Ephesians

Gospel Light Christian Church
Thru-The-Bible Series (14.2)

The Epistle to the Ephesians

Ephesians 6:13-17 - Read this Bible passage once through before referring to the notes below.

The Armour In Spiritual Warfare.

Apart from our authority in Christ, we have been given the armour of God. There are six pieces to the armour and the reason we need this armour is “that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day” (v.13), and “quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one” (v.16).

The Anchor Of Scripture (v. 14a).

“Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth.” In the Lord’s day, Roman soldiers wore long flowing robes. During battle they would take the robe and tuck it into their belt so they could be mobile during battle. They also carried swords on their belt and the breastplate was also connected to the belt. The belt literally kept the soldier together. In the same way the belt of truth (God’s word) keeps us together. It is our objective standard, it keeps me from my own opinions and keeps me from making decisions based on my own feelings. The reason we need the belt of truth is because Satan is a liar. He will twist truth making bad look good and good look bad. Only when we are “girt about with truth” will we be able to identify the lie of the evil one. Jesus identified and defeated the lie of the devil with “the belt of truth” (Matt. 4:1-11).

The Authority Of The Saviour (v.14b).

“And having the breastplate of righteousness.” The breastplate protected the heart and chest of the soldier. This is talking about our salvation. When Christ saved you, He forgave your sin and gave you His perfect righteousness. Because we are righteous we are to live in that righteousness. It is because we are righteous in our position that we can live righteous in our practice. We must live in the righteousness that Christ provides. The reason we need the “breastplate of righteousness” is because righteous living removes the conditions in which demons can fester. Satan cannot beat a holy life.

The Activity Of Service (v.15).

“And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” The footwear of a soldier is very important. The Roman soldier wore shoes with spikes in the bottom so they could “stand” firm in the midst of the battle. The “gospel of peace” refers to our witnessing, we must be prepared everyday to share this good news. If we are not actively witnessing then God’s kingdom is not advancing and Satan is winning the war. The only way we can “push back the gates of hell” (Matt. 16:18), is to aggressively and actively proclaim “the gospel of peace.” If we are not actively proclaiming “the gospel of peace”, then we are passively retreating.

The Access Of Faith (v.16).

“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” The Roman shield was about four feet long and two feet wide and it protected the soldier from spears, arrows and fiery darts. The shield was an absolute priority in hand to hand combat, without it the soldier would quickly be struck down and die. In the same way “faith” is our ultimate weapon. “Faith” is simply obedience to God’s revealed word an it is “faith” that accesses the power of God and is “able to quench all the fiery darts of evil.” It is “faith” that accesses the righteousness of Christ, enabling us to live a holy life. When tempted to sin, by “faith” depend upon Christ power and provision to overcome that sin. When commanded to witness, by “faith” depend on Christ’s power to enable your witness. The opposite of “faith” is “unbelief.” Faith brings power, unbelief brings only defeat.

The Assurance Of Salvation (v.17a).

“And take the helmet of salvation.” The helmet protected the soldier’s head. The purpose of the soldier’s helmet was to absorb blows without causing damage to the head. The helmet referred to here is the hope of heaven and the assurance of salvation (I Thess. 5:8). One of the greatest hindrances to victorious Christian living is the lack of assurance of one’s salvation. If we continually doubt God’s forgiveness in our lives, Satan will render us ineffective. If there is no security in one’s relationship with God, then defeat is assured and victory is only a passing dream. Satan is “the accuser of the brethren” (Rev. 12:10), he accuses us to God, us to others and us to ourselves. We become what we believe and if we believe what he says, we will be defeated. Victory begins when we accept what God says about our salvation (I Jn. 5:12-13).

The Agent Of The Holy Spirit (v. 17b).

“And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” The sword referred to is a short razor sharp sword used for close hand-to-hand combat. One of our primary weapons is the word of God. The word “word” (rhema), refers to specific verses. These specific verses are the “sword” which the “Spirit” uses to defeat Satan, to reach the sinner and to perfect the saint. When a person is filled with the Spirit, then the Spirit of God takes the word of God and advances God’s kingdom.

The Victorious Christian is one who is anchored in Scripture, living in the authority of Christ’s righteousness, is active in service, is accessing God’s power by faith, is assured of their own salvation and is depending on the Spirit of God as they use the Word of God.