Lecture 4 — The armor of God

^6:13^ Therefore, take unto you the armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day and to stand in all things perfect. [n. 360]

^6:14^ Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth and having on the breastplate of justice: [n. 362]

^6:15^ And your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. [n. 364]

^6:16^ In all things taking the shield of faith, wherewith you may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the most wicked one. [n. 365]

^6:17^ And take unto you the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God). [n. 366]

359. The Apostle explained the devil’s snares previously, and here he advises us to take up arms.

In reference to this he does two things:

first, he concludes from the foregoing that arms are necessary;

second, he describes the variety of weapons, at stand therefore.

360. Thus he says: you have evil enemies who are powerful and most wicked, and the struggle is for an exacting object since it is for heaven. Therefore, take unto you the armor of God, that is, be armed with spiritual weapons. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty to God unto the pulling down of fortifications, destroying counsels (2 Cor 10:4). And this that you may be able to resist. Resist him, strong in faith (1 Pet 5:9). Resist the devil; and he will fly from you (Jas 4:7). For the more is conceded to him, the more will he press in upon you. In the evil day indicates that a day is evil from what occurs in it. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil (Eph 5:16). Beware beforehand of the evil day (Eccl 7:15).

Take up these weapons not only for defense, but also to make progress: and to stand in all things perfect, that is, stand firm in both adversity and prosperity. That you may be perfect and entire, failing in nothing (Jas 1:4). Trust perfectly in the grace which is offered you in the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Pet 1:13).

361. However, must everyone be perfect?

I reply that there are three types of perfection. There is one of sufficiency when a man has what is necessary for his salvation; for instance, you shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, as if to say: let there be nothing in your heart which is contrary to God. This much is necessary for salvation. That you may be perfect and entire, failing in nothing (Jas 1:4).

Another is the total and overflowing perfection proper to the fatherland; there glory is consummated in this, that the perfect totally inhere in God. For in the resurrection they shall neither marry nor be married; but shall be as the angels of God in heaven (Matt 22:30). The Apostle speaks of this elsewhere: not as though I had already attained, or were already perfect . . . brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended (Phil 3:12–13).

The third perfection is between the above two, which is that of the counsels by which a man strives to withdraw himself from the things of this life and make progress towards those of the next.

362. Then, at stand therefore, he goes on to describe the variety of weapons. There are three kinds of spiritual armor, paralleling bodily arms. Some are like clothes and are meant to cover one; others are to protect him; and still others are for fighting.

363. Three things are necessary for clothing. First, it must be bound with a belt; regarding this he says stand therefore, having your loins girt about.

However, a man clothes himself before he puts his belt on. Here the Apostle follows the order of spiritual armor. In spiritual warfare it is first necessary to check carnal desires, just as the nearest enemy must be conquered first. This is done by bridling the loins in which sensuality thrives; such girding is done through temperance which is opposed to gluttony and sensuality. Let your loins be girt (Luke 12:35); gird up your loins like a man (Job 38:3).

But this must be done with truth, that is, with the right intention and not with pretense. A variant reading gives with charity. Let all that you do be done in charity (1 Cor 6:14).

364. Second, he warns them to overcome greed for created things. Two weapons can be found against it: justice and the renunciation of temporalities. First, he commands us not to usurp these unjustly; justice will look after this. Thus he says and having on the breastplate of justice, on account of which a man keeps out of other people’s property. Justice is referred to as a breastplate because it covers all the virtues just as a breastplate does the members of the body. He will put on justice as a breastplate, and will take true judgment instead of a helmet (Wis 5:19).

Second, he commands us to get rid of an excessive care about temporal realities. When we are too caught up in these, our feet are not ready to carry out divine pursuits and proclaim its mysteries. For this reason he says and your feet shod—understand by this that one’s inclinations should be determined—with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. As a symbol of this the Lord sent the apostles (Mark 6:9) shod with sandals. These have soles underneath, by which the raising of the mind from earthly matters is signified; and they are open above, in which an eagerness for divine wisdom is signified. He adds of peace since through the Gospel peace is proclaimed to us. When you come into the house, salute it, saying: peace be to this house (Matt 10:12).

365. The second function of weapons is to protect. Two areas which contain the mainsprings of our life must be guarded: the chest in which the heart is situated, and the head which contains the brain. The chest is protected by a shield; thus he states in all things taking the shield of faith because faith is presupposed to all the other virtues just as a shield is basic to all weapons.

For there is a difference between the armor of the moral virtues, such as temperance which is to gird one’s loins and justice which is to put on a breastplate, and this type of armament—the shield—which consists of the theological virtue of faith. Just as a shield wards off the arrows, so faith repels what is aimed against it and gains the victory. The saints by faith conquered kingdoms (Heb 11:33), whereas we conquer the powers of darkness by the moral virtues. Thus he says wherewith you may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the most wicked one, the devil, whose arrows are certain interferences from evil angels (Ps 78:49). They are fiery since evil desires burn: fire has fallen on them, and they shall not see the sun (Ps 58:9). These are extinguished through faith; it quenches present and transitory temptations with the eternal and spiritual blessings promised in Holy Scripture. Thus the Lord brought forward authoritative texts of Holy Scripture to oppose the devil’s temptations. We ought to do the same; if tempted to gluttony, counter it with: not in bread alone does man live (Deut 8:3), or the kingdom of God is not meat and drink (Rom 14:17). If tempted to sensuality, you shall not commit adultery (Exod 20:14); if to theft, you shall not steal (Exod 20:15) and so on with any others.

Faith is called a shield since, as a shield protects the entire chest, so faith must be in our heart. Hope, on the other hand, is referred to as a helmet because, as a helmet is on the head, so the head of the moral virtues is the end, and hope is concerned with this end. Hence he states: and take unto you the helmet of salvation.

366. Finally, the third function of weapons is for attack. It is not enough to simply defend one’s self, it is also necessary to assault the enemy. Physically, this is done with a material sword; it is done spiritually through the word of God which is the sword of the Holy Spirit. On this account he affirms and take up **the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. For the word of God is living and effectual and more piercing than any two-edged sword and reaching unto the division of the soul and the spirit (Heb 4:12). Preaching is called the sword of the Spirit because it will not penetrate to the spirit unless it is disposed by the Holy Spirit. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaks in you (Matt 10:20).

367. Therefore, we possess weapons to defend ourselves against carnal adversaries, namely, gluttony and sensuality, through temperance: stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth.

By the arms of justice, which make us refrain from what is unlawful, we can conquer also earthly greed: and having on the breastplate of justice. This is aided by purity of heart or poverty which withdraw us even from things which are lawful: and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace.

Moreover, we have weapons by which we are guarded from error, the armor of faith: in all things taking the shield of faith; and also protected from the enemies of the human race: wherewith, meaning the shield of faith, you may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the most wicked one.

We likewise possess armor by which we are strengthened in spiritual blessings, the armor of hope: and take unto you the helmet of salvation. A helmet rests on the head, and so does hope in its end. Now the head of the moral virtues is the very end with which hope is concerned. Thus, to take up the helmet of salvation is nothing other than to have hope in the ultimate end.

Finally, we have weapons to assault the demons themselves: the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. This happens frequently during sermons when the word of God, penetrating into the hearts of sinners, thrusts out the chaos of sins and demons.