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Like most of you, I have heard what seems like hundreds of lessons on the armor of God. I’ve heard preachers preach about it and teachers teach it, but there always seems to be one aspect that is often left out. Many people don’t focus on the Roman aspect of it. The Roman army was the greatest army that had ever been up to this point in history. It has argued by some that until the last 200 years the Roman Army may have been the greatest army the world has ever know. So to understand the armor of God it is crucial to understand the Roman soldier. The book of Ephesians is a letter Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, giving them specific instructions in his absence. Within this letter, Paul commands the church to put on the full armor of God. Just what did Paul mean by such a command? To understand the meaning of Paul’s command, or any command in the Bible, it is important to understand the background of the command. So the first question to ask would be “What happened while he was in the city of Ephesus?” • If you recall, from the book of Acts, Paul spent 3-years in the city of Ephesus (Acts 20:31). • His ministry there was so successful, that the silversmiths were losing money, because people stopped buying idols. The silversmiths threatened Paul’s life, because so many had turned to Christ. Turning to Christ, the people no longer needed the idols of Artemis (Diana) produced by the guild. At this point Paul left the city, eventually returning to Jerusalem. In Jerusalem, he was arrested; from there he was sent to Rome. Paul was writing from Rome, as a prisoner, when he wrote the letter. • Talk about Mamertime Prison (damp, dark, cold) • The slab Paul was tied to. • He was a Roman citizen by birth (Acts 22:28) so he understood Roman soldiers and would have been familiar with their armor, shields, and weapons. He also would have had Roman soldiers watching over him daily while in prison. • Roman soldiers are everywhere in Rome today. I can’t imagine back then. Paul uses the picture of a Roman soldier to get this idea across to us. We are literally the army of the Lord, occupying the physical world. If we have obeyed Christ we are now soldiers in His army. We are in every sense, a soldier for the kingdom of God. The success of the Roman Empire was the reflection of the Roman military and the discipline of its army. Their workout schedules are legendary, and it was this training that made them unbeatable. The main pre-requisite for a member of the Roman Army was fitness, given the long distances they were expected to march. They commonly trained by running, chopping down trees and doing obstacle courses. Three times a month Roman Legions in Imperial Rome were known to march with 66-100 lbs of equipment at an average pace of at least 4.5 miles/hour for 5 hours. They would build a fort for the night, take it down the next morning and do it all over again. During war time they would do all of this and fight during the same day. This was simply the physical training, not the skill training. They had to be in superb physical condition just be in the army. What does that tell us about our spiritual walk? No, it doesn’t mean we have to be in great physical condition, but I dare say it does mean that we are supposed to be in peak spiritual conditioning. If we are going to fight in the spiritual war with the same fervor that the Romans fought physical wars we have to be in great spiritual shape. After being accepted into the Roman Army the first thing the soldiers are to be taught is the military step, which can only be acquired by constant practice. I find this extremely interesting because I believe Paul, being a Roman citizen, would have known this. Isn’t it interesting that the very first thing a solider learned was to be in step with the other soldiers? One of the reasons that the church is in such disarray is because we have people that were never taught how to be in step with other soldiers and how to be in step with God’s word. Even the heathen Roman army understood this concept. To be successful they had to all be on the same page. To be successful they all had to know what the objective was and how to accomplish it. For us to be great Christian soldiers we have to be in step with God and His word. There is no room for my battle plan to enter the picture. I’ve got to be willing to help and accomplish God’s will not my own. You tell me, how successful would the Roman army have been if they weren’t in step and they weren’t unified? It wouldn’t have worked. Might that be why the church is having so many struggles today? Along with being physically fit and in step, the Roman soldiers were trained to use their weapons and armor in combat (skill training). Repeatedly they trained from 6:00 AM until Midnight. 18 hours a day!!! Before battles they would spend weeks training, getting ready for the war. This is the disciplined example that Paul uses to tell us how we need to be. We need to take the spiritual life as serious as the Roman soldier took the physical military life. We have brothers and sisters in Christ who are lucky if they open their Bible once throughout the week. Is there any wonder that the spiritual war is too much for them? Is there any wonder that people don’t know God’s word and don’t know how to fight Satan if they aren’t training themselves in any way? Let’s be honest, would we have the problems we have in the church today if people were training themselves spiritually to fight for the Lord in the same way that the Roman soldiers fought for Rome? Paul stresses to us that this war is as real as any physical war ever fought. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6; Ephesians 6:12 Satan is a very real enemy at war with every saint (believer), his goal is to defeat us and he has a multiple ways of attacking us. For example, Satan can, and does, deceive through false religions and counterfeit Christianity; he also attacks by denying the existence of God. If none of this works, there is always materialism, the deception of wealth and the sensuality of this world to seduce the lost. He has many strategies and schemes to capture lost souls. Scripture allows us to see his tactics so we can arm for the fight. However, Paul addresses the armor of God for the believer, how we are to be equipped to withstand what has captured the world. We as believers are separated from the world. The Bible calls us holy. This word means to be “separated or called out.” Too many Christians don’t take that idea seriously enough. Since we are called out from the world, we are no longer to be under Satan’s authority, but the Lord’s authority. To wage successful war against Satan, we need to wear the armor of God, this is the point Paul is making. Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God: This is how we can be successful in the face of Satan’s attack. Notice, Paul writes to take the whole armor, being partially armed is not enough. Satan and his minions are looking for holes in our armor to bring us down. Every piece of God’s armor is required to stand against Satan’s methods. The Greek word here means “to sink into” or “to clothe ones self.” Every component of the armor is required. So that you will be able: Without the full armor of God, our ability to stand is at great risk. The Greek work for able means “having the strength or power.” From the same root, we get the word dynamite or power. Having the whole armor of God gives us the power to stand against Satan. We have dynamic power. Without the full armor we are unable to stand. to stand firm against the schemes of the devil: Satan and his demonic forces will attack the believer, therefore we should be ready at all times. We have to be alert that Satan’s goal is to cause us to be lost. Putting on and wearing the armor of God is a process. Wearing the armor of God and effectively using the armor is linked with being strong in the lord and in the strength of his might. The armor of God is one whole unit, which functions together. Any chink in our armor opens the door for Satan’s attack. Paul’s point here is simple. We should be prepared to make a stand, just like a Roman soldier. Vs.14 Stand firm therefore: We have to make the conscious decision to stand. God has given us the ability to choose, to make the stand. If we do not make the choice to stand, we will fall. (You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything. You’ve got to be your own man not a puppet on a string. Never compromise what’s right and uphold your family’s name. You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.) Belt of Truth Having girded your loins with truth: The first piece of equipment Paul describes is the belt of truth. I’ve got to admit that growing up I never really understood why the belt was so important. You see, the Roman Legion belt was the mark of a solider. Common citizens did not wear the distinct belt of a legion. The belt had distinct metal studded strips of leather that were unique to the legions belt. The belt kept the tunic and armor in place so the soldier was always prepared to fight. Also, connected to the belt was the sword. Isn’t it interesting that the sword of the Spirit is connected to the belt of truth? The belt was where the soldier always carried his weapons. Do you have on the belt of truth? The belt displays to the world that you are a soldier, one of the elite. The belt keeps your tunic and armor in place so you are always ready to fight. And without the belt of truth you cannot have the sword of the spirit. The belt of truth is what holds everything together. Paul is stressing that without the truth there is nothing. Breastplate of Righteousness Having put on the breastplate of righteousness: This piece of equipment in the legion is constructed of strips of metal fastened together by leather. This was standard issue to the legions during the reign of Augustus. This piece of equipment weighed from 20 to 30 pounds, and its design was to protect the vital organs of the legionnaire. Despite its weight it was actually very easy for the soldier to maneuver because the breastplate was not a piece that would weigh the soldier down, just like the righteous life is not supposed to weigh us down. The metal was designed to deflect a dart or sword attack, which the shield or sword failed to stop. This parallels the righteous life. When we live a righteous life our vital organs, especially our heart, are protected from enemy attack. It doesn’t matter if you have the sword of the spirit or the shield of faith, if you don’t have the breastplate of righteousness you are completely exposed for enemy attack. The breastplate of righteousness is crucial to any Christian. We have to live a righteous life. If we aren’t righteous all of our vital organs are exposed and one sharply aimed arrow will kill us spiritually. Shoes of Peace Vs. 15 Having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace: Much like the belt, I never understood why shoes were really all that important. Some historians have suggested that one of the main reasons that Roman soldiers were such good fighters is because of their footwear. The Roman boot was designed to stand ground in battle. The Roman boot was fitted with metal studs, like the cleats of a football player, to help him maintain ground in battle. As a believer we have authority, authority given to us by Jesus Christ. Part of our authority is to take the Gospel to enemy territory. The Roman legion represented, the kingdom of Rome, where they walked was Roman territory, or was being conquered for Rome. The saint must be prepared to march on enemy territory, prepared with the Gospel. Paul tells us that Satan is the god of this world, but just as the Roman soldiers advanced and conquered, that is what we are being called to do. Isaiah 52:7 Shield of faith Vs. 16 In addition to all (above all; in all circumstances): What did Paul think the most important piece of equipment was for the Spiritual warrior? The shield! Faith is a shield, which allows us to put an immediate end to many of Satan’s attacks. For the Romans the shield was not just a defensive weapon, it was also an offensive weapon. The metal boss in the center, designed to hit the enemy at impact, allowed the legionnaire to follow up with his sword, to subdue the opponent. taking the shield of faith: The Romans had a long, rectangular, knees-to-chin shield (about 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide) which protected from arrows and spears and could be knelt behind during an arrow barrage. Even though it was heavy, a trained soldier knew how to maneuver and work with it. The shields were also covered in leather and dipped in water. This would literally allow them to extinguish any fiery darts being shot at them. Often times when they were being attacked or ambushed Roman soldiers could gather together and with their shields make a “fortress” that nothing could get through. The shield was also slightly curved so that arrows and strikes from swords would literally be deflected in a different direction. 1 Peter 3:15 We can choose to raise our level of faith, by learning scripture and the evidences contained within it. The more we engage in spiritual combat training, the more effective we will be with the shield. Helmet of salvation Vs. 17 Take the helmet of salvation: The head was the primary target in warfare, because an opponent knows, a direct hit would finish the enemy. Therefore, the legions were equipped with helmets to protect the head from enemy swords or arrows. Paul knew that the Romans had the best helmets known to man. In the same way as the Romans, we are to take up our helmet, the salvation of Christ. The helmet keeps us from being killed by Satan. In other words, with the helmet in place our souls are eternally saved. I Thessalonians 5:8-9 Whatever our circumstances, we have eternal hope. Our home is not in this world. What was the worst thing that could happen to a soldier on the battlefield? Death. Death for the Christian means that we spend an eternity with Christ in Heaven if we have on the helmet of salvation. John 10:27-29 If we are part of Jesus’ flock, how secure are we? Jesus says no one can snatch us out of His hand. We need to learn how to rest in the promise of God, putting on the helmet of salvation. Sword of the Spirit The sword of the Spirit: We have a weapon more powerful then any earthly weapon. The weapon is a spiritual weapon which God has given to us. We have a sword beyond any comparison in the physical world. Paul spoke of one of five different types of Roman swords. This one was a two-edged sword with the end turned upward. It inflicted much more damage than the other swords. Not only was it intended to kill, but also it could rip the enemy's insides to shreds. It only needed to penetrate the enemy a depth of two to three inches to mortally wound him. Another advantage to this sword is that the soldier did not have to turn his sword around to inflict damage to the enemy. It cut in two directions. This was seen as a very deadly and powerful weapon. The sword was also to become an extension of the arm. The soldier’s goal was for it to become 2nd nature to use it. When we were in Rome I got to see some Roman gymnasiums. This is where they trained to use their swords. Older legions would spar with younger legions teaching them how to use the sword effectively. I believe that Paul envisioned the same for the Church at Ephesus, and Concord Road, in spiritual warfare. As the legions were proficient in their handling the sword of steel, Paul wanted the church to proficient in handling the Spiritual sword. One of the things that greatly concerns me in today’s world is that so many Christians are not very good with the sword. The sword is our weapon. It is what we take down the enemy with. Paul expected us to be like the Romans were in battle. The sword was second nature to them. Is the Bible second nature to us? Can we use it in warfare to take down our enemy? Hebrews 4:12 The world is subject to God’s sword, Satan and his minions fear God’s sword, why do you think so many Muslim nations outlaw the Bible? Because they know the power of it. The word of God has the power to transform and pull down kingdoms. Unfortunately so few are properly trained how to use it. Psalm 19:7-8 For this reason, every spiritual warrior needs to learn to become proficient in their handling of the word of God. In the same way the legions of Rome trained for physical battle the legions of God need to train for battle against their invisible enemy. • Do you train yourself as the Roman soldiers trained? • Belt of truth • Breastplate of Righteousness • The Shoes of the Gospel • The Shield of Faith • The Helmet of Salvation • The Sword of the Spirit • Do you have on the full armor of God?