Dressed for War: The Christian Uniform
Introduction: A Playground or a Battlefield?
The modern evangelical church has, in many quarters, traded the battlefield for a playground. We have exchanged the sword for a sentimental song, the helmet of salvation for a therapeutic session, and the call to stand firm for an invitation to sit comfortably. We have been taught that the Christian life is primarily about personal fulfillment, emotional healing, and being nice. But the Apostle Paul, writing from a prison cell, would not recognize this domesticated version of the faith. For him, the Christian life is not a quiet retreat; it is total war.
We are enlisted in a cosmic conflict, whether we acknowledge it or not. There is no neutral ground, no demilitarized zone. You are either a soldier under the banner of King Jesus or a casualty under the dominion of the prince of this world. The devil is not a metaphor for our bad impulses, and his schemes are not simply the unfortunate consequences of poor choices. He is a real, personal, and intelligent adversary who commands a hierarchy of spiritual forces dedicated to the ruin of mankind and the defiance of God. To treat this reality as a relic of a pre-scientific age is not sophistication; it is suicidal negligence. It is to walk onto the battlefield in your pajamas, armed with nothing but good intentions.
Paul's purpose in this section is to wake us up from our slumber. He is not trying to scare us, but to prepare us. He is not describing a special forces operation for a few elite Christians, but the standard issue reality for every single believer. This is basic training. If you are in Christ, you are in a war. The only question is whether you will be a good soldier or a foolish one. And the difference lies in whether you are wearing the uniform God has provided.
The Text
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the might of His strength. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. In addition to all, having taken up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one, also receive THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times with all prayer and petition in the Spirit, and to this end, being on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, as well as on my behalf, that words may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains so that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
(Ephesians 6:10-20 LSB)
The Source of Strength and the Nature of the War (vv. 10-12)
The first thing a soldier must know is where his strength comes from and who he is fighting.
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the might of His strength. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil." (Ephesians 6:10-11)
The command is "be strong," but notice the location: "in the Lord." This is not a call to muster up your own grit. This is not a pep talk for self-reliance. The verb is a passive imperative, meaning "be strengthened." You are to allow yourself to be made strong by a power outside of yourself. Our strength is derivative. We are the moon, He is the sun. We are the branch, He is the vine. A Christian trying to fight in his own strength is like a lamp trying to shine without being plugged in. The first principle of spiritual warfare is a radical dependence on the omnipotent might of God.
Because the strength is His, the armor is also His. We are to "put on the full armor of God." It is not armor we have manufactured, but armor He has provided. Our task is simply to put it on. The purpose is defensive: "to stand firm." This is the posture of a soldier holding a critical position against an onslaught. The devil's primary tactic is not a frontal assault but "schemes." The Greek word is methodeia, from which we get our word "method." The devil is a strategist. He uses cunning, deception, and methodical craftiness. He tailors his temptations to our specific weaknesses. He whispers lies that sound almost like the truth. To stand against him requires more than sincerity; it requires divine equipment.
Paul then clarifies the nature of the enemy.
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12)
This verse is a bucket of ice water on all our misdirected animosities. The difficult person at work, the corrupt politician, the hostile family member, they are not the ultimate enemy. They may be instruments of the enemy, but our fight is not with them. Our wrestling match, our hand-to-hand combat, is with a structured, intelligent, and malevolent spiritual hierarchy. Paul lists them out: rulers, authorities, world forces, spiritual forces. This is an organized army. They operate in this present "darkness" and their arena is the "heavenly places," the unseen spiritual realm that intersects with our own. To ignore this is to spend all your time fighting the puppets while the puppeteer remains untouched and unopposed.
The Divine Wardrobe (vv. 13-17)
Having identified the enemy, Paul details the equipment God provides for the fight. The command is repeated: "take up the full armor of God." The goal is to be able to resist "in the evil day," which is any day the battle heats up, and ultimately the final day of testing. After the battle is over, the goal is the same: "to stand firm."
"Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS..." (Ephesians 6:14)
The first piece is the belt of truth. A Roman soldier's belt, or girdle, was the foundational piece of his equipment. It held his tunic in place and was the apparatus from which his sword and other items hung. To be ungirded was to be unprepared for action. Truth is what holds our entire Christian life together. This is not just about telling the truth, though it includes that. This is about being held together by the objective, propositional truth of God's Word. In a world drowning in relativism and "your truth," the Christian soldier is girded by The Truth.
The breastplate of righteousness protects the vital organs, the heart. What is this righteousness? It is not our own. To wear our own righteousness into this battle is to wear a target. Isaiah tells us our righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). This is the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ, given to us by faith. The devil is the great accuser, and he loves to attack our hearts with guilt and shame. The only defense is to point not to our performance, but to Christ's perfect performance on our behalf.
"...and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE." (Ephesians 6:15)
A soldier needs good footing to stand firm. Our stability comes from the gospel of peace. This is a profound paradox. We are dressed for war, but we stand on a foundation of peace. What peace? Peace with God, secured by the blood of Christ. Because the ultimate war, our rebellion against our Creator, is over, we now have the stability and readiness to engage in the lesser war against His defeated foe. We are not fighting for peace with God; we are fighting from a position of peace with God.
"In addition to all, having taken up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one..." (Ephesians 6:16)
The shield of faith is not a small, personal buckler. It is a large, door-shaped Roman scutum, often soaked in water before battle. The "flaming arrows" are the devil's insidious injections of doubt, fear, lust, despair, and accusation. Faith is not a feeling; it is taking God at His word. It is holding up the promises of God against the lies of the devil. When the arrow of accusation flies, faith holds up the promise that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. When the arrow of fear flies, faith holds up the promise that God has not given us a spirit of fear. The shield extinguishes the arrows because the promises of God are more real than the lies of Satan.
"...also receive THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God..." (Ephesians 6:17)
The helmet protects the mind. This is the assurance of salvation. The devil wants to cripple us with doubt about our ultimate standing with God. The helmet of salvation is the settled confidence that our eternal destiny is secure in Christ. This protects our minds from the crippling blows of despair.
Finally, we have our one offensive weapon: the sword of the Spirit. This is explicitly defined as "the word of God." The Greek word here is rhema, referring to the spoken, specific word. This is how Jesus fought the devil in the wilderness. To every temptation, His reply was a spoken word of Scripture: "It is written." We must know the Word, believe the Word, and be ready to speak the Word against the lies we face, both internal and external. This is how we dismantle strongholds and take thoughts captive to obey Christ.
The Atmosphere of War (vv. 18-20)
The armor is not enough. A soldier can be fully equipped but be cut off from his command center. The final verses show us the context in which this battle is fought.
"praying at all times with all prayer and petition in the Spirit, and to this end, being on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints..." (Ephesians 6:18)
Prayer is not the seventh piece of armor. Prayer is the air the soldier breathes. It is the constant communication with headquarters. All of this, the standing, the resisting, the fighting, is to be done in an atmosphere of constant, dependent prayer. Notice the comprehensiveness: "at all times," "with all prayer," "in the Spirit," "with all perseverance," "for all the saints." This is not a quick "God, help me" before running into the fray. This is a life saturated with prayer. We are to be on the alert, watchful, because the enemy is always prowling. And our prayers are not just for ourselves, but for all our comrades in arms.
Paul concludes by making it personal, showing us the ultimate purpose of the war.
"...as well as on my behalf, that words may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains so that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak." (Ephesians 6:19-20)
What does this fully-armed, prayerful warrior, the Apostle Paul, ask for? Not for comfort. Not for his release from prison. Not for the defeat of his political enemies. He asks for prayer for one thing: boldness in proclaiming the gospel. This is the point of the whole war. We put on the armor, we stand against the devil, we wield the sword of the Spirit, all for the purpose of advancing the kingdom of God through the bold declaration of the good news about Jesus Christ. The war is for the sake of the Word. Paul is an ambassador in chains, but the Word of God is not chained. And so he fights, not for his own skin, but for the glory of his King.
This is our calling. To recognize the war, to put on the armor that God provides in His Son, and to fight with prayerful dependence, not for our own ease, but for the bold advance of the gospel in our homes, our churches, and our world. So stand firm. Be strengthened in Him. And fight the good fight.