Armor of God
Encyclopedia
The phrase "Armor of God" is directly derived from Ephesians (New International Version
): "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." As a Biblical reference, the metaphor may refer literally to physical armor worn by God in metaphorical battles, or it may refer to vigilant righteousness in general as bestowed by the grace of God (Romans
, New International Version): "The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light."
The full Armor of God quote outlines these aspects of belief: truth, righteousness, preparation of the Gospel
of peace, faith
, salvation and the Word of God
.
, New International Version
): (12) The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. (13) Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. (14) Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
In terms of the parts of the Armor of God, the various pieces (the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the "shoes" of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit
) are correlated to what Paul would have witnessed firsthand as the arms and armor of Roman
legionaries
during his life in the Roman Empire
.
, the vast majority of Biblical scholars, Catholic
, Protestant, and otherwise, agree that Paul the Apostle used the concept as a reference to spiritual battle with the Devil
. Christians are to put on this armor and deal well with its upkeeping. This armor seems to be in direct correlation of that of the Roman Empire
's soldiers.
New International Version
The New International Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. Published by Zondervan in the United States and by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK, it has become one of the most popular modern translations in history.-History:...
): "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." As a Biblical reference, the metaphor may refer literally to physical armor worn by God in metaphorical battles, or it may refer to vigilant righteousness in general as bestowed by the grace of God (Romans
Epistle to the Romans
The Epistle of Paul to the Romans, often shortened to Romans, is the sixth book in the New Testament. Biblical scholars agree that it was composed by the Apostle Paul to explain that Salvation is offered through the Gospel of Jesus Christ...
, New International Version): "The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light."
The full Armor of God quote outlines these aspects of belief: truth, righteousness, preparation of the Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
of peace, faith
Faith in Christianity
Faith, in Christianity, has been most commonly defined by the biblical formulation in the Letter to the Hebrews as "'the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen". Most of the definitions in the history of Christian theology have followed this biblical formulation...
, salvation and the Word of God
Word of God
Word of God or God's Word may refer to:*Divine revelation**certain Religious texts**Prophecy**Biblical literalism*Logos as "divine word"** in biblical creation, see Genesis creation narrative**in trinitarianism, see Jesus Christ the Logos...
.
Quotes
The full quote as outlined in the King James Bible, is from Apostle Paul's letter to the Ephesians : (10) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. (11) Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (13) Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (14) Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; (15) And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (16) Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. (17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (18) Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;Context
Other related passages, by Apostle Paul and references by later theologians, indicate a metaphorical context for the Armor of God. For instance, Paul's letter to the Romans indicates not a literal, but a figurative, application of the concept (RomansEpistle to the Romans
The Epistle of Paul to the Romans, often shortened to Romans, is the sixth book in the New Testament. Biblical scholars agree that it was composed by the Apostle Paul to explain that Salvation is offered through the Gospel of Jesus Christ...
, New International Version
New International Version
The New International Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. Published by Zondervan in the United States and by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK, it has become one of the most popular modern translations in history.-History:...
): (12) The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. (13) Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. (14) Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
In terms of the parts of the Armor of God, the various pieces (the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the "shoes" of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
) are correlated to what Paul would have witnessed firsthand as the arms and armor of Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
legionaries
Legionary
The Roman legionary was a professional soldier of the Roman army after the Marian reforms of 107 BC. Legionaries had to be Roman citizens under the age of 45. They enlisted in a legion for twenty-five years of service, a change from the early practice of enlisting only for a campaign...
during his life in the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
.
Interpretations
In Biblical exegesisExegesis
Exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text. Traditionally the term was used primarily for exegesis of the Bible; however, in contemporary usage it has broadened to mean a critical explanation of any text, and the term "Biblical exegesis" is used...
, the vast majority of Biblical scholars, Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
, Protestant, and otherwise, agree that Paul the Apostle used the concept as a reference to spiritual battle with the Devil
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
. Christians are to put on this armor and deal well with its upkeeping. This armor seems to be in direct correlation of that of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
's soldiers.
Pieces of Armor
In the Biblical text of Ephesians chapter 6, there are 6 pieces of armor: the helmet, shield, loins, feet, sword, and breastplate. These pieces have a description of what they are: helmet of salvation, shield of faith, loins girt with truth (belt of truth), feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace (peace), the sword of the spirit/word of God, and the breastplate of righteousness.See also
- Bibleman
- New Testament military metaphorsNew Testament military metaphorsThe New Testament uses a number of military metaphors in discussing Christianity, especially in the Pauline epistles.In Philippians 2:25 and Philemon 1:2, Paul describes fellow Christians as "fellow soldiers"...
- Soldiers of Christ, AriseSoldiers of Christ, AriseSoldiers of Christ, Arise is an 18th century English hymn. The words were written by Charles Wesley , and the first line refers to the armour of God in Ephesians 6:10–18....