Ephesians 6:13 says, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” This verse comes in the context of Paul’s teaching to the Ephesians on spiritual warfare. In Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul describes the spiritual armor that God provides believers to be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
The phrase “having done all” refers to believers putting on and utilizing every piece of the spiritual armor that God provides. The armor includes the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of gospel peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. To “have done all” means to have availed oneself fully of these God-given resources and properly employed them against the enemy’s assaults.
Paul stresses the importance of putting on the full armor of God because the Christian’s struggle is against powerful spiritual forces of evil (Eph 6:12). Partial armament will not suffice against such supernatural foes. Only by fully appropriating what God makes available can believers hope to remain standing when evil days come.
Thus, “having done all” means that the believer has been diligent to put on the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of gospel peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and sword of the Spirit. It pictures a Christian who has utilized every divinely supplied resource to withstand temptation and persecution. Such a believer has studied the Scriptures, developed Christlike character, maintained fellowship with God, trusted in the gospel promises, and employed the word of God against Satan’s lies.
The result of “having done all” is the ability to “stand” when confronting spiritual opposition. To stand means to successfully resist the enemy’s onslaughts and not fall into moral failure, discouragement, fear, or deception when under attack. It denotes stability, resilience, and perseverance for Christ in the face of hardship and persecution.
Some key implications from this phrase include:
- Christians face very real spiritual enemies seeking to destroy their faith.
- God provides abundant resources to enable believers to successfully resist these enemies.
- Christians are responsible to appropriate and employ these spiritual resources.
- Persevering when times get hard requires advance preparation and discipline.
- Those who avail themselves of God’s full armor can stand firm when evil days come.
- Neglecting the armor makes Christians vulnerable to spiritual defeat.
In summary, “having done all” refers to diligently and consistently putting on the full spiritual armor that God makes available to believers in Christ. This includes growing in truth, righteousness, gospel peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God. By fully appropriating these resources, Christians can stand resolute when faced with any form of spiritual assault or adversity. Only those who have “done all” in utilizing God’s armor are positioned to successfully withstand evil in the day of testing.
1. The context of Ephesians 6:13
To fully understand the meaning of “having done all to stand,” it is important to examine the broader context of Ephesians 6:10-20 where Paul discusses spiritual warfare. Some key points about this passage include:
- Our struggle is ultimately against spiritual forces of evil, not merely human opponents (6:12)
- We need God’s full provision to stand strong against these malignant powers (6:11,13)
- God has provided powerful defensive armor to protect us when evil days come (6:13-17)
- This armor includes truth, righteousness, gospel peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God (6:14-17)
- Prayer is needed to stay alert and avail ourselves of God’s provisions (6:18)
- Standing firm requires being properly trained and battle ready (6:10-13)
With these contextual factors in mind, “having done all” refers to diligently putting on and utilizing every facet of the spiritual armor that God graciously supplies to believers in Christ.
2. The meaning of “having done all”
The phrase “having done all” denotes that someone has given their maximum possible effort in completing a task or reaching a goal. Some key aspects of this phrase include:
- “Having done” – implies action has already been taken
- “All” – suggests going to the fullest potential extent
- “To stand” – indicates the purpose is to be able to withstand and not fall
Thus, “having done all” means believers have already exerted full effort in taking hold of every relevant spiritual resource available to them. It is not a passively maintained position, but something actively attained through training, discipline, and habitually putting on the armor of God.
In the context of Ephesians 6, “having done all” includes pursuing spiritual maturity in areas like:
- Renewing the mind with scriptural truth (belt of truth)
- Cultivating a righteous character (breastplate of righteousness)
- Walking in gospel peace and readiness (shoes of peace)
- Living by faith in God’s promises (shield of faith)
- Growing in salvation’s blessings (helmet of salvation)
- Internalizing and properly using God’s word (sword of the Spirit)
“Having done all” means leaving no aspect of the available spiritual armor unutilized. It describes those who are battle-ready to stand through comprehensive preparation.
3. To “stand” against spiritual enemies
Paul’s goal in describing the armor of God is not merely knowledge, butstandability when confronted with evil. To “stand” means to remain spiritually upright, steadfast, and victorious in the conflict against Satan’s kingdom.
Scripture uses “stand” figuratively to convey concepts like:
- Resisting temptation (1 Cor 10:13)
- Overcoming persecution (2 Tim 4:16-17)
- Not succumbing to false teaching (Eph 6:14)
- Holding firmly to the gospel (1 Cor 15:1)
- Persevering through trials (Rom 5:2-3)
For a soldier, standing ground rather than fleeing or being overrun is central to success in battle. Likewise, spiritual standing requires strength and stamina to not buckle under the weight of spiritual conflict.
Believers stand in victory by wielding gospel truth and God’s power against evil forces seeking their downfall. This standing enables them to thrive spiritually despite hardship or persecution.
4. Examples of “having done all to stand” in Scripture
Several biblical passages illustrate what it means to fully utilize God’s spiritual provisions in order to stand firm when adversity strikes:
- Jesus’ temptation (Matt 4:1-11) – Jesus stood unmoved against Satan’s lies by recalling and obeying applicable Scripture.
- Job’s testing (Job 1-2) – Job stood blameless before God despite catastrophic losses by trusting God’s sovereignty and wisdom.
- Peter’s denial (Luke 22:54-62) – Peter’s failure to stand was preceded by neglecting time in prayer and depending on his own strength.
- Paul’s trials (2 Cor 11:23-28) – Paul stood steadfast through chronic hardships by God’s power and sufficiency of grace.
In each case, standing firm required accessing God’s available provisions like scriptural truth, prayer, faith, and reliance on divine strength.
5. The evil day of testing
Paul says believers must avail themselves of God’s full armor so they can stand in “the evil day” (Eph 6:13). This phrase refers generally to any period of intense spiritual assault or adversity aimed at destroying one’s faith. Some characteristics include:
- Times of increased temptation and spiritual vulnerability
- Circumstances overwhelming natural abilities to cope
- Suffering intended to discredit God and breed unbelief
- Propaganda and cultural pressure against biblical values
- Hostility and persecution targeting Christians
“The evil day” can come through personal trials or corporate opposition against the church. Such times expose spiritual weakness and reveal the measure of our preparedness.
Without the full armor of God firmly in place, we will quickly buckle and fall when evil days arrive. But by having done all to stand, we remain spiritually potent and undaunted through any degree of hardship or testing.
6. Neglecting the armor of God
Paul’s emphasis on the full armor of God implies that neglecting any part of it makes Christians vulnerable to being overrun. Failing to put on the armor means:
- Ignorance of truth and blindness to Satan’s lies
- No resistance to sinful attitudes or deeds
- Absence of gospel motivation and readiness
- Little faith to trust God in trials
- Forgetting one’s identity and blessings in Christ
- No effective weapon against temptation and accusations
A soldier caught on the battlefield without armor would be in grave danger. So also believers who fail to avail themselves of God’s provision through spiritual lethargy or indifference.
All the pieces of armor are vital – one weak or missing link leaves the others inadequate to protect us. Only doing all to implement God’s full armament prepares us to stand when evil days come.
7. Active preparation and discipline
“Having done all” is active language denoting training, discipline, and habitually putting on the armor of God. Some ways believers are responsible to do this include:
- Commitment to know and obey God’s word
- Pursuing Christlike attitudes and behavior
- Developing peace and gospel motivation through prayer
- Cultivating deeper trust in God’s character and promises
- Seeking fuller assurance of salvation and spiritual blessings
- Memorizing Scripture and practicing wielding it against deception
We actively appropriate God’s armor through intentional efforts to grow in maturity and Christlikeness. Spiritual protection comes by God’s provision and our responsible participation.
No one accidentally or passively does all to take up the armor of God. It requires resolutely making use of every resource He provides for victorious Christian living.
8. Divine empowerment despite human weakness
While “having done all” implies disciplined training, standing firm ultimately depends on divine enablement. Paul says elsewhere that by God’s power we can do all things and overcome all adversities (Phil 4:13, 2 Cor 12:9-10).
Human weakness remains despite our best efforts, but God infuses His strength into those who avail themselves of His armor (Eph 6:10). The spiritual resources He provides are appropriated only through humble dependence on the Holy Spirit’s aid.
Spiritual weakness due to past failures or fleshly tendencies can discourage us from striving to do all. But God gives more grace to equip and uphold those desiring to stand firm in their faith despite personal inadequacies (2 Cor 12:9, Heb 4:16).
Having done all is not a solely human accomplishment, but one empowered by the Lord’s all-sufficient grace at work in the believer’s heart and life (2 Cor 9:8, Heb 13:20-21).
9. Corporate dimension of standing firm
While Ephesians 6:13 has individual application, standing firm is also a corporate concern for the church as a whole. Other Scriptures speak of unity and steadfastness enabling local churches to thrive amid opposition and hardship (Eph 4:13-16, Phil 1:27-28).
The spiritual armor passage comes on the heels of instructions for maintaining church unity amid diversity. This implies that standing firm requires Spirit-led cooperation, mutual support, truth in love, and individual dedication to the body’s wellbeing (Eph 4:1-16).
Fellow believers aid each other’s standing by exhortation, prayer, Scripture’s edifying use, and pursuing unity in Christ. Conversely, disunity and self-focus weakens corporate standing against spiritual enemies.
Doing all to stand has a communal aspect for churches facing cultural conflict or persecution. Each member’s faithfulness with the armor of God contributes to the body’s collective stability, strength, and gospel witness when under duress.
10. Standing firm enables spiritual growth amid hardship
Standing firm is not only defensive in nature – it creates capacity for positive spiritual growth in the midst of trial and suffering. Steadfastness fosters virtues like patience, proven character, perseverance, and greater confidence in God (Rom 5:3-4, Jas 1:2-4).
By standing through adversity, believers gain greater insight into Christ’s sufficiency, faithfulness in applying truth, and the urlopen, ultimate eternal perspective. Hardship is an uncomfortable but effective instructor for those who stand firm (Heb 12:7-13).
In contrast, those unable to stand strong fall into destructive traps like bitterness, resentment, retreat from fellowship, and debilitating fears and anxieties.
Having done all equips believers not just to withstand evil days but to thrive spiritually in the furnace of adversity. Standing produces spiritual maturity and stability of character (Col 1:23, Heb 10:35-36).
Conclusion
In summary, “having done all to stand” means diligently taking up and employing every facet of the spiritual armor God provides. This calls for discipline, training, and resolutely availing ourselves of divine help to utilize spiritual resources like truth, righteousness, gospel peace, faith, salvation, and the word of God.
By having done all, believers are empowered to stand firm – successfully resisting the devil’s assaults without wavering or falling into defeat. Standing enables spiritual growth amid hardship. Neglecting any piece of armor weakens our stand against evil.
All Christians face evil days requiring utmost preparation and dependence on God’s provisions to come through victorious. But those who have done all to stand are well-equipped to thrive spiritually despite the enemy’s efforts to destroy their faith.