Daniel R. Hyde |

Reformed Catholic Theology

The Armor of God: Your Offense Against Satan

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At any given point in time, I have several members of the United States Marine Corps under my care as pastor. Their strength never ceases to amaze me. They carry the equivalent of a large child on their backs. Marines join up for a job that pays little. They’re called away from their families for long periods of time. Our country puts them in the most intense situations you can imagine. They’re able to bear up this physical and emotional weight because they’re soldiers; they’re Marines. Christian, you’re a soldier. Paul prepares you for the war in Ephesians 6. Put on the armor of God. Utilize your two offensive weapons against Satan in this spiritual war: the sword of God’s Word and your prayers to God.[1]

The Word

The armor of God includes the Word of God. Look at how it’s described with a similitude: “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” All armies used the sword because it was the most devastating piece of weaponry in the ancient world. The ancients used all kinds of swords: long, short, straight, and curved. The sword that was the central piece of offensive armor a Roman legionnaire soldier had was called a gladius. What made it so effective was that it was short and double-edged, allowing the Roman to fight at close quarters, jabbing, slashing, and hacking at his enemy.

Its Use

Why does Paul describe the Word of God as such a devastating weapon like the gladius? Like a sword, the Word slays its enemies. The prophet Hosea described the Lord’s using the sword of his Word against his own people: “I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth” (6:5).

Are you using God’s Word to slay your enemies outside of you: the world and the Devil? In Ephesians 6 Paul especially focuses on the Devil because he too knows the Word of God. If he tempted our first father (Gen. 3) and the Word-made-flesh with the Word (Matt. 4), know he’ll certainly tempt you with it. He does so by twisting it. This means like our Lord’s example you are called to know the Word so well that you can detect its false use!

Are you using this sword to slay the enemy within you: your own fallen and sinful flesh? How about mortifying your thought life? Are you mortifying what you allow into your eyes? What about the things you allow into your ears? Paul uses the image of a sword to describe the Word because like a sword the Word of God penetrates the outer man: “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).

Its Source

The Word is “the sword of the Spirit” (v. 17). All Scripture has been breathed out or spoken by God himself (2 Tim. 3:16). But why is it called the sword of the Spirit? Because from the very beginning of human history the Holy Spirit has been the powerful agent of the Word of God. When God spoke in the beginning, that speech was mysteriously the eternal Word (John 1). The means of that Word executing the work of creation was the Spirit, who hovered over the face of the deep (Gen. 1:2). He also hovered over the womb of the Virgin, causing the Son of God to come into our world (Luke 1).

This same Spirit powerfully works in and through the written Word of God today. So if the Word is the Word of the Spirit, this means that for us to be more spiritual in our spiritual warfare against the world, the flesh, and the devil, we must be more and more saturated by the Spirit’s Word. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Col. 3:16).

Prayer

Since we’re engaged in a spiritual war, our weapons are spiritual: the Word of God and our prayers to God. Paul actually says more about prayer (vv. 18–20) than he does about the devastating weapon of the Word (v. 17).

What is prayer?

We can think of it simplistically as we teach children that it’s “talking with God.” We can grow deeper in our understanding as well. One example of this is the Westminster Larger Catechism, which says “prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, in the name of Christ, by the help of his Spirit; with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies” (Q&A 178). In the context of our spiritual battle in Ephesians 6 this means we need to expand our understanding of prayer to mean the means by which we petition God to strengthen us in Christ by the Spirit to fight and win against the Devil.

The Timing of Prayer

We’re to pray “at all times” (v. 18). Why? Because the Devil is relentless! 1 Peter 5:8 says he “prowls around” and the story of Job says he goes “to and fro on the earth” (Job 1:7). We have to pray at all times because the battle is relentless. All the spiritual hosts of wickedness assail us at all times (v. 12). We have to pray at all times because of our own nature: the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. To state the obvious, you can’t pray “at all times” unless you’re actually praying! Pray, beloved!

The “Location” of Prayer

Prayer is to be done “in the Spirit.” This isn’t a proof text for praying in “tongues” in our day or having some emotional experience in prayer. Instead, the language of the Larger Catechism explains it best: “Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, in the name of Christ, by the help of his Spirit.” You’re not praying against armies of this world. Because you’re praying against the armies of darkness you need to pray for strength from the world to come. This means you must rely on the Spirit and seek his help often. But is it legitimate to pray so directly to the Holy Spirit for his help? Is he God? Then yes, you can cultivate a relationship with the Holy Spirit in prayer.

The Subjects of Prayer

Finally, Paul speaks of prayer “for all the saints” (v. 18). If you need to pray for the help of the Spirit against your enemies, know that your brothers and sisters in Christ need prayer for his help too. One particular ting Paul asks prayer for in verse 19 is himself: “and also for me.” Why? He was imprisoned and needed boldness in proclaiming the gospel (vv. 19–20).

Do you realize how mush your prayers are needed for your minister and the ministry of the Word in your place of worship? There’s an old story of a visitor to the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London back in the days of C. H. Spurgeon. This visitor came to find out the secret of his ministry success. Spurgeon took this visitor down into the boiler room basement, opened a door, and showed him the women’s prayer group, active at prayer. Prayer for the Spirit help was the secret to success: nothing else! It still is in all our skirmishes against our ancient foe. May God help us to use his armor in the battle!


[1] The Outlook 68:4 (July/August 2018): 4–5.


For previous articles in this series:

  1. The Armor of God: Being Strong Against Satan
  2. The Armor of God: The Call to Arms Against Satan
  3. The Armor of God: Your Defense Against Satan

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