Saint Paul, the holy apostle, writeth this epistle unto the Ephesians, that is, to the people of the city of Ephesus.  He writeth generally, to them all; and in the former chapters he teacheth them severally how they should behave themselves, in every estate, one to another; how they should obey their rulers; how wives should behave themselves towards their husbands; children towards their parents; and servants towards their masters; and husbands, parents and masters should behave them, and love their wives, children, and servants; and generally each to love other.

Now cometh he forth and comforteth them, and teacheth them to be bold, and to play the men, and fight manfully.  For they must fight with valiant warriors, as appeareth afterward in the text.  And against they come to fight he comforteth them, saying, “My brethren.”  He calleth them brethren; for though he taught them before to be subject to kings and rulers, and to be obedient to their superiors, yet he teacheth them that in Christ we be all brethren, according to the saying in this same chapter, “God is no accepter of persons.”  “My brethren,” saith he, “be ye comforted, be ye strong;” not trusting to yourselves; no, but be bold, and comforted “by our Lord, and by the power of his virtue:”  not by your own virtue, for it is not of power to resist such assaults as he speaketh of hereafter.  “Put on, or apparel you with, the armour of God.”  Armour is an apparel to clothe a man, and maketh him seemly and comely; setteth forth his body, and maketh him strong and bold in battle.  And therefore Saint Paul exhorteth generally his brethren to be armed; and as the assaults be strong, and not small, so he giveth strong armour, and not small:  “Put on,” saith he, “the armour of God.”  He speaketh generally of armour, but afterwards he speaketh particularly of the parts of armour, where he saith, be armed complete, whole; be armed on every part with the armour of God; not borrowed, nor patched, but all godly.  And as armour setteth forth a man’s body, so this godly armour maketh us seemly in the sight of God, and acceptable in his wars.

Be ye therefore “armed at all points with the armour of God, that ye may stand strongly against the assaults of the devil.”  “That ye may stand,” saith he.  Ye must stand in this battle, and not sit, nor lie along; for he that lieth is trodden under foot of his enemy.  We may not sit, that is, not rest in sin, or lie along in sluggishness of sin; but continually fight against our enemy, and under our great Captain and Sovereign Lord Jesus Christ, and in his quarrel, armed with the armour of God, that we may be strong.  We cannot be strong unless we be armed of God.  We have no power of ourselves to stand against the assaults of the devil.  There St. Paul teacheth what our battle is, and wherefore we must be thus armed.