7. By the armor of righteousness By righteousness you must understand — rectitude of conscience, and holiness of life. He employs the metaphor of armor, because all that serve God require to fight, inasmuch as the devil is always on the alert, to molest them. Now they must be completely armed, because, if he does not succeed in one onset, he thereupon makes a new attempt, and attacks them at one time from before, at another from behind — now on this side, and then on that. (593)
(593) “Here the spiritual arms are not particularized; yet the terms τῶν δεξιῶν καὶ ἀριστερῶν, ( on the right hand and the left,) are very comprehensive, referring to the complete armor and arms, on both sides, with which the ὁπλίτης, or completely armed soldier was furnished, who was thus said to be ἀμφιδέξιος ( ambidexter .) Thus the general sense is: ‘We employ no other arms than the panoply of righteousness. ’” — Bloomfield. — Ed.