“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,” (Eph. 6:15-18a).
Paul is continuing his statement in verse 15, which begins in verse 14 with “stand
therefore”, now elaborating on the aspect of “having shod your feet with the preparation of the
gospel of peace.” What does it mean to shod one’s feet? Well, it literally means “to bind under, as
sandals under the feet” indicating that entering into any kind of battle, or conflict, barefoot is
unacceptable and places the one without any type of footwear at a disadvantage. Is. 52:7 says,
“How beautiful upon the mountains; Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims
peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, ‘Your
God reigns!’” This passage from Isaiah is speaking of one who brings good tidings, but Paul in
Eph. 6:15 is speaking of preparation for spiritual battle, not the heralding of glad tidings.
Regardless of the mission, one must always remember that there is much spiritual walking and that
the spiritual feet must always be ready for the journey ahead.
Continuing in verse 16 Paul says, “above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will
be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” The phrase “above all” can also be
translated “in all circumstances” which leads directly to “taking the shield of faith.” The shield of
faith is necessary to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one (devil) which will be fired at the
Christian on a regular basis. In the days of Roman soldiers, it was common for their shields to be
covered in leather, which was kept wet, to prevent the wooden shield beneath from catching fire,
thus allowing the soldier to continue in battle with a complete set of armor for protection.
Remember, the fiery darts are going to be laced with anything to try and inflict injury to the soul.
Next, in verse 17a, the helmet of salvation indicates protection of the mind from injury, by means
of infiltration, by the devil and his minions to corrupt the mind with ungodliness. Prophecy was
given in Is. 59:17 of the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation followed up by
inference to the rest of the armor of God.
The “sword of the Spirit”, mentioned in verse 17b, refers to the short sword which the
Roman soldier would maintain being razor sharp and used in close hand-to-hand combat. This is
the type of combat the Christian will be engaged in spiritually and must be ready to use the Word
of God to defend against the attacks by the devil and his minions. It is imperative that Christians
remember Heb. 4:12: “For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged 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.” When armed with God’s Word, and properly
wielding it, the battle will be won by the Christian and spiritual casualty avoided.
Finally, verse 18a says, “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,…”
indicating that there is a need for continual communication with the one who issued this armor,
the God of Heaven. Another important aspect to remember here is that not only is God the one
who is issuing the armor but is also the one who provides continual instruction on how to use it
and maintain it. Not only does God provide the armor but He is providing the spiritual nourishment
to the Christian for spiritual strengthening and also assists fellow Christians in their journey. It is
important to remember what Paul said in 1 Thess. 5:17 “pray without ceasing” which harmonizes
perfectly with Eph. 6:18a. Just as relationships in this life require communication to succeed, so
does one’s relationship with the Father in Heaven. May we all wear this armor with honor and
fulfill the Great Commission as found in Mt. 28:19-20a, “Go therefore and make disciples of all
the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.”
The Armor of God: Looking to Him for the Tools (Part 3)
