Ephesians 6:10-20
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 you may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this age,
against spiritual hosts of wickedness 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.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth,
having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet
with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith
with which you will be able to quench
all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
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,
being watchful to this end
with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me,
that I may open my mouth boldly
to make known the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains;
that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Most of us are all educated and schooled under a very Greek setting and worldview. We often open our minds and souls to globalization, new age and humanism, ultimately leading to the worship of man instead of the Creator.

As we are being schooled, the same mindsets and mentality prevail and follow us into our churches. Greek philosophy gears towards the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; satisfying the minds and intellect; whereas the Hebraic philosophy gears towards the tree of life, satisfying the hearts and issues of life.

One of the most common misunderstandings regarding the whole armor of God is unduly caused by Greek and Roman cultural views. Many commentaries compared the whole armor of God with the armor of the Roman soldiers. But the problem is this: Paul was not referring to the Roman armor at all! He was actually making reference to an ancient Hebraic armor! A heavenly armor! Paul did not come up with the idea of the full armor of God on his own. He drew his wisdom and understanding from the Old Testament.

Isaiah 59:16-17
He saw that there was no man,
And wondered that there was no intercessor;
Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him;
And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.
For He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing,
And was clad with zeal as a cloak.
 
Isaiah 11:4-5
But with righteousness He shall judge the poor,
And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins,
And faithfulness the belt of His waist.
 
Exodus 28:1-4
1 Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him,
from among the children of Israel,
that he may minister to Me as priest,
Aaron and Aaron’s sons:
Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
2 And you shall make holy garments
for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.
3 So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans,
whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom,
that they may make Aaron’s garments, to consecrate him,
that he may minister to Me as priest.
4 And these are the garments which they shall make:
a breastplate, an ephod, a robe,
a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and a sash.
So they shall make holy garments
for Aaron your brother and his sons,
that he may minister to Me as priest.

Obviously, Paul was making reference to the holy garments of the priesthood called by God. Not the armor of unholy, violent and merciless Roman soldiers, thirsting to torture others and kill people.

1 Peter 2:9-10
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, His own special people,
that you may proclaim the praises of Him
who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
who once were not a people but are now the people of God,
who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

How is the priesthood dressed? And how is the High Priest dressed?
 
The Belt of Truth

Leviticus 8:6-7
Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water.
And he put the tunic on him, girded him with the sash,
clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod on him;
and he girded him with the intricately woven band of the ephod,
and with it tied the ephod on him.
 
John 17:17
Sanctify them by Your truth.
Your word is truth.

The belt holds the priestly garments together. Without it, all the other portions will fall apart. The LORD desires to wash His priests with water, and sanctify them by His Truth! So that they will not be led astray, embrace false gods and worship idols! 
 
The Breastplate Of Righteousness

Exodus 28:4
And these are the garments which they shall make:
a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and a sash.
So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons,
that he may minister to Me as priest.
 
Exodus 28:15
You shall make the breastplate of judgment.
Artistically woven according to the workmanship of the ephod you shall make it:
of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread,
and fine woven linen, you shall make it.
 
Exodus 28:22-30
22 “You shall make chains for the breastplate at the end,
like braided cords of pure gold. 
23 And you shall make two rings of gold for the breastplate,
and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. 
24 Then you shall put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings
which are on the ends of the breastplate;
25 and the other two ends of the two braided chains 
you shall fasten to the two settings,
and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod in the front.
26 “You shall make two rings of gold,
and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on the edge of it,
which is on the inner side of the ephod. 
27 And two other rings of gold you shall make,
and put them on the two shoulder straps,
underneath the ephod toward its front,
right at the seam above the intricately woven band of the ephod. 
28 They shall bind the breastplate
by means of its rings to the rings of the ephod, using a blue cord,
so that it is above the intricately woven band of the ephod,
and so that the breastplate does not come loose from the ephod.
29 “So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel
on the breastplate of judgment over his heart,
when he goes into the holy place, 
as a memorial before the LORD continually. 
30 And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim,
and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the LORD.
So Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel
over his heart before the LORD continually.

Leviticus 19:15
You shall do no injustice in judgment.
You shall not be partial to the poor,
nor honor the person of the mighty.
In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.

The priests are to be righteous before God. They cannot play favoritism towards the rich and despise the poor! They have to pray for every tribe in the community regardless of their financial status. Not one less.

A high priest does not have a holier-than-thou attitude towards others. He ministers to everyone, and bear their names and burdens over his heart. There is no discrimination or bias against anyone. Let's look at Jesus, our High Priest:

Matthew 4:23-24
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues,
preaching the gospel of the kingdom,
and healing all kinds of sickness
and all kinds of disease among the people.
Then His fame went throughout all Syria;
and they brought to Him all sick people
who were afflicted with various diseases and torments,
and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics;
and He healed them.

What is righteousness in the sight of God?

Deuteronomy 6:25
Then it will be righteousness for us,
if we are careful to observe all these commandments
before the LORD our God,
as He has commanded us.

Luke 1:5-6
There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea,
a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah.
His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 
And they were both righteous before God,
walking in all the commandments
and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

But a Roman soldier does not have any righteousness on his breastplate. Neither does he desire to keep the commandments of God!
 
Shod Your Feet With The Preparation Of The Gospel Of Peace

Exodus 28:32-35
32 There shall be an opening for his head in the middle of it;
it shall have a woven binding all around its opening,
like the opening in a coat of mail, so that it does not tear.
33 And upon its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple,
and scarlet, all around its hem,
and bells of gold between them all around:
34 a golden bell and a pomegranate,
a golden bell and a pomegranate,
upon the hem of the robe all around.
35 And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers,
and its sound will be heard
when he goes into the holy place before the LORD
and when he comes out,
that he may not die.

Exodus 3:5
Then He said, “Do not draw near this place.
Take your sandals off your feet,
for the place where you stand is holy ground.”

Priests minister to God without wearing any shoes or sandals! They walk barefoot on the floors of the temple courts. However they are always ready to bring good news, proclaim peace, bring glad tidings of good things, and proclaim salvation. A Roman soldier wears shoes but bring bad news and proclaim war!

Isaiah 52:7
How beautiful upon the mountains
Are the feet of him who brings good news,
Who proclaims peace,
Who brings glad tidings of good things,
Who proclaims salvation,
Who says to Zion,
“Your God reigns!”

The Shield of Faith

Genesis 15:1
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying,
“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
 
Psalm 3:1-3
LORD, how they have increased who trouble me!
Many are they who rise up against me.
Many are they who say of me,
“There is no help for him in God.” Selah
But You, O LORD, are a shield for me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head.

How does God shield His people? The best picture is from the Exodus out of Egypt.

Exodus 13:21-22
And the LORD went before them
by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way,
and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light,
so as to go by day and night.
He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day
or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.
 
Exodus 14:19-20
And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel,
moved and went behind them;
and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them.
So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel.
Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one,
and it gave light by night to the other,
so that the one did not come near the other all that night.

When God shields us, it is a complete divine full protection on all sides, top and bottom, 360 degrees, all round about. But the Roman shield is just human, partial protective and fully vulnerable to attacks.
 
The Helmet Of Salvation

Exodus 28:36-41
36 You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it,
like the engraving of a signet: HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
37 And you shall put it on a blue cord, that it may be on the turban;
it shall be on the front of the turban.
38 So it shall be on Aaron’s forehead,
that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things
which the children of Israel hallow in all their holy gifts;
and it shall always be on his forehead,
that they may be accepted before the LORD.
39 You shall skillfully weave the tunic of fine linen thread,
you shall make the turban of fine linen,
and you shall make the sash of woven work.
40 For Aaron’s sons you shall make tunics,
and you shall make sashes for them.
And you shall make hats for them, for glory and beauty.
41 So you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him.
You shall anoint them, consecrate them, and sanctify them,
that they may minister to Me as priests.

Holiness to the LORD. The LORD Himself will separate the holy ones from the unholy. His name shall be on the foreheads of the righteous saints.

Revelation 20:4
And I saw thrones, and they sat on them,
and judgment was committed to them.
Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded
for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God,
who had not worshiped the beast or his image,
and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands.
And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Revelation 22:4
They shall see His face,
and His name shall be on their foreheads.

The Sword Of The Spirit (The Word Of God)

Isaiah 49:2
And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword;
In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me,
And made Me a polished shaft;
In His quiver He has hidden Me.
 
Isaiah 11:4
But with righteousness He shall judge the poor,
And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
 
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and powerful,
and sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow,
and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
 
Revelation 1:16
He had in His right hand seven stars,
out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword,
and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.

Not a physical Roman sword of violence killing and destroying others but a sharp two-edged sword out of the mouth, proclaiming the Word of God! Very often, it is reciting the priestly blessing to bless others.

Numbers 6:22-27
22 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying,
‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel.
Say to them:
24 “The LORD bless you and keep you;
25 The LORD make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”’
27 “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”

Praying Always With All Prayer And Supplication
 
Most Roman soldiers did not spend any time on prayers for themselves and almost never pray for the cause of the poor and needy. Only the priests were called to pray and make intercession to God on behalf of others.

Exodus 34:8-9
So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped.
Then he said, “If now I have found grace in Your sight,
O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us,
even though we are a stiff-necked people;
and pardon our iniquity and our sin,
and take us as Your inheritance.”

Psalm 82:1-4
1 God stands in the congregation of the mighty;
He judges among the gods.
2 How long will you judge unjustly,
And show partiality to the wicked? Selah
3 Defend the poor and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and needy.
4 Deliver the poor and needy;
Free them from the hand of the wicked.

In Christianity today, we have prayer warriors and intercessory generals, waging spiritual warfare against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. But very few of these people can stand righteous and blameless before a holy God! Many have behaved like militant and brutal Roman soldiers, fighting in vain. They are always lording over others instead of serving others in humility and love. Most of them are not gracious, merciful and kind; loving God and loving their neighbors. They do not put on the correct armor of God!
 
One good example of wearing a wrong armor is David when he fought against Goliath.

1 Samuel 17:38-47 
38 So Saul clothed David with his armor,
and he put a bronze helmet on his head;
he also clothed him with a coat of mail.
39 David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk,
for he had not tested them.
And David said to Saul,
“I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.”
So David took them off.
40 Then he took his staff in his hand;
and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook,
and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had,
and his sling was in his hand.
And he drew near to the Philistine.
41 So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David,
and the man who bore the shield went before him.
42 And when the Philistine looked about
and saw David, he disdained him;
for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking.
43 So the Philistine said to David,
“Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?”
And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44 And the Philistine said to David,
“Come to me, and I will give your flesh
to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”
45 Then David said to the Philistine,
“You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin.
But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel,
whom you have defied.
46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand,
and I will strike you and take your head from you.
And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines
to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth,
that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
47 Then all this assembly shall know that
the LORD does not save with sword and spear;
for the battle is the LORD’s,
and He will give you into our hands.”

David didn't use the armor of Saul. He came in the name of the LORD of hosts.

And the battle is the LORD’s, and He will fight for us and give us victory! We only need to stand still and see His salvation!

Ephesians 6:10-13
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 you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this age,
against spiritual hosts of wickedness
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.

Let us remove the unholy Roman armor and put on the holy priestly garments! And this is how the royal priesthood does spiritual warfare.

2 Chronicles 20:14-24
14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah,
the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah,
a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.
15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem,
and you, King Jehoshaphat!
Thus says the LORD to you:
‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude,
for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
16 Tomorrow go down against them.
They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz,
and you will find them at the end of the brook
before the Wilderness of Jeruel.
17 You will not need to fight in this battle.
Position yourselves,
stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you,
O Judah and Jerusalem!’
Do not fear or be dismayed;
tomorrow go out against them,
for the LORD is with you.”
18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground,
and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem
bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.
19 Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites
and of the children of the Korahites
stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high.
20 So they rose early in the morning
and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa;
and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said,
“Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem:
Believe in the LORD your God,
and you shall be established;
believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”
21 And when he had consulted with the people,
he appointed those who should sing to the LORD,
and who should praise the beauty of holiness,
as they went out before the army and were saying:
“Praise the LORD, for His mercy endures forever.”
22 Now when they began to sing and to praise,
the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir,
who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.
23 For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up
against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them.
And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir,
they helped to destroy one another.
24 So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness,
they looked toward the multitude;
and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth.
No one had escaped.

Not by fruitless screaming, roaring, barking and yelling, but with the high praises of God in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand. They just praised the LORD, and the LORD set ambushes and destroyed their enemies; not one escaped.

Psalm 149:5-9
5 Let the saints be joyful in glory;
Let them sing aloud on their beds.
6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,
And a two-edged sword in their hand,
7 To execute vengeance on the nations,
And punishments on the peoples;
8 To bind their kings with chains,
And their nobles with fetters of iron;
9 To execute on them the written judgment—
This honor have all His saints.
Praise the LORD!

If interested, please view:
The Battle Belongs To The LORD @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WZm6_MaHgI

Written on: 5 January 2015