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From: Ephesians 6:10-20

Weapons for Spiritual War

[10] Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength 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 are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principali-
ties, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against
the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. [13] Therefore take 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 loins with truth, and
having put on the breastplate of righteousness, [15] and having shod your feet
with the equipment of the gospel of peace; [16] above all taking the shield of faith,
with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. [17] And take the
helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. [18]
Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep
alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, [19] and also for
me, that utterance may be given me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the
mystery of the gospel, [20] for which I am an ambassador in chains; that I may
declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

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Commentary:

10-20. After these counsels to parents and children, servants and masters, the
Apostle says something very important: all need to be prepared to struggle “a-
gainst the principalities” of this world (v. 12). He is referring to those angels who
rebelled against God and whom Christ has already overcome (1 Cor 15:24; Col
1:13-14; 2:15), but against whom we still have to contend. This is a struggle
which must be pursued to the end: Paul uses terminology to do with the armor
and weapons of Roman soldiers to describe the form this combat must take.
First he recommends that they put on the “armor of God” (v. 13), for the “world
rulers” who have to be striven against can be defeated only with spiritual wea-
pons, which God supplies to those who love him— truth, righteousness, peace,
faith (vv. 14-16), not forgetting the need for constant prayer moved by the Spirit
(v. 18) and a strong sense of brotherhood.

These weapons, since they are supernatural, are a guarantee of victory and there-
fore they enable one to engage in the struggle cheerfully and confidently. “Let us
be filled with confidence”, St John Chrysostom exhorts, “and let us discard every-
thing so as to be able to meet this onslaught. Christ has equipped us with wea-
pons more splendid than gold, more resistant than steel, weapons more fiery than
any flame and lighter than the slightest breeze [...]. These are weapons of a totally
new kind, for they have been forged for a previously unheard-of type of combat. I,
who am a mere man, find myself called upon to deal blows to demons; I, who am
clothed in flesh, find myself at war with incorporeal powers. God has designed for
me also an armor made, not of metal, but of justice; he has designed for me a
shield not of bronze but of faith. I hold in my hand a keen sword, the word of the
Spirit [...]. Your victory must be that of a man who rests content” (”Baptismal
Catechesis”, 3, 11-12).

St Paul, who is here writing from prison, in chains (v. 20) and in need of the help
of God and of all his brethren in the faith, asks them to pray for him (v. 19), so
that he may freely and effectively preach the Gospel.

16. The devil never ceases to try to find ways to bring about man’s eternal dam-
nation. But once overcome by Christ on the cross he has no longer any real po-
wer over us provided we use in our struggle against him the weapons provided by
faith and complete trust in God. St John of Avila argues in this way: “Since this
enemy is stronger than we are, we must avail of the ‘shield of faith’, which is some-
thing supernatural, whether it be by using a word of God, or receiving the sacra-
ments or (countering the devil with) a doctrine of the Church. We need to believe
firmly with our mind that all our strength comes from God” (”Audi Filia”, 30).

18. Prayer is our outstanding supernatural resource for fighting the wiles of the
enemy, “Prayer is, beyond doubt, the most powerful weapon the Lord gives us
to conquer evil passions and temptations of the devil; but we must really put our-
selves into our prayer: it is not enough just to say the words, it must come from
the heart. And also prayer needs to be continuous, we must pray no matter what
kind of situation we find ourselves in: the warfare we are engaged in is on-going,
so our prayer must be on-going also [...]. The Apostle adds ‘for all the saints’,
because we should not only pray for ourselves but for the perseverance of all
the faithful in the grace of God” (St Alphonsus, “Thoughts on the Passion”, 9, 3).

The Apostle also identifies, as a supernatural resource in this struggle, a solici-
tous care for the holiness of others. It is quite likely that this concern will lead us
to notice defects as well as virtues in our neighbor. This should not cause us to
look down on him or criticize him, but rather to pray for him and help him improve.
“If you notice some defect in your friend,” St Ambrose recommends, “correct him
privately; if he fails to listen to you, take him to task openly. For corrections are
helpful and they are much more useful that a mute friendship. If your friend feels
offended, you should still correct him; do not be afraid to insist on the point, even
if the bitter taste of correction does not appeal to him. It is written in the Book of
Proverbs: ‘Faithful are the wounds of a friend, profuse the kisses of an enemy’”
(”De Officiis Ministrorum”, III, chap. XII, 127).

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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.