Whose Armour Is It Anyway?

Paul’s object lesson on wearing armour, written to the Ephesian church, is one of the most famous in the Bible and still a great visual illustration (Ephesians 6:10-18) . But have you ever stopped and considered the historical aspect of the description? Sure, it’s Roman, we’ve all seen the Sunday School pictures, but what about beyond that? Have we gotten so focused on describing every piece in detail, that we forget to look at the big picture? Whose armour is it anyway?

Paul wrote his epistle to the Ephesians in approximately AD 60-62 during his first imprisonment in Rome while Nero was emperor. Paul was under house arrest, and would have been under 24 hour watch by the Praetorian Guard (Philippians 1:13), which was the Emperor’s own body guard. By law, military armour wasn’t typically worn inside the city of Rome, and Paul’s guard was likely dressed in a toga with a concealed weapon. So that wasn’t the soldier Paul was describing.

What about his original audience, the Ephesians? Well, unlike most of the Roman Empire, Ephesus was never technically conquered, it was actually inherited as part of the Kingdom of Pergamon in 133BC, when King Attalus III left his kingdom to the Roman Republic. In 27 BC, Caesar Augustus made Ephesus the capital of the Province of Asia and at the time Paul was writing, the city had a completely peaceful relationship with Rome. It didn’t even have a Roman garrison stationed near by, the only permanent military presence was a small dispatch for the Roman administrative officials, and these likely did not wear armour daily. 

Ephesus also had a long tradition of gladiatorial combat when Paul was writing, but it wasn’t their armour either. So, who did he have in mind?

Paul is describing Roman battle armour, the kind worn in combat. It was the armour used to conquer an empire, the armour of the victor. It is sight he would have frequently seen in Jerusalem and on his travels. And as a prosperous sea-port the Ephesians also would have been familiar with the sight of armoured soldiers passing through to other contested locations. But, did you know that one of the key differences between the Roman army and their foes wasn’t the actual design of their armour, it was the fact they put everyone in it. From the highest Generals to the thousands of foot soldiers, everyone was protected by state produced armour. It was one the reasons they were so successful–the Romans protected everyone. The Romans weren’t victorious because they were the best or even the strongest, they won because they were unified.

The Romans continued to win and expand the empire because they stood as one. Often quite literally. The Romans battle shoes had nails or cleats built in, which allowed them to dig in and stand their ground against the enemy (Ephesians 6:15). And when Paul describes the shield he chose the word “thyreos” (v.16) The thyreos (Greek) or scutum (Latin) was the larger, almost door size shield favoured by the Romans for battle formation; and it was used both offensively and defensively. Unity was the Roman’s biggest advantage, and the scutum was built on this concept. It was designed to overlap and when soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder it formed a wall, almost completely blocking enemy attacks. It was also used to form the ‘tortoise.’ When under heavy fire soldiers could form a walking armoured box, protected from projectiles on all four sides and from above. The scutum wasn’t just designed to protect an individual, it was designed to be used in union. Together the Romans were unstoppable.

Over the last few years, God has been repeatedly showing me how the Bible is really written to ‘us.’ And the description of the armour of God is no exception. I have always heard that I need to put on my armour. But Paul writes the entire description in the plural. Whenever we see ‘ye’ in the KJV it is plural, think yous (for Aussies) or y’all (for Americans). Paul teaches that we need to put on our armour. And as I have studied this passage again, I realised the focus isn’t on attacking, winning or being victorious. We aren’t actually instructed to fight. Three times Paul says that the entire point of wearing the armour is to stand:

Put on the whole armour of God, that YE [plural] may be able to STAND against the wiles of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11)

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that YE [plural] may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to STAND. (Ephesians 6:13)

STAND therefore, having YOUR [plural] loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; (Ephesians 6:14)

EPHESIANS 6:11 TEE: WE STAND TOGETHER

We stand together. And this idea totally makes sense in the context of the epistle. The main point of Ephesians is the unification of the church (Ephesians 2:12-15). Paul describes in detail that the mystery hidden in ages past, has now been revealed to be the unity of Jews and Gentiles in the church (Ephesians 3:3-6). Unity is the entire purpose of the letter: we stand together.

When Jesus was accused of driving out demons by the power of the devil he responds: a house divided against itself cannot stand (Matthew 12:25). And I can’t help but think that that has been the devil’s battle plan ever since: divide Christianity into factions, because once we are divided we won’t be able to stand.

Consider the mindset of a Roman soldier:

• The Romans knew they were soldiers.

• They knew who the enemy was and that they were outnumbered.

• They knew they needed to be ready to fight, and how to fight together as one.

• They knew they were under orders from a higher authority, who expected total obedience.

• They separated themselves from the conquered enemy; they weren’t at home but living in a foreign land.

• They knew they would be granted citizenship in the Roman Empire after their service.

• They knew they were part of something much bigger than the immediate city they patrolled or location they fought.

• They knew they were part of a united army, that stands together.

Imagine if you applied every single one of those statements to Christians:

• Christians know they are soldiers

• They know who the real enemy is, and that they are outnumbered.

• They know they need to be ready to fight and how to fight together as one.

• They know they are under orders from a higher authority, who expects total obedience but also offers unconditional forgiveness.

• They separate themselves from the world; they know they aren’t at home but are strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

• They know they will be granted citizenship in God’s Kingdom after their service.

• They know they are part of something much bigger than the immediate city they live and witness in.

• They know they are part of a united army, that stands together.

Thanks be to God we stand in his armour and strength and not our own (Isaiah 11:5, 49:2, 52:7, 59:17). It’s His armour and He supplies it, just like the Roman Empire supplied armour to every single soldier. It’s the armour of a collective army. An army that stands together. The Romans were unstoppable, because they stood together, and Christians too can stand together. We wear God’s armour to stand: together. When the Romans faced their enemy, individual soldiers weren’t visible, just a wall of shields. And when Christians stand together in God’s armour, we face the real enemy with a wall of faith that protects everyone.

So put on the armour of God, that we all may be able to stand.

Made for His Glory,