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The Missing Spear in Ephesians 6 · Traveler’s Tales

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  The most interesting thing about a Roman soldier's armor
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  may be the one weapon the Apostle Paul never mentioned.
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  He described the helmet, the breastplate, the shield,
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  the sword, the belt, and even the shoes.
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  But one of the Roman soldier's most recognizable weapons is
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  missing— the spear. And when
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  we understand how Roman soldiers used that spear,
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  its absence may actually help us appreciate a powerful
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  truth about the Christian life. Welcome to Traveler's
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  Tales, produced by Enjoying the Journey. I'm Greg Dowdy.
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  Sometimes the smallest details in Scripture lead us to
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  some of the most important discoveries.
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  Understanding the customs, geography, and history of the
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  Bible can bring familiar passages into sharper focus and
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  help us apply their truths to our lives today.
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  We are grateful for the research of our friend John Buckner,
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  who helps us explore the historical background behind
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  these journeys. Today, we're stepping onto an
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  ancient Roman battlefield to examine a familiar passage
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  of Scripture and one missing weapon that offers a
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  timely reminder for every follower of Jesus Christ.
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  In the 6th chapter of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul uses
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  the equipment of a Roman soldier to illustrate the spiritual
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  resources God has provided for His children.
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  In Ephesians 6:11, Paul writes,
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  Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand
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  against the wiles of the devil. For people living under
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  Roman rule, the image of a soldier would have been very familiar.
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  Roman soldiers were stationed throughout the empire, and their equipment
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  was designed for both protection and combat.
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  Paul mentions the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness,
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  the shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith,
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  the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit,
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  which is the word of God. But there is something interesting
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  about this list. One of the most important weapons carried
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  by a Roman infantryman was his spear,
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  commonly called the pilum. This was no ordinary
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  spear. The pilum was a specially designed throwing weapon,
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  usually consisting of a wooden shaft connected to a long iron
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  shank. Its purpose was to disrupt
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  the enemy before the Roman soldier advanced into close combat.
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  The weapon could penetrate an enemy shield, and some designs were
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  intended to bend or become difficult to remove after
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  impact. The shield struck by one of these spears could become
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  cumbersome and nearly useless. The Roman soldier
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  was trained to throw his spear as the battle began.
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  Then, with his shield raised and his sword ready,
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  he would advance toward the enemy. And that brings us
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  back to Paul's description of the armor of God.
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  Where is the spear? John Buckner offers
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  an intriguing possibility: perhaps the spear is
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  missing because the soldier has already thrown it.
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  Paul does not explain why he omitted the spear, so we should
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  be careful not to claim certainty where Scripture is silent.
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  But the picture provides a meaningful illustration.
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  Imagine a Roman soldier standing on the battlefield. His spear has
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  been launched, his shield is raised, his sword
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  is drawn, and the enemy is before him. He's no
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  longer waiting for the battle to begin. He is already in it.
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  And that is certainly true of the Christian life. The Bible never describes
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  following Christ as a life free from conflict.
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  In fact, Scripture repeatedly reminds us that we have a spiritual
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  enemy who seeks to discourage, deceive, and defeat
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  us. Peter warns in 1 Peter 5:8,
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  be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a
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  roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour.
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  Notice that Peter does not say our adversary might come
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  someday. He describes an enemy who is already active.
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  And Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:12, for we wrestle not against
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  flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
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  darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
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  The Christian life is not a spectator sport.
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  We are involved in this spiritual conflict whether we
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  recognize it or not. And one of the great dangers
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  for a believer is to live as though there is no battle
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  taking place. Now think about how foolish it would be for
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  a Roman soldier to enter battle without his shield or
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  to lay aside his sword while the enemy approached.
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  Yet, how often do we attempt to face the challenges
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  of life without making use of what God has provided?
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  We encounter temptation, but we neglect the Word of God.
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  We face discouragement, but forget the promises of God.
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  We experience uncertainty, but allow fear to replace faith.
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  We become so occupied with our schedules, responsibilities,
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  and everyday concerns that we forget the spiritual
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  conflict taking place around us, and before long,
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  we find ourselves struggling in areas where God has
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  already provided the resources for victory.
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  Paul's instruction is not to invent new armor or
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  even rely upon our own strength. He tells us
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  to put on what God has already supplied.
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  In Ephesians 6:10, he writes, finally, my brethren,
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  be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
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  That, friend, is where spiritual victory begins.
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  Our strength is not found in our determination,
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  our experience, our ability.
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  Our strength is found in the Lord. We need the
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  truth of God's word to guard us against deception. We need the shield of
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  faith when doubts and fears come against us. We need the assurance
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  of our salvation to protect our mind from the accusations of the
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  enemy. And we need the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God,
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  to answer temptation with truth. The armor
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  is available, but we must put it on.
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  There is another important detail in Paul's description. He repeatedly
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  emphasizes the responsibility to stand.
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  Ephesians 6:13 says, Wherefore take unto
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  you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand
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  in the evil day, and having done all, stand.
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  And the very next verse begins with 2 words: stand therefore.
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  The Christian is not called to surrender territory to the enemy.
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  We are called to remain faithful. There will be days
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  when standing is difficult. There will be seasons when temptations
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  seem unusually strong. There will be seasons when
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  discouragement weighs heavy on our heart, or even
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  when circumstances challenge everything we know to be true about the Lord.
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  But standing does not mean that we never experience difficulty.
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  It means that by the grace of God, we refuse to
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  abandon our confidence in him. We continue believing his word.
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  We continue obeying his commands. We continue
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  trusting his promises, and we continue following
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  Jesus Christ. There's something wonderfully encouraging
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  about this passage. God never commands his children to
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  face the enemy without providing what they need.
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  He knows the battle, he knows the enemy, and he knows our weakness.
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  That is why he tells us to be strong in the Lord.
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  Our confidence is not that we are stronger than Satan. Our confidence
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  is that our Savior is greater than our enemy.
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  At Calvary, Jesus Christ defeated the power of sin and death.
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  Through his resurrection, he demonstrated his victory. And because
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  we belong to him, we can face the spiritual battles of life
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  with confidence in his power. And the next time you read Ephesians
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  6, take a moment to picture that Roman soldier. His helmet is
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  in place, his breastplate is secure, his shield is raised,
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  his sword is ready, and perhaps his spear
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  is missing because it has already been thrown. The battle
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  is underway. And then remember this: you do not have
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  to wonder whether you will face spiritual opposition because the battle
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  is already here. The question that we face
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  is whether or not we are standing in the strength and protection God
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  has provided. Don't allow the enemy to find you spiritually
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  unprepared. Open God's word, strengthen your faith,
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  guard your heart, spend time in prayer, and determine
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  by the grace of God to remain faithful to the one who has
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  called you. The same Lord who has called us to stand has
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  promised to supply the strength we need. So,
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  take up the whole armor of God, and having done all,
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  stand. Thank you for traveling with us today
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  on Traveler's Tales. It is incredible how a glimpse
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  into the ancient world can help us appreciate the timeless
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  truths of God's Word. There is so much more to discover as we study the
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  Bible, and we would love to help you continue that journey.
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  Visit etj.bible for Bible teaching,
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  devotional resources, and practical everyday encouragement
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  to help you grow in your walk with Christ.