Ephesians 6:10-24

We are instructed to be strong in the Lord, having the ability to stand against the devil's schemes. Preparing oneself for this is explained as wearing the full armor of God. The reason for this is because of our enemy, which is not merely of flesh and blood. The armor begins with the belt of truth, which is not the Word of God, for that is described as the sword of the Spirit which is described later on. Instead, this is truthfulness and honesty. One who does not have the belt of truth not only lies as one telling a fib, but lives a lie. They may do things like acting a certain way but not actually being or wanting to do such a thing. This may manifest itself in a person who does things for show, like pretending to be a super spiritual Christian when in reality they are lukewarm.

The breastplate of righteousness is the next piece of armor. This protects your torso, which is fairly important for it contains your heart and other important organs. This is not our own righteousness, for we all sin and fall short of God's glory. Instead, this is Jesus' imputed righteousness on us. The swap that takes place on the cross when God unleashes his wrath deserved to use onto Jesus is one where Jesus bears our sins and in return we receive Jesus' perfect life. His righteousness is the righteousness of this breastplate described in the armor of God.

The shoes or the sandals of the readiness of the gospel are naturally worn on the feet. This is of course symbolic, but it has in mind feet which are used to walk and run. We must be ready to share the gospel with others as a person is ready to go somewhere having their shoes already on. If you're caught with your shoes off, you are not ready to go somewhere, but if you're already wearing them then you're ready to go already. Be ready to share the gospel with others as a person is already ready to go somewhere since they are wearing their shoes.

The shield of faith is used to extinguish the flaming arrows or darts of the enemy. Suiting up like a soldier implies that one would act like a soldier. Soldiers naturally are involved in wars or battles. In battles, the enemy attacks and thus one wears protective equipment. The shield is used to defend against these arrows or darts which are probably being shot from afar. This shield is the shield of faith, so these attacks are defended by faith. What is the opposite of faith then? Unbelief or doubts are opposites of faith, and so this shield defends against things like doubt.

The helmet of salvation protects your head, which is fairly important. Salvation is our means of being saved and if you are a true follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, then you have salvation. However, whether you have salvation doesn't mean you actually wear this piece of armor. You can own a hockey helmet, but it doesn't mean that you wear it all the time or even wear it every time you skate. Just because you're saved doesn't mean you're always wearing the helmet of salvation. Now, I don't mean to say that just because you're not wearing the helmet doesn't mean you aren't saved. Wearing this helmet means protecting yourself against the enemy who is seeking to bring you down rather than stand. Don't get beat down by his attacks. Remember that you are saved and are a child of God. Remember and hold fast Jesus and your salvation, not allowing his schemes to get best of you.

The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. This is revealed to us through the bible, which is an awesome thing that God gave it to us and allows us to read and study. This is the only offensive piece of this armor described here in Ephesians 6. Jesus used the sword in fighting against temptation when he was tempted in the desert. Why would we stand there while the devil continuously attacks us? We should fight back instead of helplessly lying there allowing him to attack us. Use his word and study it so that you know how to use it. Soldiers practice the use of their weapons so they can use it in war. We are in a war, should we not learn and properly use our sword? If we do not, we'll helplessly flail it around or accidentally drop it when we need it.

So wear this armor. It doesn't end there either, since we are instructed to pray at all times in the Spirit. This sounds similar to pray without ceasing or pray continuously as Paul says in 1 Thessalonians. Be bold to proclaim the gospel. It's interesting how Paul describes himself as an ambassador in chains. Paul is at the time in chains and thus this letter is written from prison. This brings to light the idea of being a slave to Christ. Paul is commissioned by Christ and obligated to others to tell them about this good news of the gospel. As he mentioned earlier, both a slave and a master are both slaves to God.

Tychicus is being sent to them by Paul. He will give them an update about Paul and hopefully encourage the believers in Ephesus.