overcome all the spiritual foes'.  While it certainly involves that thought, we

shall come nearer to the truth by observing as we have already done the actual

word employed and its usage in other passages.  Katergazomai means to thoroughly

work, or to achieve.  Two occurrences of the word in the epistles seem to give

light upon its meaning in Ephesians 6.  The first is:

`Work Out your own salvation with fear and trembling' (Phil. 2:12).

Salvation was the

blessed possession of the Philippians, but the object of

that epistle is to urge

these believers into practical realization of their

position in Christ.  It

speaks of `striving', of running for a `prize', of

`suffering', and of the

`power of His resurrection'.  The other passage is 2

Corinthians 4:17:

`For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, Worketh for us a far

more exceeding eternal weight of glory'.

Once again we have suffering connected with glory.

So in Ephesians 6:13

`Having worked out all, to stand'.

We cannot help seeing in this a reference back to Romans 8:37-39.  We have been

saved, let us work out this salvation.  We have been more than conquerors in

Christ; let us work out this victory in our own experience.  This appears to be

the essence of the passage.  More than conquerors in the risen Christ, putting

on the whole armour of God, withstanding every assault in the `power of His

Might', and standing when all is finished, this is our portion.  We must now

The whole armour of God and

The threefold nature of the conflict.

Meanwhile there is no more important command for the soldier of Christ

today than `Stand Therefore'.

The familiar word `panoply' is made up of pan, all, and hoplon, arms.

Here in Ephesians 6:11 it is called the whole armour of God.  The word occurs

but in one other place in the New Testament viz., Luke 11:22, where it is used

of the whole armour of Satan (verse 18).  In Luke 11:18-22 we have the following

words of Ephesians 6, viz., `strong', `panoply' and `stand'.  How is it possible

to stand against the wiles of Satan, clad as he is in his whole armour in which

he trusts, unless we put on the whole armour of God?  Nothing less than this can

avail in that conflict.  There is reason therefore for the apostle's full

expression, `The whole armour of God'.

This armour of God has two other descriptions given to it by Paul in his

epistles, and just as the armour of God is seen set over against the armour of

the devil, so in these other titles the devil's armoury is suggested by

`The armour of righteousness' (2 Cor. 6:7) suggests the unrighteousness

that characterizes Satan's warfare.  This armour moreover is described as being

`on the right hand and on the left' (2 Cor. 6:7).  Schleusner sees in this a

reference to the amphidexios, `right-handed on both sides', a Greek name for the