Ephesians 6:14 also speaks of the breastplate of righteousness, which covers our conscience, signified by the breast. In fighting against Satan, our accuser, we need a conscience void of offense. But no matter how good we may feel our conscience is, we still need to have it covered with the breastplate of righteousness. The righteousness which covers our conscience and which guards us from Satan’s accusations is Christ Himself (1 Cor. 1:30). Hence, we are covered by Christ as our righteousness. Furthermore, the breastplate of righteousness is related both to Christ and to His blood. In experience we cannot separate the blood from Christ. Apart from His blood, Christ cannot cover us. Under the cleansing of His blood, He becomes our righteousness to cover our conscience.
Ephesians 6:15 says, “Having shod your feet with the firm foundation of the gospel of peace.” Our feet need to be shod in order to strengthen our stand in the battle. The phrase “the firm foundation of the gospel of peace” means the establishment of the gospel of peace. Christ made peace for us on the cross both with God and with man, and this peace has become our gospel (Eph. 2:13-17). This has been established as a firm foundation, as a readiness for our feet to be shod with. Thus, we shall have a firm footing that we may stand to fight the spiritual warfare. The peace for such a firm foundation is also Christ (Eph. 2:14). We fight in peace and with peace; we fight by standing in peace. Christ is the peace for us to be one with God and with the saints. This peace is the firm foundation that enables us to stand against the enemy.
Ephesians 6:16 continues, “With all these, having taken up the shield of faith, with which you shall be able to quench all the flaming darts of the evil one.” Flaming darts were used by fighters in the apostle’s time, and the apostle uses this as an illustration of Satan’s attacks on us. The flaming darts are Satan’s temptations, proposals, doubts, questions, lies, and attacks. In order to quench all these flaming darts of the evil one, we need to take up the shield of faith. The shield is not something we put on; it is something we take up in order to protect ourselves against the attacks of the enemy.
Faith comes after truth, righteousness, and peace. If we have truth in our living, righteousness as our covering, and peace as our standing, we shall spontaneously have faith. This faith is a safeguard against the flaming darts of the enemy. Christ is the Author and Perfecter of such faith (Heb. 12:2).
In 6:17a Paul says, “Receive the helmet of salvation.” This is for covering our mind against the negative thoughts directed at us by the evil one. Such a helmet, such a covering, is God’s salvation. Satan injects into our mind threats, worries, anxieties, and other weakening thoughts. God’s salvation is the covering we take up against all these. Such a salvation is the saving Christ we experience in our daily life (John 16:33).
In verse 17b Paul also tells us to receive “the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.” The sword is the one item of the armor that is used for attacking the enemy.
In verse 17 the antecedent of “which” is Spirit, not sword. This indicates that the Spirit is the word of God, both of which are Christ (2 Cor. 3:17; Rev. 19:13). Paul speaks of “the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.” Is the sword here the sword of the Spirit or the sword of the word? The Spirit is the sword itself, not the one who uses the sword. The word of God also is a sword. The sword is the Spirit, and the Spirit is the word. Here we have three things that are one: the sword, the Spirit, and the word.
In our Christian experience the word and the Spirit must always be one. Christ is both the Spirit and the word. He is not the Spirit without being the word, nor the word without being the Spirit. As we engage in spiritual warfare against the enemy, our only weapon is the Spirit-word, which is the sword.
Verse 18 begins with the phrase “By means of all prayer and petition.” This phrase modifies the predicate “receive” in verse 17. By prayer we receive both the helmet of salvation and the word of God. This indicates that we need to receive the word of God by means of all prayer and petition.
The modifier “by means of all prayer and petition” in verse 18 actually is related to all six items of the armor covered in verses 14 through 17. It is by means of all prayer and petition that we gird our loins with truth, put on the breastplate of righteousness, have our feet shod with the firm foundation of the gospel of peace, take up the shield of faith, and receive the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Prayer is the unique way to apply the armor of God. Therefore, prayer is crucial and vital.
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