evident that the apostle is dealing not with foes but with carnal believers,

'casting down imaginations (margin, reasonings logismos) ... bringing into

captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ' (2 Cor. 10:5).  We look

in vain for an external foe in the other passages where arms or armour are

used.  'Arm yourselves' truly said Peter, but arm yourselves 'to suffer'.

'Put on the armour of light', said Paul, but the exhortation that follows has

no word to say of an external foe, it speaks of walking honestly as in the

day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in

strife and envying, and when he returns to the subject, instead of repeating

his words 'Put on the armour of light', he says, 'But put ye on the Lord

Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts

thereof' (Rom. 13:12 -14).  In 1 Thessalonians there is a reference to

armour.  The apostle speaks of 'the breastplate of faith and love' and for a

helmet he speaks of 'the hope of salvation', but the context has no word to

say of war; it is very similar to that of Romans 13:12 -14.  'They that sleep

sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.  But

let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate', etc. (1

Thess. 5:4 -8), so that 'that day' should not overtake you as a thief (1

Thess. 5:4).  'The day is at hand' (Rom. 13:12).

When we examine the context of Ephesians 6:14 -17 where 'the whole

armour of God' is set out in detail, we find a future 'day' in view, called

'the evil day'.  Those against whom the conflict is directed are not flesh

and blood, but principalities and powers, the rulers of the 'darkness' of

this world.  The conflict itself is set forth in terms of 'wrestling', of

'standing' and of 'withstanding'.  The apostle knew full well that no Greek

athlete ever 'wrestled' clad in armour, consequently he uses the figure of

arms and armour not so much to direct the attention to warfare against an

external foe, as against the powers of darkness and the lusts of the flesh.

Peter speaks of fleshly lusts, which 'war against the soul' (1 Pet. 2:11).

James speaks of lusts that 'war' in our members.  Consequently while there

are most certainly external foes and mighty spiritual powers that are against

us, our conflict is rather directed against our own complicity, our own evil

desires, our forgetfulness that we are not of the night or darkness, but that

we are children of light.  The believer is susceptible to temptation along

these avenues, and it is in temptation that the Sword of the Spirit is proved

to be the effectual Word.  Let us stand by and see our great Captain meet His

spiritual foe in the wilderness.  Let us see how He uses 'the sword of the

Spirit, which is the Word of God'.

The first temptation

The use of the Sword

'It is written'.

The second temptation

'Cast self down'.

The use of the Sword

'It is written again'.

The third temptation

The use of the Sword

'It is written'.

One lesson however is not brought into prominence by this outline.  The

Devil himself used the expression 'It is written' when tempting Christ to

cast Himself down.  Yet it is observed with thanksgiving, that even though

the Devil may quote Scripture, and reply in exactly the same language

(gegraptai) such quotation of the Scripture does not constitute it 'The Sword

of the Spirit', so that there is evidently some condition or qualification

that is not on the surface.  Let us return to Ephesians 6 for a further