In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul uses a metaphor to compare a Christian’s spiritual weapons to the standard armor and sword of a Roman soldier:

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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. 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. Stand therefore,

• having girded your waist with truth,
• having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and
• having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
• above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
• And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints — and for me… (Ephesians 6:10-20 NKJV)

The passage does not stand alone, there are several other scriptures which also refer to armor:

You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. (1 Thess 5:5-8 NKJV)

We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left… (2 Cor 6:3-7 NKJV)

And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. (Romans 13:11-14 NKJV)

The same Greek word translated as “armor” in the passages above, is translated “instruments” and “weapons” in the verses below:

Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. (Romans 6:11-13 NKJV)

We are human, but we don’t wage war with human plans and methods. We use God’s mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil’s strongholds… break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God… conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ. (2 Cor 10:3-5 NLT)

Put on the Lord Jesus Christ

Ephesians 6:10 - The armor we are commanded to put on, and to keep on, is the new man in Jesus Christ. Only when we are “…strong in the Lord and the power of His might”,  are Christian soldiers able to stand.

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Gal 3:26-27 NKJV)

…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Cor 5:17 NKJV)

…if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. (Eph 4:21-24 NKJV)

…put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him… (Col 3:8-10 NKJV)

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Cor 15:57-58 NKJV)

See also : Christian Character

Put on the whole, or full, armor of God

Ephesians 6:11-13 - Keeping soldiers in uniform with all of the heavy, cumbersome equipment in place is an extremely frustrating task. When boredom or battle fatigue sets in, soldiers often remove protective gear, lay down their weapons, ignore safety rules and resist force protection measures. Survival and victory require constant diligence.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3:16-17 NKJV)

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (II Peter 1:5-11 NKJV)

Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-22 NKJV)

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. (Col 2:8-10 NKJV)

See also: Spiritual Weapons

Watch and Pray

Ephesians 6:18-20 - Fully equipped soldiers are utterly useless if they are not alert to enemy advance, and are not in constant communication with higher command. Sentries who sleep while on duty endanger the lives of everyone who depend upon their vigilance. Teamwork is essential for survival: one sleeps while the other stands guard.

Then He came to the disciples and found them asleep, and said to Peter, “What? Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mat 26:40-41 NKJV)

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving… (Col 4:2 NKJV)

Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love. (1 Cor 16:13-14 NKJV)

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct… (I Peter 1:13-15 NKJV)

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (I Peter 5:6-11 NKJV)

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ… (Phil 1:3-6 NKJV)

See also: Spiritual Warfare Prayers

Training and Conditioning

Ephesians 6:18-20  ”…with all perseverance” - Soldiers must be trained repetitively in marksmanship, tactics, techniques, battle drills, and standard operating procedures (SOPs). Plus, they must be physically and mentally conditioned to endure the extreme demands placed upon them in battle.  During Army training, we sometimes grumbled about the conditions as “practicing being miserable”. Soldiers spend many hours maintaining all of their equipment so that it will perform in a few, deadly minutes of combat in the face of enemy fire.

You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. (2 Tim 2:1-4 NKJV)

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. (1 Cor 9:24-27 NKJV)

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Eph 5:15-18 NKJV)

Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. (Col 4:5-6 NKJV)

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:12-14 NKJV)

…exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. (1 Tim 4:7-9 NKJV)

…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. (Phil 2:12-13 NKJV)

For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (Hebrews 6:10-12 NKJV)

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:2-4 NKJV)

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:1-5 NKJV)

In the military, mission planning, personnel development, training exercises, and deployment readiness preparations are the responsibility of leadership. But every individual soldier is tasked to diligently perform their assigned duty as a member of the team in accomplishing the unit mission. We Christian soldiers can trust in the work of Jesus Christ as sufficient grace; but, each of us has assigned duties to perform.

See also: Christian Mission

The parable tells a story about a person who sows seed, and the seeds fell in four specified environments: the wayside, on rocky ground, among thorns, and in fertile soil. Jesus explains that the seed is the word of God, and the four soils represent those who hear the preaching of the word. In relating the parable to spiritual warfare, Jesus expressly states that Satan removes the word from the hearts of those who do not understand its meaning (at the wayside). Although Jesus does not describe the devil’s participation any further, I believe that the whole of scripture provides ample evidence that the devil is at work throughout the full story.

Relative to the spiritual warfare matrix, each axis of advance corresponds with one of the four enemy actions: light vs. darkness (Blind), life vs. destruction (Harass), truth vs. deception (Deceive), and love vs. division (Contain).

From a Christian perspective, spiritual warfare is the cosmic war of good versus evil:  its battles are fought daily between God and Satan; between the Christian Church and the world system ruled by our spiritual enemy; and between the Holy Spirit and the lusts of the carnal flesh within every human soul. The clear meanings of good and evil, as defined by God rather than man, are revealed within the verses of the Holy Bible and the life of Jesus Christ.  Scripture References

Billy Graham explained the reality of spiritual warfare in his book Angels:

We live in a perpetual battlefield …The wars among the nations on earth are mere popgun affairs compared to the fierceness of battle in the spiritual unseen world. This invisible spiritual conflict is waged around us incessantly and unremittingly. Where the Lord works, Satan’s forces hinder; where angel beings carry out divine directives, the devils rage. All this comes about because the powers of darkness press their counterattack to recapture the ground held for the glory of God…

Since the fall of Lucifer, that angel of light and son of the morning, there has been no respite in the bitter Battle of the Ages. Night and day Lucifer, the master craftsman of the devices of darkness, labors to thwart God’s plan of the ages. We can find inscribed on every page of human history the consequences of the evil brought to fruition by the powers of darkness with the devil in charge. Satan never yields an inch, nor does he ever pause in his opposition to the plan of God to redeem the “cosmos” from his control.

An overview of this spiritual battlefield can be seen in the Battle Tracking Matrix. Each square of the chart links to pages with additional Bible verses.

Alternative viewpoints in teaching Spiritual Warfare 

• Discipleship: This ministry emphasizes the process of Christian discipleship while we are being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ by the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit and the scriptures.
• Deliverance: Some Christian “deliverance ministries” choose to emphasize the end result with terms such as: generational curses; the use of authority in binding and loosing; and demonic oppression.
• Exorcism: Some Roman Catholic priests, as well as other ministries, place emphasis on demonic possession and the practice of exorcism.
• Strategic Level Spiritual Warfare: Peter Wagner explored the concepts of territorial spirits and the demonic hierarchy which Satan uses to rule the world system and oppose the plans and purposes of God. Practices such as spiritual mapping, and prayer walking are related to this teaching.
• For more related information: see the Wikipedia article.

Answers to some common allegations concerning the study of Spiritual Warfare

• Warmongering: The purpose of teaching spiritual warfare is not to promote or glorify war - neither in the spiritual nor in the human realm. Rather it is meant to minimize the horrors of an already ongoing war… by sounding the alert at the advance of the enemy, training soldiers to overcome that enemy, and protecting innocent refugees from abuse and destruction. The old soldier Douglas MacArthur said “The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war”, but he also warned future generations “In war, there is no substitute for victory”. Lasting peace is bought only by paying the price of vigilance to secure victory in the aftermath of war.
• Demonizing your adversary: We must remember that Christ’s enemies accused even Him of being demonic. The careful study of scripture delineates the demonic from the natural man rather than obscuring the line.  The Holy Bible clearly identifies who is the enemy and who is the friend of God. Jesus Christ taught His disciples how to love their human enemies while simultaneously resisting the works of the devil. Love does no harm to your neighbor. That said, when the enemy is in fact a demon… name calling doesn’t really hurt its feelings.
• Dualism: Satan is not equal to the Most High God. Dissecting a frog does not sully the image of the king. Studying the purposes, strategies and tactics of an enemy does not lead to a coup d’état. On the contrary, it helps ensure that the kingdom is not overthrown. While the soldier guards against the advance of the enemy, the country remains secure with liberty for all to serve the true king and to worship the only living God in peace. 

Christian Spiritual Warfare is NOT:

• Islamic Jihad, or Holy War: Christianity does not threaten the non-believer with beheading by the sword if they will not convert. Nor with any other form of terrorism, or military campaign against a nation, or all “infidels”  in general. Note: Christians should NOT equate all Muslims as terrorists.
• Militarization of the Church: No uniforms, goose stepping formations, rifles, grenades, tanks, or bomb vests. No destruction of the enemy by means of fire and maneuver with human weapons. See: Spiritual Weapons
• Christianization of the military: I was in the US Army for twenty years, and I testify that I was never once pressured by my chain of command to practice my faith. Occasionally just the opposite. This country does not send our troops into battle singing hymns or promising absolution. In today’s military there are indeed “atheists in foxholes”, but they often begin to have doubts about their lack of  faith. Because when you are called to endure the hell of war, to recall nightly the scenes and smells of the battlefield, and to face the responsibility of putting the lives of young soldiers on the line… you tend to seek the face of God and the counsel of the chaplain.

Second, I have posted the first draft of a spanish translation of the spiritual warfare matrix: Guerra Espiritual .

Please let me know if you find any errors in the translation from American English.

 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.  2 Timothy 2:3 -4

Stephen Macasil of biblicalthought.com has done an excellent job of laying the foundation of a formal study of Christian soldiering. His stated goal is “to establish the subject of Stratiotology as a bona-fide area of systematic theology.”

For further reading see:

• biblicalthought.com » Stratiotology - Introduction
• Part 2 - Implications of the Doctrine
• Part 3 - What it is not
• Part 4 - Stratiotology and Malakosis 

Stephen will also be publishing a book in 2008. You can see a promotional video at: Stratiotology: Christian Soldier