Ephesians 6:11
in Ephesians 6Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
KJV
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
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This verse in Ephesians 6
Commentary
18 notes on this verseFrom what we read of the Lord our Savior throughout the Scriptures, it is manifestly clear that the whole armor of Christ is the Savior himself. It is he whom we are asked to "put on." It is one and the same thing to say "Put on the whole armor of God" and "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ." Our belt is truth and our breastplate is righteousness. The Savior is also called both "truth" and "righteousness." So no one can doubt that he himself is that very belt and breastplate.
This site's exposition
be strong in the Lord
on Ephesians 6:10-12
The word behind struggle is the wrestler's word for close combat. The enemy is the same ranks named under Christ's feet at 1:21, real and organized.
This site's exposition
against the devil’s schemes
Chrysostom fixes on the word schemes. The enemy wages war by artifice and deception, and the armor is issued against that kind of attack. Jerome and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown link the command to Romans 13:14, so that putting on the armor of God means putting on Christ himself.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
A commentator
Desert FathersThe Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks · Written before 500.
proposed
She also said, 'The devil sometimes sends a severe fast which is too prolonged; the devil's disciples do this as well as holy men. How do we distinguish the fasting of our God and King from the fasting of that tyrant the devil? Clearly by …
But as our struggle lies against "the rulers of this world," what a host of Creator Gods there must be! For why should I not insist upon this point here, that he ought to have mentioned but one "ruler of this world," if he meant only the Creator to be the being to whom belonged all the powers which he previously mentioned? Again, when in the preceding verse he bids us "put on the whole armour of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil," does he not show that all the things which he mentions after the devil's name really belong to the devil-"the principalities and the powers, and the tillers of the darkness of this world," which we also ascribe to the devil's authority? Else, if "the devil" means the Creator, who will be the devil in the Creator's dispensation? As there are two gods, must there also be two devils, and a plurality of powers and rulers of this world? But how is the Creator both a devil and a god at the same time, when the devil is not at once both god and devil? For either they are both of them gods, if both of them are devils; or else He who is God is not also devil, as neither is he god who is the devil.
A commentator
Theodoret of CyrusInterpretation of the Epistle to the Ephesians 6.11 · Written before 458.
proposed
In ordinary battles the generals do not arm women or children or the aged. But our general, Christ the Lord, distributes this royal armory to all alike. He then teaches them the stratagems of the devil. This is what he means by the devil's wiles.
"But the love of money is the root of all evils." Knowing, therefore, that "as we brought nothing into the world, so we can carry nothing out," let us arm ourselves with the armour of righteousness; and let us teach, first of all, ourselves to walk in the commandments of the Lord. Next, [teach] your wives [to walk] in the faith given to them, and in love and purity tenderly loving their own husbands in all truth, and loving all [others] equally in all chastity; and to train up their children in the knowledge and fear of God. Teach the widows to be discreet as respects the faith of the Lord, praying continually for all, being far from all slandering, evil-speaking, false-witnessing, love of money, and every kind of evil; knowing that they are the altar of God, that He clearly perceives all things, and that nothing is hid from Him, neither reasonings, nor reflections, nor any one of the secret things of the heart.
"Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." He saith not, against the fightings, nor against the hostilities, but against the "wiles." For this enemy is at war with us, not simply, nor openly, but by "wiles." What is meant by wiles? To use "wiles," is to deceive and to take by artifice or contrivance; a thing which takes place both in the case of the arts, and by words, and actions, and stratagems, in the case of those who seduce us. I mean something like this. The Devil never proposes to us sins in their proper colors; he does not speak of idolatry, but he sets it off in another dress, using "wiles," that is, making his discourse plausible, employing disguises. Now therefore the Apostle is by this means both rousing the soldiers, and making them vigilant, by persuading and instructing them, that our conflict is with one skilled in the arts of war, and with one who wars not simply, nor directly, but with much wiliness. And first then he arouses the disciples from the consideration of the Devil's skill; but in the second place, from his nature, and the number of his forces. It is not from any desire to dispirit the soldiers that stand under him, but to arouse, and to awaken them, that he mentions these stratagems, and prepares them to be vigilant; for had he merely detailed their power, and there stopped his discourse, he must have dispirited them. But now, whereas both before and after this, he shows that it is possible to overcome such an enemy, he rather raises their courage; for the more clearly the strength of our adversaries is stated on our part to our own people, so much the more earnest will it render our soldiers. "Let us put on the whole armor of God." Seest thou how he banishes all fear? […]
10 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers1 voice
"He that loses his life," says the Lord, "shall save it;" either giving it up by exposing it to danger for the Lord's sake, as He did for us, or loosing it from fellowship with its habitual life. For if you would loose, and withdraw, and separate (for this is what the cross means) your soul from the delight and pleasure that is in this life, you will possess it, found and resting in the looked-for hope. And this would be the exercise of death, if we would be content with those desires which are measured according to nature alone, which do not pass the limit of those which are in accordance with nature-by going to excess, or going against nature-in which the possibility of sinning arises. "We must therefore put on the panoply of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil; since the weapons of our war fire are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down reasonings, and every lofty thing which exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity unto the obedience of Christ," says the divine apostle. There is need of a man who shall use in a praiseworthy and discriminating manner the things from which passions take their rise, as riches and poverty, honour and dishonour, health and sickness, life and death, toil and pleasure.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Someone might say: if God is powerful and wills [to protect us], we ought to be unconcerned. He replies that this is not so; indeed, everyone must do what he can since, if an unarmed man went into battle, no matter how much the king …
What the full armor consists of, he will show a little later. But notice why he did not say: battles or wars, but – "schemes." "Schemes" means seduction and entrapment through cunning. For the enemy does not openly propose sin; for example, he does not …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
The dark parts of the world are the seat of Satan's empire. Yea, they are usurping princes over all men who are yet in a state of sin and ignorance. Satan's is a kingdom of darkness; whereas Christ's is a kingdom of light.
), make use of all the proper defensitives and weapons for repelling the temptations and stratagems of Satan--get and exercise all the Christian graces, the whole armour, that no part be naked and exposed to the enemy." Observe, Those who would approve themselves to have true grace must aim at all grace, the whole armour.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
Put on the whole armour of God - The Greek word means a complete suit of armour. Believers are said to put on the girdle, breastplate, shoes; to take the shield of faith, and sword of the Spirit.
Put on the whole armour of God,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Put on the whole armor of God - The whole description here is derived from the weapons of an ancient soldier. The various parts of those weapons - constituting the “whole panoply” - are specified in Eph 6:14-17. The word rendered “whole armor” πανοπλίαν panoplian, “panoply”), means “complete armor,” offensive and defensive; see Luk 11:22; Rom 13:12 note; 2Co 6:7 note. “The armor of God” is not that which God wears, but that which he has provided for the Christian soldier.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
An image readily suggested by the Roman armory, Paul being now in Rome. Repeated emphatically, Eph 6:13. In Ro 13:14 it is, "Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ"; in putting on Him, and the new man in Him, we put on "the whole armor of God." No opening at the head, the feet, the heart, the belly, the eye, the ear, or the tongue, is to be given to Satan.
Put on the whole armor of God - Ενδυσασθε την πανοπλιαν του Θεου. The apostle considers every Christian as having a warfare to maintain against numerous, powerful, and subtle foes; and that therefore they would need much strength, much courage, complete armor, and skill to use it. The panoply which is mentioned here refers to the armor of the heavy troops among the Greeks; those who were to sustain the rudest attacks, who were to sap the foundations of walls, storm cities, etc. Their ordinary armor was the shield, the helmet, the sword, and the greaves or brazen boots. To all these the apostle refers below. See on Eph 6:13 (note). The wiles of the devil - Τας μεθοδειας του διαβολου· The methods of the devil; the different means, plans, schemes, and machinations which he uses to deceive, entrap, enslave, and ruin the souls of men. A man’s method of sinning is Satan’s method of ruining his soul. See on Eph 4:14 (note).
The words behind it
15 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐνδύσασθε | endusasthe | do put on | G1746 → | 27 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πανοπλίαν | panoplian | complete armor | G3833 → | |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεοῦ | theou | of God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| πρὸς | pros | for | G4314 → | 700 times |
| τὸ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δύνασθαι | dunasthai | to be able | G1410 → | 207 times |
| ὑμᾶς | humas | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| στῆναι | stenai | to stand | G2476 → | 153 times |
| πρὸς | pros | against | G4314 → | 700 times |
| τὰς | tas | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μεθοδείας | methodeias | schemes | G3180 → | |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| διαβόλου· | diabolou | devil; | G1228 → |
ἐνδύσασθεdo put on
endusastheG1746 →27 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
πανοπλίανcomplete armor
panoplianG3833 →
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
θεοῦof God
theouG2316 →1312 times
πρὸςfor
prosG4314 →700 times
τὸ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
δύνασθαιto be able
dunasthaiG1410 →207 times
ὑμᾶςyou
humasG4771 →2973 times
στῆναιto stand
stenaiG2476 →153 times
πρὸςagainst
prosG4314 →700 times
τὰςthe
tasG3588 →19766 times
μεθοδείαςschemes
methodeiasG3180 →
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
διαβόλου·devil;
diabolouG1228 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Peter 5:8Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
it leads to
- James 4:7
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
- Ephesians 4:27
and do not give the devil a foothold.
- Job 2:2
“Where have you come from?” said the LORD to Satan. “From roaming through the earth,” he replied, “and walking back and forth in it.”
- 1 Peter 1:13
Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober-minded. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
- 1 Peter 4:7
The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and sober, so that you can pray.
- James 4:7
Through
2 Corinthians 10:4The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 6:7
in truthful speech and in the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ephesians 6:13–18
Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand.
- 2 Corinthians 6:7
Through
Ephesians 6:13Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 10:4
The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
- 2 Corinthians 10:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies13
About Ephesians
This page draws on 16 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata Book 2; Desert Fathers, The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ephesians 6:11; John Chrysostom, Homily on Ephesians 22; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Polycarp of Smyrna, Epistle to the Philippians 4; Tertullian, Against Marcion Book V; Theodoret of Cyrus, Interpretation of the Epistle to the Ephesians 6.11; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Ephesians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Ephesians.