Notice in the heading, it’s “the church militant,” not “the church military!” Christians are called to battle every day against the world, the flesh and the devil. This is the spiritual warfare that is everywhere addressed throughout Scripture, and which every believer experiences continually every waking hour, whether conscious of it or not. Paul was very much aware of this battle as he wrote of this warfare in his letter to the church in Ephesus. He concluded that in the last chapter where he wrote, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
It was in this paragraph that the apostle went on to identify the spiritual armor God has provided for His people for this spirit battle. “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” (Ephesians 6:14-18).