That you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand!

Put on the full armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

In Ephesians 6, verses 10-18, where we are told to put on the full armor of God, faith is compared to a shield for Christians.  Why is faith a shield, we may ask.  Many Christians are Christians of the mind.  Their belief is in their hearts and minds, but they rarely discuss what they truly believe or what the Bible says.  They feel that faith is a personal matter and no one else’s business.  So, how is faith considered to be a shield?  Is it visible?  Is it out in front of the body?  Does it have a designating motif that proclaims to whom the shield belongs? 

We can go through the whole description of the armor of God and see what each piece is representative of by analogy.  The metaphor of armor is apropos for a soldier in Roman times.  There were soldiers all over the occupied realms of the Roman Empire.  So the armor and its parts were well known to all the people.  Even some Christians were also soldiers and officers of the Roman government.  The scripture says,

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 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.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak”  (New King James Version). 

The reason for Christians to put on armor, in the spiritual sense, is that they are in a war.  But the Apostle Paul lets them know that they do not fight like the physical soldiers they see.  They are to fight against the devil and his servants that are invisible to the human eye.  Physical armor is useless against this invisible enemy, but the spiritual armor of a soldier of the Lord is very effective in spiritual warfare.   The armor is important so that a follower of Christ can stand up against the spiritual attacks and the “wiles of the devil.”  The first piece of armor is Truth.  “Having girded your waist with truth,” shows that the underpinnings for the armor and the belt is a mindset of what is true, what has been proven, what a believer knows deep down – that God is All Powerful and All Knowing and deeply loves His children.  For a Roman soldier, the belt around the waist served as a foundation for the metal apron of armor on the lower torso as well as the foundation where scabbards for the sword and dagger could hang. It is obviously necessary for a good soldier to have weapons ready at hand for any emergency.  As spiritual soldiers we must be always cognizant of the truth that God is for us and not against us and that even the hardships we face are for a purpose.  This belt signifies Truth as the underpinning for our faith and trust in the Lord. 

The next piece of armor is the Breastplate of Righteousness.  The Romans wore solid bronze breastplates that had two pieces and covered front and back of the soldier.  These were stiff and were later exchanged for an ingenious breastplate creation of rows and rows of overlaying metal pieces that moved with the person rather than being confining and stiff.  The vital organs were protected by this armor, the heart, lungs, stomach intestines and reproductive organs were protected by metal armor that turned away enemy swords.  Righteousness, being of a right mind, choosing to do what is good and standing up for the right mindset and actions are hallmark characteristics of a Christian.  Righteousness is visible to the world and to the enemy.  People who stand for righteousness protect the weak and the innocent, believe the best about others until proven wrong, and hold fast to a code of ethics – a standard of behavior based upon the word of God.  This righteousness protects the heart and keeps a Christian on the path of truth and holiness.  Wear this breastplate always! If a Christian dabbles in unrighteousness, he is open to being cut down by the enemy. 

After these two important pieces of spiritual armor, the next focus is on the feet.  An army moves on its stomach and its feet.  When a soldier is lame, he cannot fight and is easily dispensed with by the enemy.  The shoes the Roman soldiers wore were sandals that could be put on over woolen or fur stockings in colder climates.  Although we have much improved footwear today, the Romans used thick leather soles that were sometimes studded by small nails to provide more friction for combat and marching.  They had not figured out steel-toed boots yet, but their footwear was firmly strapped to the ankle and leg so that it stayed on and protected its wearer from stones, briars and hot rocks.  The Roman legions were trained to march 22 miles a day from the time of their training on.  If they were in a hurry, they could go up to 30 miles a day.  That was a lot of time on their feet.  Footwear was very important.  Paul says that Christian soldiers are to have their feet covered with the gospel or good news of Jesus and of the Kingdom of God.  Everywhere we go, the gospel is what propels and protects our going.  We are sent as messengers of the Kingdom.  And as the prophet Isaiah says,     

    “How lovely on the mountains
                        Are the feet of him who brings good news

      Who announces peace
                         And brings good news of happiness,
                  Who announces salvation,
                        And says to Zion, “Your God Reigns!” (Isaiah 52:7, New American Standard)

Feet are not considered the most beautiful part of the human body, but here we see the honor that is placed on the feet of people who are actively taking good news wherever they walk.  In the Book of Joshua, God commanded him to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land saying, “My servant Moses is dead. So you and all these people get up and cross the Jordan River to the land I am giving to the people of Israel.  I have given you every place where the bottom of your foot steps, as I promised Moses” (Joshua 1:2-3).   The Lord promised to be with them and to honor their claim to the land He was giving them.  He does the same for us.  He has given each of us dominion over certain areas and situations that we can bring unto Him and give Him control over.  Wow!  Let us all prepare our daily walk with the preparation of the gospel and determine to take the good news, claiming the places we walk for the Lord. 

The Shield of Faith is the next piece mentioned by Paul as vital armor of a spiritual soldier.  The Romans marched with shields made of several layers of wood, usually three layers glued together, covered with a layer of leather and often given a complete edge of metal which could also be used as a cutting instrument or sword.  The most versatile shields were large rectangles, curved on the sides like parts of a cylinder.  They covered most of the soldier’s body and were very strong against lances, swords and stones.  The famous shield formations of the Romans were quite formidable to the enemy.  Rows of soldiers would mass together, the shields would be placed on all sides of them and those in the middle of the cluster would place their shields above their heads covering the heads of those around them as well as their own.  This was like a human tank and makes me think that, if our shields of faith are covering more than just ourselves, we are much more formidable to our enemies, just as these Roman soldiers were. 

While marching, soldiers carried their shields to protect themselves and their comrades.  They also used the shield as a weapon, pushing and shoving the enemy until the sword could penetrate the exposed area of vulnerability.  According to Rick VonderBrink, a physician who commented about Roman shields on Quora.com: “The shield was actually the legionnaire’s most important piece of equipment. Its purpose was to provide protection for the left half of the bearer’s own body, and equally important to provide protection for the right half of the body of the man to the immediate left. This allowed the front rank of the legion to provide a solid wall of shields, with small gaps through which the soldiers stabbed with their swords. Disciplined troops could defeat enemies who were larger, stronger, or more numerous in this way. There were also special uses such as the “testudo” formation used to protect against missile fire, but that wall of shields was what made Rome a military power.” (VonderBrink)

I propose that if Christians fought the enemy, Satan, in unison, in faith and in truth, we would vanquish the enemy to the far reaches of the earth.  This kind of Shield Power is so powerful, so formidable, that the enemy would flee, just as so many armies fled before the Roman Legions.  The Shield of Faith is a most important piece of armor for a believer.  Paul says, “Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one” (Eph. 6:16). That says that we will be able to put out the fire of the darts Satan shoots at us.  We will overcome the enemy’s devices.  We are strong in the Lord! 

  Next is the Helmet of Salvation.  The Romans had many styles of helmets.  They were usually of brass which was lighter than the earlier iron helmets.  The helmet, of course, was meant to protect the most valuable and vital head from being cleaved by a sword.  The helmets of Paul’s day also had longer, and curved backs to protect the neck as well.  Roman helmets even had side plates to protect the jaw and forehead plates that came down even with the eyebrows, so they were fully developed helmets.  Some of them look like helmets worn by football players in the NFL, but they were of metal, not high impact plastic. 

As we know, the helmet protects the brain, command center of the body.  To put on the Helmet of Salvation means that salvation is ever present in the mind. Salvation is also visible to the enemy who goes about as a “roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8).  Our salvation is so much a part of our lives that we do not forget.  We are never unsure of who we are.  We know that we are the property, the children, the soldiers, of our God.  We cannot separate ourselves from that fact.  And we are protected by that fact.  We are fully protected by the spiritual armor of God!  No worries!

The last piece of armor in this analogy is “the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” (verses 17-18).  The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God!  We know that the word of God is like a sword as in Hebrews 4:12, which says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”  That is a truly sharp sword! 

Not only does the sword of the Spirit cut into our thoughts and intentions, but it can do the same for any who are cut by it.  That is the most powerful sword that penetrates the hearts of men and also protects them from the wiles of the enemy. 

The Roman sword or Gladia was used in hand to hand combat, unlike their javelins which were the first barrage of fire against the enemy.  The sword was a more personal item.  It was forged by fire and beaten into shape.  It was sharpened by scraping it with a sharpening flint.  The soldier handled it every day and kept it by his side in its sheath or holder which hung from his belt.  He slept with it beside him, so it was always ready to be used.  Without a sharp and ready sword a soldier would not last long on the battlefield.  All of these characteristics of the sword apply to us today in our spiritual warfare.  As soldiers of the Kingdom, we must keep our swords, our connection with God’s Spirit and His Word at hand at all times.  The Sword of the Spirit is our strength in battle.  Just as a legionnaire marched into battle with his shield in one hand and his sword in the other, we too can overtake our enemies spiritually, with Faith and the word of the Lord. 

The battle rages, but Paul also tells us what our action of standing and fighting is:  it is prayer!  In the same sentence as he speaks of the shield of faith and the sword of the spirit, he says, “praying always with all prayer and supplication for all the saints.”  That is how we fight!  Prayer is the work of the warrior.  All the armor of God is to protect us as we engage the enemy in our day-to-day work of being a Christian, a follower of Jesus, in our prayers and supplications.   

How encouraging the armor of God is.  I have even had dreams of putting on armor and I would know that something was afoot.  It was time to get on my knees and fight for what, in my life or in my family, was under attack.  We stand as the guardians of the Kingdom.  People over whom we have a positive influence will be attacked and we must be strong in prayer for these precious souls.  If they are starting to look for answers from the Lord, then they are also coming under attack as the enemy’s radar focuses on them. 

In The Lord of the Rings, as Frodo and Sam got closer and closer to Mt. Doom where the horrible and powerful ring was to be destroyed, Gandalf and Aragorn realized that they needed to draw the enemy’s eye away from those vulnerable hobbits.  The best answer to drawing the eye was to go forth in battle and confront him head on!  It seemed desperate and doomed to fail, but it was necessary and granted just enough time for the destruction of the ring to take place.  Our own work is to protect those precious young souls who are searching for answers.  Lead them to the Rock that is higher than ourselves and stand in the trenches against the plans of the enemy.  We have the tools.  We have the armor.  We have the Authority of the Kingdom of God and we must stand firm.  As Paul says, “That you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” So, on a daily basis, put on your armor, pray, stand of the word of God and prepare for the spiritual battle.  “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37 NKJV). You are more than conquerors!  You are victorious shield bearers of the Most High King!

                                                                       Works Cited

New American Standard Bible.  biblehub.com/nasb/isaiah/52.htm.

New King James Version Bible.  biblehub.com/nkjv/ephesians/6.htm.

VonderBrink, Rick. “The shield was actually the…” 21 Oct. 2018. Quora.com. www.quora.com/How-were-Roman-shields-used-in-combat