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Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” This short Bible study works out what that verse meant when Paul wrote it from a prison cell, why its four key words (put on, whole, wiles and stand) change how you read it, and what one ordinary thing you can do with it this week. It is for anyone who has read the armour of God passage and come away feeling like they were supposed to fight harder. For the full list of the armour, see What Is the Armor of God?
Chapters
- 0:17 The meaning of Ephesians 6:11
- 0:32 “Put on” and “whole”
- 1:08 The word “stand”
- 1:32 The action for this week
- 2:14 A prayer from the verse
The meaning of Ephesians 6:11
Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus while he was in chains. In the King James Version, Ephesians 6:11 reads: “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
“Put on” and “whole”
The first two words are easy to miss. Paul does not tell you to make armour or go find some. It is already made, and it is God’s, so you put it on the way you would pick up a coat someone already hung by the door.
The word “whole” matters too. Commentators note that the Greek word behind it describes a full set of armour, every piece, not only the one piece you happen to like. Then there is “wiles,” an old word for schemes. A scheme is something planned ahead of time, which is exactly why Paul wants you dressed ahead of time as well.
The word “stand”
Here is the small word most of us read past. Paul does not say attack, and he does not say win. Two verses later, in Ephesians 6:13, he says it again: “and having done all, to stand.” So the picture in Ephesians 6:11 is not a charge up a hill. It is staying on your feet while something pushes against you, which is a much kinder picture than most of us carry.
What to do with Ephesians 6:11 this week
Tomorrow morning, before you pick up your phone, name out loud the one place you are most likely to get knocked off your feet that day. Maybe it is a hard talk with someone, a late night habit, or a worry that shows up at three in the morning. A scheme works best on the spot you have not looked at, which is why you look at it first. Then say one line to God: “I’m putting on what you gave me.”
And when you get knocked down anyway, do not call it the end. Paul’s goal was never a perfect record. It was to stand, so when you fall, you get back up, and you stay standing.
A prayer from Ephesians 6:11
Father, we put on what you have given us. We did not make it, and we could not, so show us the places where we are most likely to fall, before we get there. Keep us from trying to win by ourselves, and teach us to stand in your strength. And when the schemes come, let us find that we are already dressed. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Sources
Verse text: King James Version, Ephesians 6:11 and 6:13. Word notes on “whole armour” and “wiles” follow the classic commentary of Albert Barnes (Notes on the New Testament).
