to make
a huge circle to protect the group from fiery arrows.
The Roman
shield stands for the faith of the believer in the promises of God. The value
of faith lies not in the person exercising it, but in the person whom the faith
is in. Faith is something that all people possess and use every day. Remember
it is God that fights with you, and that is your protection. Focusing on God’s faithfulness can block temptations
that attack us.
4.
“And
take the helmet of salvation…” (Ephesians
6:17, TLV)
The Romans
had the best helmet of the ancient world. Many other nations used helmets of
cloth wrappings, animal hides or bones, or hooves. The Roman helmet had
chinstrap, visor, and came down to cover the back and sides of the neck.
Officers' helmets had a ridge on top on which was mounted plumage or some sort
of brush, depending on the rank. The parts of the Roman helmet were: a lining
of leather, softened for comfort and good fit; the helmet itself which was a
bronze cast for the soldier (or iron alloy for officers); a metal crest for the
plume; and a chinstrap. The highest ranking officers had gold and silver alloy
helmets for parade dress.
The helmet of salvation
protects our thoughts because Satan accuses and lies to us. The greatest battlefield is in our
minds. This is the area that the enemy wants to attack the most. One key area
he wants to damage is our assurance of salvation. We must be on guard on what
we let run free in our minds. Satan has blinded the world, and he will do the
same to the unsuspecting or careless Christian. We must have a clear mind to be
discerning in all situations.
5.
…and
the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.” (Ephesians
6:17, TLV)
The Apostle Paul spoke
of one of five different types of Roman swords. This one was a two-edged sword
with the end turned upward. It inflicted much more damage than the other
swords. Not only was it intended to kill, but also it could rip the enemy's
insides to shreds. It only needed to penetrate the enemy a depth of two to
three inches to mortally wound him. Another advantage to this sword is
that the soldier did not have to turn his sword around to inflict damage to the
enemy. It cut in two directions. This was seen as a very deadly and powerful
weapon.
The Bible is a powerful personal weapon. When
Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, He quoted His Father's words with
authority. Consequently, each word was like a sword-blow to Satan's head. All
believers are ambassadors of Christ. God speaks with ultimate authority in the
universe. When we speak the Bible
according to His will, there is no power in the universe that can overtake Him.
The sword of the spirit is the Word of
God. We must become skilled in using the scripture,
6.
“…
Your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” (Ephesians
6:15, NIVUK)
Some
historians credit footwear as one of the greatest reasons why the Roman army
was so victorious over its enemies. The Roman soldier was equipped with
footwear that had spikes on the soles, and provided them superior posture in
battle on uneven terrain.
In martial
arts, the stance is the most important move and is what is practiced first.
God’s peace will help you to stand unmoved by the devil's lies. It will protect
you when you walk through the rough places in the heat of a battle. These spiritual shoes represent the willingness to
share with others the message of salvation. It’s important to understand the
truth about Jesus well enough to explain it to others because this helps you
remain strong in the midst of battle. [i]
“We’re not waging war against enemies of
flesh and blood alone. No, this fight is against tyrants, against authorities,
against supernatural powers and demon princes that slither in the
darkness of this world, and against wicked spiritual armies that lurk about in heavenly places.” (Ephesians
6:12, VOICE)
[i] Sources used:
·
“6 Pieces of Armor for Spiritual War” by Joy
“6 Pieces of Armor for Spiritual War” by Joy
·
“Full Armor of
God” http://www.christianarsenal.com/Christian_Arsenal/Full_Armor_of_God.html
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