Ephesians 6:11 Meaning of Put on the Full Armor of God

Ephesians 6:11
“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

Explanation and Commentary of Ephesians 6:11

Because our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers and principalities, our weapons are not physical weapons, and our armor is not physical armor. To stand against satan, we are not unarmed but spiritually armed amply. The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the shield of faith and the sword of truth are all component pieces of the full armor. When the whole outfit is in place, there are no vulnerabilities in the front. True, there is no armor for our backs, but it is our fronts that will face the battle as the Church storms the gates of hell. If our backs are in need of protection, let it come from our brothers and sisters in the Church, who are watchful and fight beside and behind us.

This armor and weaponry are for offense. Our call is to be on the offensive. The devil’s schemes will be foiled as we advance and take souls away from him, plundering his house as Jesus left us here and commissioned us to do. Satan and death were defeated by Christ on the cross. Now he is a defeated, but still dangerous and vengeful enemy. He should be taken seriously as a threat, but not feared by the Church. The weakest Christian with a mustard seed of faith has more power in his or her little finger than all the demons of hell put together. By faith we stand, and by faith we conquer.

Breaking Down the Key Parts of Ephesians 6:11

#1 “Put on the full armor of God,”
Though we are saved by grace alone, and so righteousness, truth, salvation are all a given in our eternal reality, to “put on the full armor of God” is to immerse our minds in the awareness of the truth of who we are in Christ and the power that dwells inside us, by which we walk by faith through the gauntlet of demonic power that still dwells in the darkness of a planet that is bound for destruction because of the wrath of God for sin (Jn 3:36).

#2 “so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”
In the New Heavens and the New Earth that we will dwell in with God for eternity, we will take off our armor, having no need for it. But for now, though we are saved and full of the Holy Spirit, we are still subject to temptation and scheming from satan. We should not sojourn here in this world without diligence, and we are called to “take our stand.” It is, in fact, what Christ has left us here to do until he returns.

Bible Study on Ephesians 6:11

Expert Overview of Ephesians

Biblical Translations of Ephesians 6:11

NIV
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

NLT
Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.

ESV
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

KJV
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

NKJV
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.