( Being strong in he Lord )
It is possible to get too drawn in to the literal detail of the armour when reflecting on the passage. If the letter had been written in a different age the armour would have been different and so alternative items might have been selected to represent the true spiritual armour. What matters is the spiritual armour that enables both an individual and a church to stand on and hold the ground Christ has won. These are truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation and the word of God. It is a demanding list for the Christian to engage in. Being a Christian is not a passive activity it requires full engagement. If you are in a battle you can be certain that an enemy will target those areas of vulnerability. If for instance the heart or head are exposed then that will be the area targeted. The absence of any part of God’s provided spiritual protection will be where an individual or church will be liable to falter or fall. The interconnectedness of these spiritual defences is similar to the interconnectedness of the body of Christ. Where there is a weakness or an element of defence is missing the individual or body of Christ is more liable to suffer. We learn about and are empowered to apply all of these elements of spiritual defence through the last one mentioned, the word of God. A church needs to root itself in the word of God. The study and exposition of the word is an essential function of the church. It is not something that is done and then can be moved on from. It is to be part of the ongoing life of the church and each one of its members.