Understanding the Armor of God

Rebecca Galeskas
Sep 23
3 min read

The Armor of God, found in the book of Ephesians, is one of the most popular passages found in Paul's epistles. It reads:

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Ephesians 6:10-17

More than just a nice-sounding passage meant to make us feel good, though, the armor of God bears within it deep and profound truths for the Christian life, and it all points back to the gospel. Let's break it down.

The "Why" Behind the Armor of God

According to Paul in the book of Ephesians, we need the armor of God so we can do two main things:

Recognize who our true enemy is (spiritual forces, not physical)
Stand firm in our faith

In order to get the most out of the armor, it's crucial that we understand what its purpose is. Every tool has a job that it's intended for, but it will be ineffective if wielded for a different use. The same goes for the armor of God. We can have all the elements in place, but if we don't have our sights set on the recognizing our enemy and standing firm in the faith, all those elements will remain ineffective.

Historical Context

Located at the intersection of several major trade routes, Ephesus was the capital of the Roman-controlled province of Asia Minor and acted as an epicenter for Roman pagan worship. The church in Ephesus faced not only an onslaught of pagan ideas but also severe persecution. Perhaps most importantly, the church of Ephesus was critical to the spread of the gospel across the Middle East and Asia thanks to its trade-route access. It is no wonder, then, that in a world so contrary to the truth of God (not unlike the world we live in today), these early believers needed to stay alert and equipped to stand their ground in the faith.

Life Application

When we break down the armor of God, we find ourselves at the feet of Jesus. We cannot put on any one of these elements, let alone stand firm, in our own strength.

Belt of Truth - Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6)
Breastplate of Righteousness - our faith is credited as righteousness (Romans 4:5)
Feet fitted with the Readiness of the Gospel of Peace - peace is a gift (John 14:27)
Shield of Faith - We are justified by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8)
Helmet of Salvation - Salvation is found in Christ alone (Acts 4:12)
Sword of the Spirit (God’s Word) - The Word of God is living and active (Hebrews 4:12)

As we study the armor of God, we find ourselves back at the simple gospel. We cannot do any of this on our own. In order to put on the Armor of God and stand firm against the enemy, we must daily deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him (Luke 9:23). When we resolve to “know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified,” then we can begin to walk in the fullness of His promises, clothed in the armor of God (1 Corinthians 2:2)