The Spiritual Warrior and the Armour of God. For the rest, the Christian must be strong in the Lord, equipped with God's armour, in face of the devil's wiles. He wrestles, not against mere human foes, but against the dæ monic powers and principalities who are the rulers of this dark and wicked world; against the evil spiritual agencies in the heavenly sphere. Against such, if he is to stand in the day of evil, his armour must indeed be the armour of God his girdle truth, his breastplate righteousness, his sandals the preparedness begotten of the peace the gospel brings; in all circumstances he must take trust in God as shield so shall he be able to quench all the Evil One's flaming darts; he must take the helmet which consists of salvation, and the Spirit's sword, i.e. the utterance of God; with constancy, moreover, of ceaseless prayer and intercession in the Spirit at every moment, keeping vigil thereunto with perseverance. Let him pray for all God's people; and in particular, let him pray for the writer, that he may have utterance free speech and fearless to make known the revealed secret of that gospel, on whose behalf he is an ambassador in chains!
Ephesians 6:11. whole armour: an unfortunate attempt to render literally the Gr. panoplia (panoply). Not the completeness of the armour but its Divine character is the writer's point.
Ephesians 6:12. Cf. Ephesians 2:2; 1 Corinthians 2:6 *, 2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 2:15. The idea that the powers occupying the heavens are in some cases evil finds several parallels in Jewish apocalyptic literature; cf. also Revelation 12:7; 1 Corinthians 6:3. [In his Early Zoroastrianism, pp. 392 f., J. H. Moulton says, A conflict in the upper air between the powers of light and darkness is a thoroughly Iranian notion. It may even have contributed to popular beliefs outside Iran, for when Paul uses it (Ephesians 6:12) as an idea familiar to the people of the Lycus valley, it will probably be as a native folklore which he could apply, without doing harm, when the infinite transcendence of Christ was held fast. There is a further parallel in Revelation 12:9 supposed to be adapted from Jewish apocalyptic. Both passages may be fairly added to the tale of possible Iranian contacts with Judaism. A. S. P.]
Ephesians 6:14-17. This is based on the descriptions of the Divine Warrior in OT (cf. Isaiah 59:17; Isaiah 11:4, Wis_5:17 ff.), rather than on the armour of the Roman legionary.
Ephesians 6:15. preparation (hetoimasia): the word possibly denotes footgear, but more probably preparedness either the readiness of the messenger who conveys the good news of peace, or the preparedness which results from being at peace with God.
Ephesians 6:16. In ancient warfare arrows were sometimes tipped with inflammable material and set on fire before being discharged.
Ephesians 6:17. word of God: either the gospel as preached, or OT Scriptures.