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THE INTEGRITY OF THE WARRIOR
Author - Martha
Ephesians 6:14
The old hymn “Stand up for Jesus” has a line in it that goes like this: “Put on the gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer.” This thought reflects what Paul is saying to the church. Vs. 10 declares the believers’ position for battle and their posture for battle in vs. 11-13, Paul moves on to their position for battle.
Both vs. 1 & 13 command the believer to “put on” or “take up” the whole armor of God. This once-and-for-all command includes the entire outfit. This includes all of the soldier’s equipment.
When Paul wrote Ephesians he wrote from personal knowledge about Roman soldiers. He was chained to one under guard when he wrote” “I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus…”; “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you (3:1 & 4:1). He describes himself as an ambassador in chains (6:20). Paul saw in the Roman soldier a wonderful illustration for spiritual truth.
Understand the armor is symbolic. The armor is no less than Jesus himself. Every believer knows Christ Jesus as Savior. The problem comes when we do not appropriate all our Lord brings with Him. You see, it is not Jesus available, but Jesus appropriated, that makes the difference. Romans 13:14 says, Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts.” The term “put on” is translated from the Greek word “enduo”, found in Eph. 6:11. In the battles of life Jesus is the answer, but His resources must be appropriated.
There are 3 pieces of armor that should always be in place without question: the belt, the breastplate, and the boots (Eph. 6:14-15).The other pieces are to be taken up decivesly and finally. The emphasis here is that it is possible to forget that pieces of armor, such as the shield, helmet, and the sword. We are to take these up regularly into the battle. First lets focus on the Belt of Truth.
THE BELT OF TRUTH DISPLAYS AN ILLUSTRATION OF INTEGRITY
The belt served 3 primary purposes for the Roman soldier:
1. It held all of his weapons and equipment together.
2. It was used to tie his robes so that he would not trip going into battle.
3. It was ornamental, displaying medals or awards for heroism in battle.
4.
Here it is a spiritual weapon, but the functions are the same. It is called a belt of truth, therefore it pictures the Lord Jesus Christ, who said “I am the truth…”. It also pictures the written Word of God that keeps one from tripping over the obstacles in the world. Finally, it pictures the honesty and integrity that ought to characterize the life of all who know Jesus Christ.
1. The Belt of Truth exhibits the inspiration for integrity. Our Lord Jesus spoke the truth and lived the truth. The belt represents Jesus and His Word holding everything together in one’s life. His truth, His character, and His integrity are to characterize our lives.
2. The Belt of Truth teaches us the importance of integrity. Our lives ought to be lived in such a way that people see the truth. Just as the Roman soldier ;used the belt to bind his robe to keep from tripping, so the truth of Jesus’ Word keeps us from tripping before a watching world. Also believers’ medals of victory worn on the belt of integrity are their reputations. Vs. 15 challenges us to speak truthfully. How do we learn to tell the truth: Jesus teaches us to live honestly. There are 3 areas where we tend to be dishonest in our lives: (1) Divided living (hypocritical life); (2) Dishonest finances. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”; (3) Double-minded thinking (divided allegiance), Jesus alone can teach us to live the truth. We must deal with our hearts, our minds, and our wills.
THE HEART OF THE WARRIOR
Eph. 6:14
The second piece of armor needed is the breastplate of righteousness. The Roman breastplate was made of metal and leather, fastened around the soldier’s body from the neck to the thighs. It protected one’s vital organs, including the heart and lungs. The armor of the believer, is called the breastplate of righteousness. Spiritually a blow to the mind and emotions is very dangerous. Satan desires to mess up our minds. We are all unclean and as filthy rags (Is.64:6); there is none righteous. Righteousness is not a natural human attribute. Our very best is tainted by sin. His reign and His righteousness is necessary for our lives. Righteousness is a gift of God and we must declare and demonstrate it. It must be appropriated. Few of us understand what we are in Jesus. Receiving This righteousness protects from inferiority. Identity with Christ is the key to a healthy
self-image. The breastplate of righteousness protects us from immorality and insecurity.
We are commanded to shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Jesus Christ himself is the armor of God. We will now consider the armor of the warrior’s shoes. When we wear boots they serve the main purposes: (1 ) To provide firm footing; (2) To furnish protection and (3) To give mobility.
Our spiritual shoes serves the same way. The believer’s spiritual warfare shoes are described as “the gospel of peace”. We stand on the sure foundation of the gospel (good news). What is the good news? Paul described the gospel as the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (I Cor. 15:1-4). Our firm footing is the unchanging message of Jesus Christ. Many people are slipping and sliding in their faith. Many substitutes are offered for the gospel. Paul confronted this problem in Gal. 1:6-10. We live with the same problems: social gospel; works gospel, New Age gospel; health and wealth gospel; and gospel according to humanism.
Gal. 5:1 says, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free”.
The stability of the shoes: keeps us from stumbling in the battle. When you know that you stand before God at peace with Him because of the blood of Jesus, the Satan cannot worry you to death. If you allow the devil to trouble your mind and cause you anxiety, then all of your life becomes unstable. James 1:8 warns us, “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” In Christ you have what the world longs for – peace and true freedom.
The mobility of the shoes might be read as the preparation or readiness. The idea of one being ready to move into battle at a moment’s notice.
Already in Ephesians we have learned that the Christian life is a walk:
We are not to walk wrongly (2:2)
We are to walk in His works (2:10)
We are to walk worthily (4:1)
We are to walk in love (5:1-2)
We are to walk in the light (5:
YOU CANNOT WALK PROPERLY WITHOUT YOUR GOSPEL SHOES IN PLACE We must stand on the secure footing of the truth about Jesus. We must stand with stability of heart, even in the midst of our conflicts. We must be ready to move and stand in the heat of the battles.
In the ancient wars, archers would dip their arrows in pitch, set the tips of the arrows on fire, and launch them toward the opponent. The soldier struck by one of these flaming missiles would receive an agonizing wound. Their clothing would often be ignited and they would be severely burned. To combat these fiery arrows, the Romans invented a large door-shaped shield. The shields were made of leather and they would soak them in water for protection from the fiery arrows of the enemy.
Paul used this weapon to illustrate faith. He changed the verb in the Greek language from having to taking to describe the believer’s use of the last 3 weapons. One can “take” the shield, helmet, and the sword. This means that one may choose to appropriate faith or not to appropriate faith. So what is faith? New Testament faith is believing to the point of commitment. Faith is trusting and acting on what God has said. Faith is as valid as the object on which it rests. Here faith is said to be a shield. A shield like this was used by the Roman soldier to defend against the enemy as well as to advance against the enemy. If I am to put my faith in a shield, I need to know more about that shield.
In order to take the shield, you must understand what- or rather who- the shield is in Scripture. We discover in Gen 14 & 15 the identity of our shield. In these chapters, Abraham wins a great victory. The king of Sodom offers him a reward which he wisely refuses. Abraham was instructed by God not to be afraid for He was his shield. Abraham put his life in God’s hands. God was the shield. We take the shield of faith when we trust the Lord. Hab. 2:4 says, “The just shall live by his faith.” We are saved by faith in God’s Word about His Son. We also live by faith (gal. 2:20) The shield of faith does not protect us from life, rather helps us defend against the fiery darts of Satan. And all that Satan can hurl at a believer, God can take care of. “This is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith” (I John 5:4).
The next weapon mentioned is the helmet. Every believe is a saint and a soldier – a worshipper and a warrior – in the faith and in the fight. As warriors we fight from a position of strength and victory. We wage war in the right posture. We face an intelligent, aggressive Enemy who targets the crucial areas of our life for attach. God has provided the armor with which to defend our faith and defeat our foes.
Ephesians 6:14
The old hymn “Stand up for Jesus” has a line in it that goes like this: “Put on the gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer.” This thought reflects what Paul is saying to the church. Vs. 10 declares the believers’ position for battle and their posture for battle in vs. 11-13, Paul moves on to their position for battle.
Both vs. 1 & 13 command the believer to “put on” or “take up” the whole armor of God. This once-and-for-all command includes the entire outfit. This includes all of the soldier’s equipment.
When Paul wrote Ephesians he wrote from personal knowledge about Roman soldiers. He was chained to one under guard when he wrote” “I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus…”; “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you (3:1 & 4:1). He describes himself as an ambassador in chains (6:20). Paul saw in the Roman soldier a wonderful illustration for spiritual truth.
Understand the armor is symbolic. The armor is no less than Jesus himself. Every believer knows Christ Jesus as Savior. The problem comes when we do not appropriate all our Lord brings with Him. You see, it is not Jesus available, but Jesus appropriated, that makes the difference. Romans 13:14 says, Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts.” The term “put on” is translated from the Greek word “enduo”, found in Eph. 6:11. In the battles of life Jesus is the answer, but His resources must be appropriated.
There are 3 pieces of armor that should always be in place without question: the belt, the breastplate, and the boots (Eph. 6:14-15).The other pieces are to be taken up decivesly and finally. The emphasis here is that it is possible to forget that pieces of armor, such as the shield, helmet, and the sword. We are to take these up regularly into the battle. First lets focus on the Belt of Truth.
THE BELT OF TRUTH DISPLAYS AN ILLUSTRATION OF INTEGRITY
The belt served 3 primary purposes for the Roman soldier:
1. It held all of his weapons and equipment together.
2. It was used to tie his robes so that he would not trip going into battle.
3. It was ornamental, displaying medals or awards for heroism in battle.
4.
Here it is a spiritual weapon, but the functions are the same. It is called a belt of truth, therefore it pictures the Lord Jesus Christ, who said “I am the truth…”. It also pictures the written Word of God that keeps one from tripping over the obstacles in the world. Finally, it pictures the honesty and integrity that ought to characterize the life of all who know Jesus Christ.
1. The Belt of Truth exhibits the inspiration for integrity. Our Lord Jesus spoke the truth and lived the truth. The belt represents Jesus and His Word holding everything together in one’s life. His truth, His character, and His integrity are to characterize our lives.
2. The Belt of Truth teaches us the importance of integrity. Our lives ought to be lived in such a way that people see the truth. Just as the Roman soldier ;used the belt to bind his robe to keep from tripping, so the truth of Jesus’ Word keeps us from tripping before a watching world. Also believers’ medals of victory worn on the belt of integrity are their reputations. Vs. 15 challenges us to speak truthfully. How do we learn to tell the truth: Jesus teaches us to live honestly. There are 3 areas where we tend to be dishonest in our lives: (1) Divided living (hypocritical life); (2) Dishonest finances. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”; (3) Double-minded thinking (divided allegiance), Jesus alone can teach us to live the truth. We must deal with our hearts, our minds, and our wills.
THE HEART OF THE WARRIOR
Eph. 6:14
The second piece of armor needed is the breastplate of righteousness. The Roman breastplate was made of metal and leather, fastened around the soldier’s body from the neck to the thighs. It protected one’s vital organs, including the heart and lungs. The armor of the believer, is called the breastplate of righteousness. Spiritually a blow to the mind and emotions is very dangerous. Satan desires to mess up our minds. We are all unclean and as filthy rags (Is.64:6); there is none righteous. Righteousness is not a natural human attribute. Our very best is tainted by sin. His reign and His righteousness is necessary for our lives. Righteousness is a gift of God and we must declare and demonstrate it. It must be appropriated. Few of us understand what we are in Jesus. Receiving This righteousness protects from inferiority. Identity with Christ is the key to a healthy
self-image. The breastplate of righteousness protects us from immorality and insecurity.
We are commanded to shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Jesus Christ himself is the armor of God. We will now consider the armor of the warrior’s shoes. When we wear boots they serve the main purposes: (1 ) To provide firm footing; (2) To furnish protection and (3) To give mobility.
Our spiritual shoes serves the same way. The believer’s spiritual warfare shoes are described as “the gospel of peace”. We stand on the sure foundation of the gospel (good news). What is the good news? Paul described the gospel as the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (I Cor. 15:1-4). Our firm footing is the unchanging message of Jesus Christ. Many people are slipping and sliding in their faith. Many substitutes are offered for the gospel. Paul confronted this problem in Gal. 1:6-10. We live with the same problems: social gospel; works gospel, New Age gospel; health and wealth gospel; and gospel according to humanism.
Gal. 5:1 says, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free”.
The stability of the shoes: keeps us from stumbling in the battle. When you know that you stand before God at peace with Him because of the blood of Jesus, the Satan cannot worry you to death. If you allow the devil to trouble your mind and cause you anxiety, then all of your life becomes unstable. James 1:8 warns us, “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” In Christ you have what the world longs for – peace and true freedom.
The mobility of the shoes might be read as the preparation or readiness. The idea of one being ready to move into battle at a moment’s notice.
Already in Ephesians we have learned that the Christian life is a walk:
We are not to walk wrongly (2:2)
We are to walk in His works (2:10)
We are to walk worthily (4:1)
We are to walk in love (5:1-2)
We are to walk in the light (5:
YOU CANNOT WALK PROPERLY WITHOUT YOUR GOSPEL SHOES IN PLACE We must stand on the secure footing of the truth about Jesus. We must stand with stability of heart, even in the midst of our conflicts. We must be ready to move and stand in the heat of the battles.
In the ancient wars, archers would dip their arrows in pitch, set the tips of the arrows on fire, and launch them toward the opponent. The soldier struck by one of these flaming missiles would receive an agonizing wound. Their clothing would often be ignited and they would be severely burned. To combat these fiery arrows, the Romans invented a large door-shaped shield. The shields were made of leather and they would soak them in water for protection from the fiery arrows of the enemy.
Paul used this weapon to illustrate faith. He changed the verb in the Greek language from having to taking to describe the believer’s use of the last 3 weapons. One can “take” the shield, helmet, and the sword. This means that one may choose to appropriate faith or not to appropriate faith. So what is faith? New Testament faith is believing to the point of commitment. Faith is trusting and acting on what God has said. Faith is as valid as the object on which it rests. Here faith is said to be a shield. A shield like this was used by the Roman soldier to defend against the enemy as well as to advance against the enemy. If I am to put my faith in a shield, I need to know more about that shield.
In order to take the shield, you must understand what- or rather who- the shield is in Scripture. We discover in Gen 14 & 15 the identity of our shield. In these chapters, Abraham wins a great victory. The king of Sodom offers him a reward which he wisely refuses. Abraham was instructed by God not to be afraid for He was his shield. Abraham put his life in God’s hands. God was the shield. We take the shield of faith when we trust the Lord. Hab. 2:4 says, “The just shall live by his faith.” We are saved by faith in God’s Word about His Son. We also live by faith (gal. 2:20) The shield of faith does not protect us from life, rather helps us defend against the fiery darts of Satan. And all that Satan can hurl at a believer, God can take care of. “This is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith” (I John 5:4).
The next weapon mentioned is the helmet. Every believe is a saint and a soldier – a worshipper and a warrior – in the faith and in the fight. As warriors we fight from a position of strength and victory. We wage war in the right posture. We face an intelligent, aggressive Enemy who targets the crucial areas of our life for attach. God has provided the armor with which to defend our faith and defeat our foes.
