“For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News
so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith
to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet,
and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.
Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”
Ephesians 6:14-18, NLT
Paul addressed the Christians in Ephesus how to remain strong in the Lord and in the power of God by comparing God’s protective armor to that of the Roman soldiers. The first post on the armor described the belt, vest, and shoes that Christians need to fight in spiritual warfare. Paul directed them to buckle the belt of truth around their waists, to cover their hearts with the impenetrable vests of righteousness, and to walk in boots of peace of the gospel of Christ.
Part two describes the outer shoe guard, helmet, sword, and binding cover of the armor of Christ. Paul reminded them in addition to wearing the shoes of the gospel of peace, to cover their heads with the helmet of salvation and to wield God’s Word, the sword of the Spirit. He urged them to bind all these together with prayer for defense against the enemy.
The shoe guards. The open-laced boots left the soldier’s shin exposed, therefore he wore a greave or shin armor to protect the tibia from attack. A blow below an unprotected knee rendered the soldier unable to maneuver. A metal exterior with a padded interior comprised most greaves. Often they covered only the shin, but a greave could be worn on the back of his leg by buckling them together.
the armor of God,
spiritual warfare,
Ephesians 6,
Part 2 – A Guest Post by Jan Willis