Everyone Knows this Passage
The armor of God? This is an oft repeated, oft claimed section of scripture. Which I think makes it more difficult to study. Everyone has an opinion about it so as a student of the Word, my goal is to study it without bias or opinions interfering.
That’s why this passage has taken me more than three weeks to study. I don’t think I’ve ever taken so long, but this is a passage that has been preached so many times that I didn’t want to accidentally rely on some pastor’s take on it.
As part of my study, I asked questions like,
Is the armor of God mentioned elsewhere in scripture? What does it look like to the original audience to stand in battle?
I also wanted to understand what was an imperative from Paul and then what was a description for how to do the imperatives. Going strictly from the English translation, it can get a little fuzzy as to what is what.
Additionally, I explored a few cross references, attempting to understand what was in the mind of Paul as he wrote this section. Because we know that his intent is teach the things of God that God revealed to him. So what else did Paul say about battle, fight, stand, armor, any other related topics?
Finally, I consulted definitions in my Greek dictionaries in order get my 21st century mind closer to the mind of a 1st century member of these congregations.
Because Everyone Knows this Passage
Generally when I study this is true, but in particular when I study a very familiar passage, everything I ask or think about the text needs to first originate from the scripture. Did you notice as I briefly shared my process a minute ago?
- Questions either about scripture or its first culture. Not so much questions from my head or from my own culture.
- Does Paul tell his audience to do something? And how to do it? Not so much what I think sounds good to do but let the author declare what is commanded of me. Just me.
- Cross references allow the Bible to interpret the Bible. Again, the focus is toward scripture and not what might be rattling around in my own head.
- If we can, we consult dictionaries or other authorities for help filling in gaps there are between concepts in ancient Near East and the modern West. As we’ve discussed before, translation isn’t a word-for-word, one-to-one code. So we are trying to learn historical, vocational, cultural context for the words Paul uses.
For me, a passage that is familiar isn’t a short cut. It’s not an easier passage. In reality, it’s a challenging opportunity to practice leaving my backpack full of preconceived ideas at the door.
Strength and Power All Through the Letter
Throughout the study of this section, I will be re-doubling my efforts to keep context in mind. I’m telling myself as much as I’m telling you. Keeping the context in mind will minimize the pitfalls associated with familiarity.
For example, with context in mind, another question came up when I read about the Greek word for strong from Ephesians 6:10. When I saw the root of the word was the same as the root for power like in Ephesians 3:20, it made me curious how many other times this idea for strength or power appears in the letter. So I read through the letter from start to finish (again) watching for any words that directly or indirectly speak to these concepts. Here’s what I found:
- God has immeasurable greatness of power, great might (Eph 1:19)
- He has power to raise Christ from the dead and seat him at his right hand (Eph 1:20)
- Has power to subject all finite/created things to Christ (Eph 1:21-22)
- Paul is a minister of the gospel by God’s power (Eph 3:7)
- Believers, including Paul, have God’s power working within us (Eph 3:20)
After Paul’s exhortation to holy living based on all that God’s power working within believers has done, we arrive here where Paul commands the audience to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might (Eph 6:10). The audience has been primed for this from the beginning of the letter. God has all the power and he uses it to provide salvation, provide authority over all creation, and provide the ability to live, move, and have being in his created beings. Once Paul established that God has all this power, he points out that believers, as a group, have access to this power within them. Ultimately, that means that all of us who gather in Jesus’ name also have this power within us. But we’ll get to that later.
An Example of Imperative and Passive
Now there is an imperative to exist in the reality of God’s power. Be strong is a command but in the passive voice. I’m pretty sure I’ve talked about this before, but I will mention it again. This looks similar to a concept I learned when studying Romans a few years back. The categories of words in Romans 12:2 when it says to not be conformed is, according to the NET, able to be thought of in the permissive passive. Where Paul has commanded his audience to not be conformed, but he used the passive voice. How can there be a command that is done to the subject?
One possibility for how to obey such a command is that it might be subconscious. Or perhaps the subject allows himself to be a position to be influenced toward the way of being (in this example from Romans, not being conformed).
With a permissive passive, I can take steps to teach my brain so that I can obey the command.
- Meditating on God and his power
- Rehearsing his power at work in me
- Position ourselves to be empowered
Oh wait, that’s along the lines of application/reflection. Any kind of “I will” sentiments are post-interpretation. Let me adjust. We will revisit what my heart is learning later.
In Contrast to Passive
The next imperative we find is in Ephesians 6:11 where Paul commands his audience to put on the whole armor of God. I see these two commands closely related since there aren’t any words to even slightly change direction between the phrases. Paul said, “Finally” and then a few verses later says, “Therefore” which isn’t a change in topic but is a marker for a result. There’s logic, a reason, to do this next thing. I’ll bring it here so you can see what I mean.
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.1
To clarify: I am not an expert in Greek grammar or any other kind of expert. But sacrificing the mediocre on the altar of the perfect is failure in cases like these. Trying to discern what’s happening here grammatically, I have my nose in my Greek for the Rest of Us book. I’m just a fellow student, busy learning as much as I can. But just because I don’t know doesn’t mean I can’t wrestle with these grammatical conundrums. We can wrestle with them together and hopefully come out having learned more.
Passive vs Middle
In the same stroke of his quill, he says to passively be strong and then not passively but in the middle voice to put on. From Mounce’s book I recall that passive has the action done to the subject and middle emphasizes the subject doing the action in some way. Yes, there is an “in some way” sentiment. “In some way” the audience is to put on this armor.
How? I’m not sure yet because we haven’t discussed the armor itself. This is God’s armor so while it has points of contact between armor we’ve seen and understand, it’s also different than that which we’ve had experience with previously. It’s both. And because of history and those who’ve recorded it for us, we have the ability, with some effort, to fill in at least some of the chronological gaps. I’ve been exploring what this ancient armor Paul uses in his metaphor looks like and how it functions. We will chat about it in upcoming sessions.
Why Be Strong and Put On?
As we already discussed, some of the technique I used for studying this section was simply to ask questions of the text and then let it answer. Like this:
Do I actually know what this armor is yet? As I read, I have ideas about it, but that isn’t what Paul had in mind. If I were to interview an original audience member hearing this letter read aloud for the first time, would he know what the full armor of God is? He would have ideas about it closer to the mind of Paul, however Paul hasn’t yet articulated what the armor actually is. But he has already commanded the audience concerning it. If order of words means anything (it usually does), what comes first is emphasized. It has weight placed on it.
Being strong in our God and putting on his armor seems more important to Paul that what the armor consists of. He tells us why in Ephesians 6:11-12.
Why? That the audience may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. I’m here at my desk, taking a moment to think about that. The devil has schemes against God’s own. As one of his own, in the last 24 hours, have I observed any schemes of the devil? Lies, misleadings, wrong usage of scripture, any attempts to cast doubt of the character of God?
The Result
What could be the result of being strong and armored? That God’s folk, those same ones who gather in Jesus’ name that we discussed earlier, would be able to stand against those schemes. Together.
We’ve chatted at other times (here, for one) about the evidence Paul gives that there is a hierarchy of the demonic realm. There are organized forces for darkness but that doesn’t mean we don’t have defense against such forces. And we don’t need to understand the enemy or even imagine what they are like in order to have that defense. Since the forces for darkness are organized, shouldn’t we who gather in Jesus’ name be strong in the Lord and wear his armor in an organized, intentional manner as well? If God’s people don’t use his strength and protective equipment, we will not be able to stand.
But wait, what is it to stand? Paul repeats this word which designates importance. Let’s consider it next.
Why Would Anyone Want to Stand?
Isn’t it better to run? Or roll over and show the belly like a dog? Or like in all the modern movies that illustrate the philosophy that if there is a conversation, a parlance, between the warring parties, all will be well. Understanding will prevail and peace will be achieved. Fallacious nonsense.
There is a war between the forces of light and the forces of darkness. Ancient Greeks would tell you that if you turn tail and run, retreat, not stand, you will in the majority of battles, die. You will die by being stabbed in the back.
To whom is Paul writing? Ancient Greeks and their neighbors who also know that to not stand is to not survive. We can read the mythological literature of Ares and his sons which metaphorically describes the mechanics of combat: when fear prevails, the combatants scatter and are subsequently picked off. That back-stabbing I just mentioned. The same is found in sacred literature. In 1 Samuel 14, a panic arose in the camp of the Philistines after Jonathan and his armor-bearer went and poked their heads out of the rocks over the enemy camp. This fear and panic is the means by which God gave the Hebrews victory over their enemies. The Philistines didn’t stand.
So yes, Paul tells those in God’s Army, be strong in the Lord and put on the armor of God in order that they may stand against the all the forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Reflection
There were two imperatives in this section (Ephesians 6:10-12) that I studied today. Be strong and put on. One seems to be that permissive passive (imperative in the passive voice) and the other seems to be a command that is less about the action and more about the actor (imperative in the middle voice). What do these imperatives call me to do?
Be Strong
Like I started to talk about earlier, in order to position myself to allow obedience, I want to actively train my heart and mind to know who God is. Then when we who gather in Jesus’ name are in a spiritual fight-or-flight, our reflexive responses are more likely to be strong in the Lord. The only way that strength will be ours is if we have practiced believing truths about God. Do we really believe that God has our backs? Paul is speaking to the whole of the congregation. All of them are to be strong in the Lord.
Just a moment of looking at a particular word in Ephesians 6:11. YOU. This isn’t you and separate from you, me. No, this is still the plural form of the verb meaning “you all will have capacity.” Plural because as Paul writes to these groups of believers, he wants the whole of the body of Christ to be in the Resistance. Together.
As a member of that body, I can exercise and prepare my mind to know and trust God so that I may be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with my brothers and sisters against evil in that day.
Put On So That
Even though I don’t yet know what the armor of God is, I know that the putting on has a purpose. The result of wearing that armor is I may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. I also know that I am the one who has the choice to put on or not put on. In the middle voice (as I currently understand it), I am the active player in the donning of the equipment. Am I doing that?
Since Paul has revealed up front the result of being equipped, the audience (of which I am part) is primed and eager to hear what he has to say about this armor. It isn’t to battle flesh and blood, unless that flesh and blood is ruled by the forces of darkness. It’s to stand with my fellow brothers and sisters in the war against darkness. Again, that plural verb tells us to put on whatever Paul is about to explain because then we will together have the capacity to stand.
Let’s Imagine for a Moment
You know, as I think about this, let’s employ our divine imaginations. Let’s insert ourselves in a hypothetical war. From within the walls of their respective spiritual houses, the individuals hear taunting and the sharpening of metal outside. Other sounds of imminent attack echo in the spiritual neighborhood. Everyone stays inside, isolated, distracted and engaged in their own affairs while the enemy outside gains confidence in his unanswered assaults.
Contrast. We’re still inserted in the hypothetical war but this time we hear the taunting and swearing outside our spiritual neighborhood. All those same sounds of attack ratcheting up. This time though, the occupants have known such an attack was coming at some point and have prepared. They have spent time strengthening their spiritual bodies and minds. There has not been a plan of “I hope it all works out” but a plan with tools and armor. Emerging from their houses, they know that as a group marching together, shoulder-to-shoulder, each equipped with different and essential qualities they will prevail. They trust the brother or sister on either side. No one will break ranks and flee from the spiritual melee because each is prepared. Each has the back of the other. And together they stand under the banner of God.
Stop Imagining Now
Each prepared believer who stands against the forces of evil will contribute to the combined strength of the Army of God. Paul is speaking to all believers. We are all to become strong and put on the protective gear he’s about to describe.
I’ve researched a little of ancient warfare in order to understand this portion of scripture better. Reading of the infantry where the soldiers are lined up shoulder to shoulder heading into battle, if one person turns and runs, that is the beginning of the end. The panic has erupted. Defeat is almost inevitable when the soldier turns his back. And it is human nature to fear conflict. Research seems to indicate that this is why people hate public speaking: there is potential for abuse from the audience.
It is natural to fear. And following the fear, to flee.
If I don’t strengthen myself in the Lord and don’t put on the armor of God, I may not stand in the evil day. I may be the one in Paul’s illustration who flees.
Wrap Up
In order to gain historical context, sometimes it is necessary to foray into extra biblical sources. Our Bible Study Bite for today is to recognize the value of scholarly secular authorities.
For example, one of the sources I read was Colonel Dave Grossman who has lived through combat as an Army Ranger, has been a professor at West Point, has researched and interviewed hundreds of people who have experienced various combat situations in order to write his books (On Killing and On Combat are two of his books), and he continues his own education while he trains up-and-coming military and law enforcement personnel. This man is a relevant resource for learning about the idea of being in conflict with an opposing force.
The battle is real. If it isn’t here right this minute, it’s coming. Paul calls his audience across time to be prepared. Let’s get to it. Not because God won’t win the day, but because he already has.
Thanks for studying with me today! If you’ve found anything helpful here, please like and subscribe. And if you know of other students of the Word, would you please share so we can all study and encourage each other with what we’re learning?
