The first verses give good counsel to children with the promise of a long life if they are obedient and honor their parents. Parents are counseled to use a soft voice; the Lord's voice is a still small voice. Then he urges servants to be obedient to their masters. About 30% of the Roman population was slaves. The church did not attempt to change that tradition. Things were disastrous enough with the Roman empire.
Paul urges us to put on the armor of God. In his day, armor would have been the greatest protection against injury to the body. He urges us to protect ourselves because we are at war, spiritually, with Satan and all of his hosts, with principalities, powers and the true rulers of darkness in this world, and with spiritual wickedness in high places. This tells me that Satan's efforts are highly organized, not just random acts of temptation. Here is what Paul wants our amor to protect:
Our loins: They are the vital organs and represent our virtue, integrity, and chastity.
The heart: It represents the center of our feelings which corresponds to our actions. We protect it so that our lives will be righteous and continually repentant.
The feet: They represent the goals in our lives, being prepared so that we don't fear.
The head: It represents our intellect. "As a man thinketh... so is he." It means we control our thoughts and keep them above the world. And because we protect it with the helmut of salvation, we do not allow the things of this life, its disappointments and tragedies, to destroy our hope.
Our chief weapons are the sword and shield, the word of God and faith. The sword and shield work together as we wage this spiritual, and very personal war.
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