Eph 6:14 | KingComments | STEP | . We shall take a closer look at the whole armor now. We will see what to put on ( ) and what to take up ( ) and whether you indeed have done that. Parts of the armor that aren’t yet in place, can then be put in order. The first part, “truth”, serves as a protection of the loins. In the Bible the loins are a picture of the strength to walk. In Exodus 12 the people are told that they should eat the Passover with their “loins girded” ( ), that means: ready to leave Egypt and to go to the promised land. ‘The loins girded with truth’ means your walk is in accordance with the truth. That is so if you apply God’s Word really to yourself. In that way you will see everything you encounter as it really is, as God sees it. As “the truth in Jesus” ( ) was seen in His walk, in that way it should be the power for your walk. The truth must become a part of your being, in everything you say or do. Your whole thinking, speaking and acting must be directed by the truth, by what is true, as how God sees everything. In keeping everything as how God has revealed them in His Word lies the strength for your walk in a world where satan is still lord and master. When your feelings for the world are girded with the truth, it will save you from loving something of the world. The truth makes clear to you that the world lies under the sway of the wicked one and that all that is in the world, is not from the Father ( ). To be girded with the truth doesn’t mean that you have to know the whole Bible by heart. The real important thing is that you will measure everything you come into contact with, in the light of the truth. When something appears to be in accordance with the truth, it is good, but when it is against the truth, it is reprehensible. This part of the armor is also important in pastoral sense. We all have to deal with people. That can be family members, friends, colleagues, neighbors, acquaintances, a brother or sister. All of our relationships and all activities must be looked at in the light of the truth. Only then the real character of that person or activity will become clear and in that way we can take the right position. When we don’t do that, you and I have a great risk that our life will be regulated by other people or by things that happen to us. If you judge people and incidents in the light of the truth, you can give them the right place, and by doing that they cannot manipulate you anymore. Only in this way you are armed with the right view and therefore you can fend off the attacks. In this way you have the strength (‘loins’) to live for God and show Him in the world. That is not something intuitional, but something you should seize with your mind. Peter says: “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind” ( NKJV). The second part, “righteousness”, serves as a protection of your breast. Righteousness indicates that you give everyone his or her due. It is about dealing and acting righteously according to God’s will. The “breastplate” protects the heart. From the heart flow “the springs of life” ( ). Are the rights of God being recognized in everything that comes out of our hearts, so that we act like God wants us to? Paul did his best “to maintain always a blameless conscience [both] before God and before men” ( ). With him ‘the breastplate of righteousness’ was well in place. When our conscience is not clean, we are subjected to the schemes of the devil and we are powerless in the struggle against him. . The third part has to do with your feet: “Having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” This is not about being prepared to proclaim the gospel, nor about living in the assurance of peace with God ( ). Peace here is the peace between Jew and Gentile in one new man ( ). This peace is heavenly; it is the peace of God ( ). It should be visible in our walk that we live from peace. Then we bring to God everything that is in our heart. Consequently we rest in every circumstance God leads us. The Lord Jesus is our model in this ( ). The peace of God is being characterized by the rest of God on His throne, unaffected by all the rush on earth. When the devil cannot deceive us on the first two parts, he will try to take away our peace. Just as with Job he will use all kinds of circumstances to succeed. In heaven there is nothing that can make us restless and take away our peace. The testimony of heavenly reality will be seen on earth especially in the peace we radiate amidst all the rush. . After three military garments, now three means of protection are handed to us. The first means is the “shield of faith”. So faith is presented as a shield. That is a wonderful picture. The shield here is a long shield behind which the body is hidden, so you are unreachable for all flaming arrows. When your faith, that means your confidence, is really focused on God, when you believe that He has control of everything and that nothing surprises Him, the attempts of the evil one to discourage you will be in vain. Through faith you see the glorified Christ, to Whom God will soon subject all powers. The devil whispers in your ear: ‘If God loves you, then would ….’ The devil feeds the thoughts of unbelief and suspicion. That are “the flaming arrows” he fires off, which causes a fire in your soul that spreads fast. An arrow that hits the mark causes a hole, but a flaming arrow causes much more misery than a hole. The devil wants you to doubt God’s love and goodness for you. In such case you should take the shield of faith, so that all the flaming arrows are repelled and extinguished. Job also extinguished a flaming arrow that was fired on him by the devil through his wife ( ). Bear in mind that all things are controlled by the Father and the Son. God loves you and He makes all things work together for good to those who love Him ( ). . To protect your head, the seat of the thoughts, God equips you with “the helmet of salvation”. You know that you are “saved by grace” ( ). That salvation is a gift from God ( ) and therefore depends not on men. For that reason salvation is a fixed fact, so you can resist the enemy with your head held high. The sixth means is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”. The sword is the Word of God that is used in the power of the Spirit. The Lord shows how to use it at the temptation in the wilderness ( ). Again and again He defeats the devil with a quote from the Word of God, which He starts with “it is written”. You handle the sword when you quote statements of God’s Word in specific situations. For effective use of the sword of the Spirit, you must practice with it. That doesn’t only mean that you learn to know God’s Word better, but that you also know how and when to use it. Of the sixty heroes that surrounded Solomon’s traveling couch, it is said: “All of them are wielders of the sword, expert in war” ( ). Evil powers can only be resisted with the Word of God. With the ‘weapon of discussion’ you will not succeed, even if you have a ready tongue. Now read Ephesians 6:14-17 again. Reflection: Examine how the parts of the armor work in your life.

‏ Ephesians 6:14

The Armor

Eph 6:14. We shall take a closer look at the whole armor now. We will see what to put on (Eph 6:11) and what to take up (Eph 6:13) and whether you indeed have done that. Parts of the armor that aren’t yet in place, can then be put in order.

The first part, “truth”, serves as a protection of the loins. In the Bible the loins are a picture of the strength to walk. In Exodus 12 the people are told that they should eat the Passover with their “loins girded” (Exo 12:11), that means: ready to leave Egypt and to go to the promised land. ‘The loins girded with truth’ means your walk is in accordance with the truth. That is so if you apply God’s Word really to yourself. In that way you will see everything you encounter as it really is, as God sees it.

As “the truth in Jesus” (Eph 4:22) was seen in His walk, in that way it should be the power for your walk. The truth must become a part of your being, in everything you say or do. Your whole thinking, speaking and acting must be directed by the truth, by what is true, as how God sees everything. In keeping everything as how God has revealed them in His Word lies the strength for your walk in a world where satan is still lord and master.

When your feelings for the world are girded with the truth, it will save you from loving something of the world. The truth makes clear to you that the world lies under the sway of the wicked one and that all that is in the world, is not from the Father (1Jn 5:19 ; 1Jn 2:15-17).

To be girded with the truth doesn’t mean that you have to know the whole Bible by heart. The real important thing is that you will measure everything you come into contact with, in the light of the truth. When something appears to be in accordance with the truth, it is good, but when it is against the truth, it is reprehensible.

This part of the armor is also important in pastoral sense. We all have to deal with people. That can be family members, friends, colleagues, neighbors, acquaintances, a brother or sister. All of our relationships and all activities must be looked at in the light of the truth. Only then the real character of that person or activity will become clear and in that way we can take the right position. When we don’t do that, you and I have a great risk that our life will be regulated by other people or by things that happen to us.

If you judge people and incidents in the light of the truth, you can give them the right place, and by doing that they cannot manipulate you anymore. Only in this way you are armed with the right view and therefore you can fend off the attacks. In this way you have the strength (‘loins’) to live for God and show Him in the world. That is not something intuitional, but something you should seize with your mind. Peter says: “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind” (1Pet 1:13 NKJV).

The second part, “righteousness”, serves as a protection of your breast. Righteousness indicates that you give everyone his or her due. It is about dealing and acting righteously according to God’s will. The “breastplate” protects the heart. From the heart flow “the springs of life” (Pro 4:23). Are the rights of God being recognized in everything that comes out of our hearts, so that we act like God wants us to? Paul did his best “to maintain always a blameless conscience [both] before God and before men” (Acts 24:16). With him ‘the breastplate of righteousness’ was well in place. When our conscience is not clean, we are subjected to the schemes of the devil and we are powerless in the struggle against him.

Eph 6:15. The third part has to do with your feet: “Having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” This is not about being prepared to proclaim the gospel, nor about living in the assurance of peace with God (Rom 5:1). Peace here is the peace between Jew and Gentile in one new man (Eph 2:14 ; 17). This peace is heavenly; it is the peace of God (Phil 4:7).

It should be visible in our walk that we live from peace. Then we bring to God everything that is in our heart. Consequently we rest in every circumstance God leads us. The Lord Jesus is our model in this (Mt 11:25-30). The peace of God is being characterized by the rest of God on His throne, unaffected by all the rush on earth.

When the devil cannot deceive us on the first two parts, he will try to take away our peace. Just as with Job he will use all kinds of circumstances to succeed. In heaven there is nothing that can make us restless and take away our peace. The testimony of heavenly reality will be seen on earth especially in the peace we radiate amidst all the rush.

Eph 6:16. After three military garments, now three means of protection are handed to us. The first means is the “shield of faith”. So faith is presented as a shield. That is a wonderful picture. The shield here is a long shield behind which the body is hidden, so you are unreachable for all flaming arrows. When your faith, that means your confidence, is really focused on God, when you believe that He has control of everything and that nothing surprises Him, the attempts of the evil one to discourage you will be in vain. Through faith you see the glorified Christ, to Whom God will soon subject all powers.

The devil whispers in your ear: ‘If God loves you, then would ….’ The devil feeds the thoughts of unbelief and suspicion. That are “the flaming arrows” he fires off, which causes a fire in your soul that spreads fast. An arrow that hits the mark causes a hole, but a flaming arrow causes much more misery than a hole. The devil wants you to doubt God’s love and goodness for you. In such case you should take the shield of faith, so that all the flaming arrows are repelled and extinguished. Job also extinguished a flaming arrow that was fired on him by the devil through his wife (Job 2:9-10). Bear in mind that all things are controlled by the Father and the Son. God loves you and He makes all things work together for good to those who love Him (Rom 8:28).

Eph 6:17. To protect your head, the seat of the thoughts, God equips you with “the helmet of salvation”. You know that you are “saved by grace” (Eph 2:5). That salvation is a gift from God (Eph 2:8) and therefore depends not on men. For that reason salvation is a fixed fact, so you can resist the enemy with your head held high.

The sixth means is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”. The sword is the Word of God that is used in the power of the Spirit. The Lord shows how to use it at the temptation in the wilderness (Mt 4:1-11). Again and again He defeats the devil with a quote from the Word of God, which He starts with “it is written”.

You handle the sword when you quote statements of God’s Word in specific situations. For effective use of the sword of the Spirit, you must practice with it. That doesn’t only mean that you learn to know God’s Word better, but that you also know how and when to use it. Of the sixty heroes that surrounded Solomon’s traveling couch, it is said: “All of them are wielders of the sword, expert in war” (Song 3:7-8).

Evil powers can only be resisted with the Word of God. With the ‘weapon of discussion’ you will not succeed, even if you have a ready tongue.

Now read Ephesians 6:14-17 again.

Reflection: Examine how the parts of the armor work in your life.