Ephesians 6:10-20

Our battle is not with flesh and blood but against the evil that tries to influence the world.

Stand with God clothed in His armor. Christ within is the power of Holy Spirit who will never leave you nor forsake you and who will deliver you safely to the heavenly throne of God.

Ephesians 6:10-20

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 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. 

13 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.

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—19 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, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Paul’s use of the Greek word methodeia suggests that the devil is cunning and uses deception to advance his evil purposes. In reference to hostile supernatural entities because of Christ’s victory over the evil powers, believers have courage and strength to resist them.

The belt around a soldier’s waist held the breastplate in place and provided an attachment for the sword. The shield was the soldier’s primary defense in battle. In the same way, the believer’s trust in God provides protection against the devil and his schemes. The assurance of God’s salvation protects the believer just as a helmet protects a soldier in battle. This weapon helps believers proclaim the gospel message, act on God’s behalf, and combat attacks from the devil. Paul’s use of the Greek word rhēma here primarily refers to the proclamation of the gospel and its ongoing work in the life of the believer.

Prayer should not be an afterthought for believers, but rather their primary source of strength. In Acts, Paul’s preaching is characterized by boldness. Paul was compelled to proclaim the gospel even during his imprisonment. Faithlife Bible.

Be strong may also be translated “be made strong.” The passive voice would suggest that we cannot do it ourselves.

The whole armor of God is the believer’s protection against evil and the Evil One. Paul presented the extended metaphor of the battle dress roughly according to the order in which the various pieces were put on. 

Wiles of the devil are Satan’s subtle tricks to defeat Christians in spiritual warfare. Our real battle is not with human cultists, false religionists, atheists, agnostics, and pseudo-Christians, but with the demonic beings working through them, of which even the flesh and blood opponents themselves are sometimes unaware.

The evil day is taken by some to refer to the end times when the Evil One will launch a ferocious campaign against Christ and His army. A more common view is that any great spiritual contest in a believer’s life could be in view here.

Verses 14–17 present the six pieces of spiritual armor. Four are mentioned specifically and the belt and shoes are implied. Soldiers girded themselves with a belt, from which hung strips of leather to protect the lower body. Truth is considered crucial by Paul, because a dishonest Christian cannot hope to withstand the father of lies himself. The truth referred to here is integrity, a life of practical truthfulness and honesty. The breastplate of Roman times went completely around the body, so that the back of a warrior was also protected. The breastplate was made of hard leather or metal. The righteousness that the breastplate represents is not the righteousness of Christ, which all believers possess, but the practical, righteous character and deeds of believers. A Roman soldier’s feet were shod with hard, studded shoes. Paul used this image to represent the preparation of the gospel of peace. This may mean either that the gospel is the firm foundation on which Christians are to stand or that the Christian soldier should be ready to go out to defend and spread the gospel. Above all may mean that the shield is to be used against everything. It may also mean that the shield is to cover the whole armor. A Roman soldier’s shield typically measured two and a half feet by four feet. The Christian’s shield offers protection against all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Flaming arrows could not penetrate the fireproof shield of the ancient Roman soldier, nor can the assaults of Satan penetrate to the believer who places his or her faith in God. The intricately designed Roman helmet protected the soldier’s head and also made him look taller and more impressive. The sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon in the believer’s armor. This weapon is not necessarily the Bible as a whole, but the specific word that needs to be spoken in a specific situation. To have the precise word ready, a person must know the Bible intimately.

Without prayer, all the armor in the world would be of no use. General prayers and specific petitions in the Spirit are to be made for all believers and at all occasions. Perseverance and patience in prayer are essential. The apostle Paul was not ashamed to ask other believers to pray that he would have the courage to proclaim the gospel. Even as a prisoner, Paul still wanted to be a faithful witness for the Lord. Paul was an ambassador in chains in Rome for the gospel of Christ. His prayer was that he might speak boldly, as an ambassador for the King of kings ought to speak. NKJ Bible.

Thessalonians 5:8  But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.