Possibly the thing we most often forget is that our fight of faith is not a physical one.

Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6 that we are in a spiritual battle.

It is not something new, it’s a war older than time itself, but because it is in the realm of the spirit and we do not see it with our natural eyes, we do not immediately recognize where the constant attacks of the enemy come from. Just as we don’t see the wind itself, but we see the effects of its’ destructive power on the physical realm; spiritual forces are arrayed against us and desire to inflict the same kind of damage in our lives.

We need to be reminded daily to identify the root causes of the majority of our struggles and to encourage ourselves and each other. We need to know, according to scripture, how we are to stand in our faith in Messiah by making that stand a victorious one. We have no doubt heard many sermons and teachings on these verses from Ephesians, however there are some aspects that we may not have seen before.

Most of us have been educated and schooled under a very Greek mind set and worldview and without realizing it, we have opened our minds and souls to globalization, new age and humanism; ultimately leading to the worship of man and things, instead of the One Who is the Creator of everything. Furthermore, as we are being schooled, the same mindsets and mentality prevail and follow us into our ‘churches’. Greek philosophy is geared towards the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; satisfying the minds and intellect; whereas the Hebraic thought gears towards the Tree of Life, satisfying the hearts and issues of life. Daniel prophesied of the increase of knowledge in the end days. Daniel 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

The unseen adversary in Ephesians 1:20–23, and the tempter in Matthew 4:1. The word adversary in Hebrew is Hasatan, this is the one who accused us before God. Revelation 12:10 references HaSatan as the accuser of our brethren…

In light of our spiritual battle, Paul emphasizes our need for correct, powerful and effective spiritual equipment. Ephesians 6:10-20.

One of the most common misunderstandings regarding the whole armor of God is caused by Greek and Roman cultural views. Many commentaries compared the whole armor of God with the armor of the Roman soldiers.

However in reality it is highly probable that the Apostle Paul was not referring to the Roman armor at all! He was really making reference to an ancient Hebraic armor, (shown below: King David and Joshua), as well as to a heavenly, spiritual armor loosely based on the High  Priests garments.

Let’s read it again with fresh eyes and see the description as mirrored in the attire the High Priest/KohenHaGadol;. (the High Priest of Israel (Hebrew: כהן גדול, romanized : Kohen Gadol, lit. ‘great priest’; Aramaic : Kahana Rabba) was the head of the Israelite priesthood):

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power 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 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. 13 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. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Paul did not invent the idea of ‘the full armor of God’ on his own. He drew his wisdom and understanding from waht we call the Old Testament/Covenant; in Hebrew the TaNaKh, (the Torah, the Prophets and The Writings).

Isaiah 59:16-17
He saw that there was no man,
And wondered that there was no intercessor;
Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him;
And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.
For He put on righteousness as a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing,
And was clad with zeal as a cloak.
 
Isaiah 11:4-5
But with righteousness He shall judge the poor,
And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins,
And faithfulness the belt of His waist.
 
Exodus 28:1-4
1 Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as priest, Aaron and Aaron’s sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. 3 So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest. 4 And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister to Me as priest.

It seems very clear that Paul was making reference to the Holy garments of the Priesthood who had been called by the Lord God with which he would have been very familiar; and not the armor of unholy, violent, aggressive and merciless Roman soldiers, thirsting to torture others and kill people.

In I Peter 2:9-10 he clarifies that the chosen generation are a Holy nation of Royal Priests unto Him.
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, His own special people,
that you may proclaim the praises of Him
who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
who once were not a people but are now the people of God,
who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

We are in a spiritual battle not a physical one against people. The spiritual battle is just as real and one which does not stop day or night. However, we are to DO verse 12, resist the rulers, authorities, cosmic powers governing this darkness and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm; and verse 13 instructs us how to fight with weapons, as provided: So take up every piece of war equipment God provides.

We need to see how the Priesthood are dressed  

and how is the High Priest dressed?

Verse 14 he begins with the belt of truth buckled around our waist.

In Isaiah 11:5 we see that: Justice will be the belt around his waist. Faithfulness the sash around His hips. This was Isaiah describing Messiah from verse 1-5.

In Leviticus 8:6-7: Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. And he put the tunic on him, girded him with the sash, clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod on him; and he girded him with the intricately woven band of the ephod, and with it tied the ephod on him.

 
John 17:17
Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

The belt holds the priestly garments together. Without it, all the other portions will fall apart. The Lord desires to wash His priests with water, and sanctify them by His Truth! So that they will not be led astray, embrace false gods and worship idols! 

The Belt of Truth – loins girt with Biblical Truth. The Romans had a leather belt, the Priests and  High Priest had a linen girdle.  Linen = Righteousness and Girdle = Servitude. Both kept other garments in place = support and foundational importance. Truth must be our foundation and the belt is also essential to a flowing garment to assure warmth and maneuverability. It was tied around the waist of the High Priest (blue, purple and scarlet linen intertwined with gold threads). In the language of scripture for a priest to be girded with his sash was for him to be fully arrayed in his garments and prepared and ready to serve. The front and back of the ephod were made as one garment, with this sash or girdle, which was tied around his waist. Luke 12:37;17:8. It’s an emblem of service.  Messiah was not only the unwearied servant while on earth, but. like the Hebrew servant of Ex.21., He is the priest forever.

Another reference to the Girdle is in Psalms 18:32 God girds me with strength and makes my way perfect. The word AZAR is translated as girdle. The girdle David writes of, and as Paul would have known the verse, is and important part of the Eastern dress. It is like a belt used to draw the garment tightly to the body; particularly while on a journey or doing battle, either physically or in spiritual warfare. The enemy is always trying to draw us away from the Father, he’s using our feelings of inadequacy and lack of skills to discourage us; causing is to lean on the arm of the flesh which draws us away from Gods presence.

In the Hebrew language, this word azar, is in a piel intensive form and the definite article EL, is before the word of God to show that both God and strength are the direct objects. It is not simply Gods strength that is tightly wrapped around us, it’s God Himself. The Psalmist uses EL instead of Yehoveh/Jehoveh and the Rabbis teach that the word ELohim represents the masculine nature of God as the protector and provider. The arm of the flesh is not our source, our Heavenly Father is, and as this word in the Hebrew language is in a Piel or intense form, according to the sages, it indicates that He has not only wrapped Himself around us, but is hugging us with His strength. The word AZAR is used comparatively for strength, meaning He has a very strong grip of protection and provision around us.  In Hebrew, Strength is CHYIL, which is a strange word as it has the concept of twirling, spinning around and dancing in a circle. Our Father is the lead partner and maintains a tight grip on us, leading us as we dance with Him through the problems we face, and indeed all through our lives.  In the Hebrew language it would explain the use of the word for God in a singular form. Recall ‘im’ is the plural ending on Hebrew words. As in El – Elohim, plural and singular are a little different in the English language because in Hebrew plural does not always mean multiples, it can also mean a position of power and dominion.  

We are to remember that the Gospel of Truth is just that and we are fighting in the spiritual realm, not against people in the natural physical realm. As we look at the weapons of this warfare we need to remember that only the sword is an offensive weapon, and is clearly stated as a sword of the spirit; which is the Word of Truth in the form of scripture that is coming out of our mouth. We know that our Heavenly Father watches over His Word to perform it. This armor is for protection, apart from the sword. We are not to be aggressive towards people, we are to bring truth and show forth the mercy and forgiveness of sin by His Grace and the power of Messiah Yeshua/Jesus shed blood, Who through His Holy Spirit draws people to Himself with cords of love.

The Priesthood and the High Priest were not warriors nor violent, they served and ministered to the Lord with, and for the people, living a Holy set-apart life. 

The Breastplate Of Righteousness

Verse 14 put on righteousness for a breast plate.

Also 1Thess. 5:8 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.

Exodus 28:4
And these are the garments which they shall make:
a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister to Me as priest.
 
Exodus 28:15
You shall make the breastplate of judgment. Artistically woven according to the workmanship of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, you shall make it.

Exodus 28:22-30
22 “You shall make chains for the breastplate at the end, like braided cords of pure gold.  23 And you shall make two rings of gold for the breastplate, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.  24 Then you shall put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate;
25 and the other two ends of the two braided chains  you shall fasten to the two settings, and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod in the front.
26 “You shall make two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on the edge of it, which is on the inner side of the ephod. 
27 And two other rings of gold you shall make, and put them on the two shoulder straps, underneath the ephod toward its front, right at the seam above the intricately woven band of the ephod.  28 They shall bind the breastplate by means of its rings to the rings of the ephod, using a blue cord, so that it is above the intricately woven band of the ephod, and so that the breastplate does not come loose from the ephod. 29 “So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastplate of judgment over his heart, when he goes into the holy place,  as a memorial before the Lord continually.  30 And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the Lord. So Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel over his heart before the Lord continually.

Leviticus 19:15
You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.

The priests are to be righteous before God. They cannot play favoritism towards the rich and despise the poor! They have to pray for every tribe in the community regardless of their financial status. Not one less. A high priest does not have a holier-than-thou attitude towards others. He ministers to everyone, and bear their names and burdens over his heart. There is no discrimination or bias against anyone. Let’s look at Yeshua/Jesus, our High Priest:

Matthew 4:23-24
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.

What is righteousness in the sight of God?

Deuteronomy 6:25
Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us.

Luke 1:5-6 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.  And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

But a Roman soldier does not have any righteousness on his breastplate. Neither does he desire to keep the commandments of God!

Isaiah 59:17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate, salvation as a helmet on his head. He clothed himself with garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in a mantle of zeal.

Eph. 6 and 1Thess. 5:8. 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.

The breastplate of faith and love:

The breastplate of the High Priest was worn on his chest it had on it the 12 precious stones that represented all the tribes of the children of Israel displayed over his heart.

Yeshua/Jesus is now our High Priest and those who are ‘grafted in believers’ in the Jewish Messiah, are held over the heart of our Lord and Savior.

So the breast plate is as faith, putting on trust over our hearts; to guard our hearts, for out of it flow the issues of life.

Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. Prov.4:23.

Righteousness involves more than just following a set of rules; it encompasses a lifestyle characterized by integrity, justice, and love.

When we live according to these principles, we’re not only bringing peace to our own lives but we also help to create a harmonious and just society.

Embracing righteousness means seeking justice and equality, showing kindness and compassion, and treating others with respect and dignity.

It means standing up against injustice and oppression, speaking out for those who cannot speak fro themselves, for those who have no voice, and to work towards a world where everyone can experience shalom/peace and well-being.

“The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.”
– Isaiah 32:17

By striving to lead a righteous life, we become catalysts for peace. Our actions not only bring tranquility to our own hearts but also inspire others to seek righteousness and pursue peace.

Together, we can create an environment not of this world, yet within it, where peace prevails; and everyone can experience the true and lasting peace/shalom, that comes from a life grounded in righteousness and faith in a Holy Righteous God.

In the next verse 15 we are told:

wear on your feet the readiness that comes from the gospel the good news of shalom/peace.

Isaiah 52:7
How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion,“Your God reigns!”

The Good News is the gospel of Messiah, He has become the promise and it is fulfilled in Him through Jesus/Yeshua.

Peace/shalom is restored …

The word shalom comes from the Hebrew shalem, meaning whole and complete, nothing is missing and nothing is broken. 

Shalom encompasses more than just an absence of conflict. It carries within it a profound sense of wholeness, completeness, and overall well-being, it represents a state of harmony and tranquility that goes beyond external circumstances.

Shalom is a concept that covers every aspect of our lives – our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being, one that brings us a deep sense of inner peace and fulfillment. Shalom is not a passive state, but an active pursuit of wholeness and completeness in all areas of life.

Some more definitions of Shalom:

Shalom’ comes from ‘shalem’, meaning ‘to be complete’, so when there is ‘shalom’, there is tranquility just as there is sufficient food clothing and housing. There is divine health, with no sickness.

Shalom, the word normally translated peace, means, nothing left out, health, welfare, security, justice, and tranquility, also freedom from all disaster.

Having a settled quietness and composure of mind, the fullness of the word for peace which is ‘Shalom’ , could also read ‘full, total and complete wholeness for the human spirit, soul (mind will emotions), and body.’)

Shalom means an absence of: disorder, injustice, bribery, corruption, conflict, hatred, abuse, violence, pain, suffering, immorality, disorder, strife, poverty, sickness, abuse, accidents, homelessness, pain, anger, and all the other negative forces.

When shalom reigns there will be no more immorality, no more injustice and the principles advocated in the scriptures will be followed by all; and then the command to love your neighbor will be made complete. This is the essence of His Coming Kingdom.

Shalom – no good thing is withheld.

Exodus 3:5
Then He said, “Do not draw near this place.
Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.

Priests minister to the Lord God without wearing any shoes or sandals! They walk barefoot on the floors of the temple courts and in the Holy places/ground where the presence of the Lord is. However they are always ready to serve the Lord and the people, to bring good news, proclaim peace, bring glad tidings of good things, and proclaim salvation.

A Roman soldier wears shoes but they bring bad news of slavery, cruelty, domination and proclaiming conflict and war!

The subtleties of the adversary are just that, subtle and sneaky, and are often quite inoffensive and we entertain them, these are tactics that will cause us to stray from the Narrow Way. They take our time and attention from the Lord and His Kingdom and move our focus onto things that distract us from the plans and purposes of our Heavenly Father for us.

Ephesians 6:10-13
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power 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 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. 13 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.

Let’s remove the mindset of the unholy Roman armor and put on the Holy Priestly garments!

1Cor. 16:13-14 reminds us how the Royal Priesthood does spiritual warfare.

Be on guard; stand firm in your faith [in God, respecting His precepts and keeping your doctrine sound]. Act like [mature] men and be courageous; be strong. Let everything you do be done in love [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us].

Yes we are to fight, but fight on our knees, humbly before the Lord in prayer, we are warriors of light, inspired by His love, mercy and grace; and we belong to the day, let us stay sober and vigilant.

The armor of light refers to the spiritual weapons and armor God gives us to fight spiritual battles. Life is a constant warfare for us  so we must be ready to fight. To put on the armor of light also means to add to your faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity, 2 Peter 1:5-7.

We are clothed in this armor of light and once in place it should never be taken off; simply affirm each day that it is in place, checking our spiritual position, posture and attitude in the presence of His Holiness.

Part 2 will conclude the remaining parts of our spiritual armor.

Shalom aleikhem

chaverim and mishpachah!

Peace to friends and family.

Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.

Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord, Deliverer and soon returning King; and that you have a personal relationship with Him.

It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.

You are very precious in His sight.

Not sure ..you can be…

SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute,

SAY IT RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past. I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.