Suiting Up to Fight for the Faith

Good versus evil, it’s a theme known worldwide, and it is often the central plot of books, movies, television shows, and various other art forms. However, this conflict between light and dark does not just exist in the realm of fictional entertainment, but it exists in our world today. There is a spiritual war between the righteous forces of the LORD, and the rebellious dark forces of the devil. The devil, though inferior to God, desires to attack the faith of all those who have been saved in Christ. Thus, we must fight for our faith, as well as for the faith of others. How can we do this? Not by our own power, as our flesh is inclined to give into sin, but by the tools that the LORD has given us. His power is superior to the devil’s, and with it we can overcome.

The tools that the LORD has given us to wage this spiritual war are detailed in Ephesians 6:13-18 “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—” Knowing the pieces of the armor of God, we must ask ourselves, how do we cover ourselves with this armor? It is not as simple as simply placing it on our bodies, because the armor is not a physical suit for physical needs. Instead, the armor of God is a diagram for the spiritual application of the Christian faith, drawing from the famous armor of the world-power of that day, Rome.

The description of the armor of God starts with the belt of truth, “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth.” The belt on the Roman armor was a pivotal piece, holding the armor in place and carrying the sword. It also held up the tunic to prevent the wearer from tripping on his own clothing. In the same way, the truth of God acts as the Roman belt. The truth of God’s word is the foundation on which we set our faith, the means by which we strive for peace, and the gauge by which we determine righteousness. Without knowing the truth, we will stumble on our own sinful nature and fall to the lies of the devil. Without knowing the truth, neither can we properly wield the sword of the Spirit, the Bible. Thus, it is extremely important for us to seek the truth. How can we find the truth? We can find the truth in the Bible, as Jesus said in John 8:31-32 “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’”

After the belt of truth, Paul speaks of the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate protected the major organs of the soldier, such as the heart and lungs. In the same way, the righteousness of Christ protects our souls from the devil’s attack and is our greatest protection against the weapons of Satan, which are sin and shame. Satan seeks to make us feel broken and unable to be used by God. Yet, because Christ’s righteousness protects us in that He cleanses us from our sin, the devil can never render any believer irredeemable. This righteousness is then exemplified in the actions of those under Christ’s protection. Though Christians still make mistakes on Earth, we are protected from any mortal blow by this unpierceable breastplate. This is illustrated by various Biblical figures, including David (he stole a man’s wife and murdered him) and Rahab (she was a prostitute). Though they both were involved in what many see as deep and inescapable sin, they had hearts of repentance and faith in God’s promise to forgive, and He forgave them. He did more than just forgive them; He used them to accomplish great things and they both became part of the bloodline that would culminate in the Messiah! How do we put on this righteous protection? We must first repent of the things we have done wrong, acknowledging that we have sinned. Then, once God has forgiven us, we must by His power seek to emulate the standards that He has given us in Scripture. It is a daily process, and one which we must intentionally set our mind to every day. We cannot compromise God’s standards, no matter how much the culture pushes us to.

The third piece of armor is referred to as the sandals of peace. The sandals worn by the Roman soldiers were crafted to withstand long journeys on tough terrain. The Scripture likens the Gospel of peace to these Roman sandals. We are to set forth, as soldiers to Christ, spreading the Gospel wherever we go, as commanded by Jesus in Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” As we walk this path that God has laid for us, the Gospel will be like the Roman sandals and help us to safely navigate the rugged roads we encounter in our life. We must put on these sandals each day by reminding ourselves of the promises of the Gospel and share those promises with those we encounter. Then, when temptation comes and the stresses of life begin to bring misery, the Spirit will bring to mind the Scriptures and our hope in Christ of a perfect eternity. We must cling to this hope with all of our strength.

Next, Paul mentions the greatest defense of the armor, the shield of faith. While there were various types of Roman shields, there was one used more often than the others. This Roman shield was a large rectangular shield known as a scutum. It was utilized during the sieges of enemy cities in a special formation known as the testudo, in which the soldiers would interlock their shields to create an almost impenetrable box. Paul uses this shield as an example to believers that faith is not only our greatest defense, but it is even stronger when united with the faith of other believers. This is why we are commanded to gather together as a Church, Hebrews 10:25 “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” We must work to exhort others and strengthen their faith, and in doing so our faith will also be strengthened. It is with this defense of faith that the Church can lay siege to the gates of hell and prevail (Matt 16:18).

The final defense of the armor of God is the helmet of salvation. A helmet protects the most important part of the body, the head. The helmet of salvation protects the most important part of our existence, our soul. Under the protection of salvation in Christ, nothing can kill our soul. This salvation, gained as a gift from Christ through faith and repentance, cannot be taken away, John 10:28 “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”

The final piece of gear for the Christian soldier is not for defense, but for offense, the sword of the Spirit. This sword, God’s word, is called the sword of the Spirit because it is not just a book, but a living testament of God’s power, Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” This weapon cuts through the lies of the devil and reveals to those whom the Spirit touches the truth of the Gospel. We are commanded to defend the truth with this weapon, Titus 1:9 "Holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict." This sword, like the Roman dagger which was the sole blade of its time which could pierce the heart, is the only weapon that can destroy the thorns of lies which grip the heart. No intellectual debate or other means of human debate can reveal the truth to a heart gripped by sin, Romans 10:14 “And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?”

This armor is our only protection in the spiritual warfare occurring in the world. While every piece of this armor is important, the belt of truth and the usage of the sword of the Spirit are the focus of this blog, to help readers confront and attack evil and deceit in the world. In our current age, when the culture and government attacks the very idea of absolute truth, Christians must stand firm and fight.