Submitted by Pastor Brad Dush, Fairfax Methodist Church

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.  In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ~ Ephesians 6:10-17

The Scripture text above, “The Armor of God,” as it is commonly referred to, is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. Since learning about armor in a historical context, I have loved preaching and teaching it. Over the course of 2025, I am sharing this text, its historical significance, and Biblical truths front and center as the topic for my On the Spiritual Side articles. Each subsequent article will dive into the next part of the rich truth and power behind Paul’s incredible teaching to believers in Ephesus and to us today!

The text begins with the declaration, “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” If you get nothing from this series of teachings, understand this foundational aspect: the armor Paul talks about is God’s armor. It is not ours. God, the Creator of the universe, is the person who forged the armor. Early in the Roman Empire, armor was made by local craftsmen and smiths. It wasn’t until later that the state centralized the manufacturing of armor. History is not exact during the first century, but much evidence supports that armor was still in the hands of craftsmen and smiths in Paul’s time. So, for Paul to name God, in essence, as the craftsman who forged the armor speaks directly to the quality of the armor.

In addition to noting that the armor is forged by the hand of God (metaphorically), Paul declares that Christians need to find strength in the Lord and His might alone. Our strength for daily living should be in none other than God alone. We are not clever or strong enough to do what we call life on our own – at least if we are going to live the life God intended for us! The Bible is clear: the only way for us to “be strong” is to receive strength from an external source, God. Ephesians 3:16 says, “That according to the riches of His glory, He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being.” Our strength is in Him and Him alone. It is not an accident as Paul is wrapping up his letter with a final few words of wisdom for the followers of the Way in Ephesus; he stresses the strength believers have in God. The question is, why do we need the Armor of God anyway? We will look at that next time. Until then, I encourage you to be strong in the Lord and His strength alone.