The Breastplate

C

The Shoes

Gospel of peace.

A

The Shield

Faith or faithfulness.

B

The Helmet

C

The Sword

The Word of God.

Let us notice some features that come into prominence by this twofold

The breastplate and the helmet (heart and head).  There is no more vital

connection in either law or gospel than that of righteousness and salvation.  A

salvation that had not righteousness as its basis would be useless in the

conflict with the evil one.  This is why in 2 Corinthians 6:7 Paul calls the

whole armour `the armour of righteousness'.  The breastplate and the helmet are

brought together in 1 Thessalonians 5:8, where the breastplate is `faith and

love', and the helmet `the hope of salvation'.

The shoes and the sword (feet and hands).  Both speak of a message, one

the gospel of peace, the other a word of war.  The idea conveyed by the word

`preparation' seems to be that of a firm footing, the word being sometimes used

for a `base' in the LXX.  We must fully understand peace if we would succeed in

war.  The peace here appears to refer back to Ephesians 2:15 and 4:3.  Anything

that breaks the unity of the Spirit, or that introduces the first element of

faction, will trip us up in the conflict and the evil one well knows it.

The girdle and the shield (under and over all).  To an Eastern whose

garments were loose and flowing, the girding of the loins was the initial act of

preparation for service.  We preserve the figure in our saying `buckle to' when

we would urge anyone to diligence.  The wiles of the devil can be met only by

absolute sincerity.  A secret doubt, a double heart, anything outside the single

eye, entertains a traitor within the camp who will betray us to the enemy.  This

feature has been brought forward in Ephesians 4:14,15.  The `wiles' (methodeia)

`of the devil', `whereby they lie in wait to deceive', are met by `speaking the

truth', or as the margin reads, `being sincere'.  The reference in Isaiah 11:5

speaks of righteousness and faithfulness in connection with the girdle, and we

have observed before that practically every word translated faith and faithful

in the Old Testament is derived from the Hebrew amen, which also means truth.

We have already alluded to the LXX translation, and there is no doubt that

truth, sincerity and faithfulness are absolutely essential to the soldier of

The shield of faith.  Is this our faith or the Lord's faithfulness?  The

reference in Psalm 91 not only indicates that our shield and buckler is the

Lord's faithfulness, but describes some of the `fiery darts':

`Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that

flieth by day' (Psa. 91:5).

We are exhorted to put on the armour of God, to take the armour, the

shield, the helmet and the sword.  Like the foolish virgins, it will be too late

to start looking for armour in the evil day.  How ridiculous young David must

have looked with the armour of Saul upon his youthful limbs.  David `assayed to

go', for he had not proved them, and wisely put them aside.  Smooth stones taken

from the brook he had proved, and with the help of God they were more than