Earnestness (13): God knows our spiritual needs and He has given us a full armor to ensure our spiritual protection. We trust in the wisdom of our loving heavenly Father. He’s given us the armor. It only makes sense that we now earnestly put on that armor in its entirety. We can resist the schemes of the Devil when his attacks come on “the evil day,”[1] if we use the means God has given us. God set us up for success against the Devil. The only reason why we would fail is due to negligence. Hence, we need to be earnest: “having done everything.” We are to exhaust our efforts to put on the armor in all its parts.
The Full Armor (14-17): Paul spells out the specifics of this armor. 1) As one girds up his loins for physical labor or battle, so we put on the character of honesty, always thinking and speaking truth.[2] 2) As a soldier puts on his breastplate to protect his vital organs, so we put on a righteous character, manifesting a pattern of righteousness in all our dealings.[3] 3) Like cleats that keep the soldier’s feet from slipping, we maintain our stability with the gospel that has given us peace with God and with one another.[4] 4) We put on faith like a shield against Satan’s ad hoc attacks. If we trust in the Lord and His Word, we will not succumb to his attacks no matter how they come. Moreover, we receive[5] from the Lord salvation assurance[6] and His Word. With our God-given gear in place, we’ll be ready when his attacks come and we’ll stand firm.
[1] As an enemy strategizes toward a particular D-day, so does Satan (cf. Luke 4:13; 22:31).
[2] We are to let our statement be yes, yes and no, no (Matt. 5:37) and think on what is true (Phil. 4:8).
[3] We are to pursue the Lord’s standard of righteousness (Matt. 5:20; 6:33; Rom. 6:19).
[4] This is the import of the gospel of peace in 2:14-18. The gospel keeps us united when Satan tries to divide the church (2 Cor. 2:10-11), and it keeps us from hopelessness when we’ve sinned (1 John 1:8-2:2).
[5] “Take up” (de-cho-mai [δέχομαι]) means “to receive,” distinct from a-na-lam-ba-nō (ἀναλαμβάνω) in 6:16.
[6] “Salvation” is the state of being saved. We fight with eternal security/assurance (John 10:28; 1 Pet. 1:5).