“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (Eph. 6:11, ESV)
When I think of this verse the image that comes to mind is of a Roman soldier in biblical times dressed for battle, kind of like this warrior.
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. (Eph. 6:13-18, NLT)
What a great blessing it is that each one of us has available the armor and weapons needed to fight off the schemes of the enemy!
Recently, a friend and I were talking about these verses and, of course, as guys commonly do, the conversation turned to movie battle scenes. One of my favorite movies is Gladiator. Maximus, the main character, is a general in the Roman army who is betrayed, sentenced to death, escapes, and eventually winds up as a slave to fight as a gladiator in the Coliseum in Rome. He uses his expertise to quickly organize and train his fellow gladiators to fight together so they could stand a chance of survival against seemingly insurmountable odds.
One of his defensive survival tactics was to have the men gather in a circle with shields locked to protect them from whatever was coming to destroy them. As long as they stayed in this formation, they were able to withstand the onslaught.
Ephesians 6 can be read in two ways, as an individual, or as a community. Both apply. Paul’s epistle was written to “the saints who are in Ephesus” (1:1), the church in Ephesus. Thinking corporately about these verses takes on a whole new meaning.
As we enter into this new season of community through our Shepherding Groups, may we put on the full armor, lock shields together, and stay as one so that together we can stand firm. And may we not only help each other thwart the schemes of the enemy but take the offensive through God’s word (the sword of the Spirit) and prayer. “Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out” (Eph. 6:18, The Message).
~~ Tim Thomassian