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The Qur’an or the Bible? (Two different Scriptures)
Introduction
In our last article we began to compare the sacred writings of Islam (the Qur’an) with the sacred writings of Christianity (the Bible). Both the Bible and the Qur’an claim to have been revealed at a certain place, and over a period of time. They speak of people, places, and events. If they are true, then we would expect to find evidence for their claims, and especially verification for what they say in the period in which they themselves claim they were revealed.
We learned that the standard Christian narrative says that the Bible, a collection of sixty-six books, was written by about forty people in three different languages – Hebrew (most of the Old Testament), Aramaic (Ezra 4:8-6:18; 7:12-26; Jer. 10:11; Dan. 2:4-7:28), [1] and Koine Greek (all the New Testament) – on three different continents (Asia, Africa, Europe) over a period of about two thousand years, from the time the book of Job was written during the patriarchal period (2100-1900 B.C.) [2]to the writing of the last book of the New Testament (Revelation) by the apostle John (95 A.D).[3]The first thirty-nine books are called the Old Testament and record the anticipation of the coming of Christ. The final twenty-seven books are called the New Testament and record Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, final victory, and rule on earth.
The standard Islamic narrative[4] teaches that the Qur’an, is uncreated and exists eternally on clay tablets in heaven (Qur’an 85:22). This uncreated Qur’an was sent down from Allah (the god of Islam) to one person only, the prophet Mohammed (Qur’an 39:41), through the angel Gabriel, in one language (Arabic), over a period of twenty-three years in two different locations – Mecca (610-622 A.D.) and Medina (622-632 A.D.) [5] – in central western Arabia (see above map). [6] Islam claims that Mohammed’s empire is represented by the brown area on the above map where Mecca and Medina are located. When Mohammed died in 632 A.D., that is how large Islam’s empire was.
After Mohammed died, then you have the next four successors to Mohammed called Caliphs who came to power: Abu Bakr (632-644 A.D.), Umar (634-644 A.D.), Uthman (644-656 A.D), and Ali (656-661 A.D.). These rulers expanded the Islamic Empire (lighter brown area) west to Tripoli, North Africa, north to Turkey, east to Afghanistan, and south down to Yemen and Oman. This time period is called the Rushidun Period (632-661 A.D.). And then during the Umayyad Dynasty (661-750 A.D.) established by Caliph Mu’awiya, and others after him, Islam expanded all the way west to Spain and northwestern Africa, further east to northwestern India and central Asia as represented by the purple area on the map.
Let’s look at the timeline for Islam’s emergence according to the standard Islamic narrative (see above timeline). Mohammed was born in 570 A.D and started to receive his revelations in a place called Mecca in 610 A.D. In 621 A.D., the Mi’raj took place whereby Mohammed is suddenly awakened in the middle of the night and told to get on the back of a winged horse called a Buraq, which transported him from Mecca to Jerusalem where he ascended through the seven heavens and visited all the previous prophets (Jesus was found in the second heaven, Moses in the sixth, and Abraham in the seventh). [7] Finally, Mohammed was taken into the presence of Allah where he bargained Allah down in his command to pray fifty times to five times a day. [8]
In 622 A.D., Mohammed fled from Mecca 200 miles north up to Medina when he heard that leaders of Meccan tribes and clans vowed to assassinate him. This migration is known as the Hijra. [9] As Mohammed grows in strength and numbers, he takes over Medina and then returns to Mecca in 630 A.D. and takes it over and is therefore in control of both Mecca and Medina. In 632 A.D., Mohammed dies after being poisoned by one of his wives.
After Mohammed’s death, the first Caliph (successor to Mohammed) Abu Bakr reigned for two years (632-634 A.D.) and died peacefully. The second Caliph, Umar, ruled 10 years (634-644 A.D.) and was killed. Then Uthman reigned 12 years (644-656 A.D.) as the third Caliph before he was killed. It is during his rule that the Qur’an was compiled and completed in 652 A.D. Then Ali, the first cousin and son-in-law of Mohammed, reigns as the 4th Caliph from 656-661 A.D. and was assassinated. [10]
Thus, Islam was fully formed by 661 A.D. (mid 7th century) according to the standard Islamic narrative. But how do we know these people, places, and times in Islam’s history? Where did they come from? This leads us to discuss the documentary evidence.
The Qur’an’s Documentary Evidence
Smith states, “When anyone asks Muslims how they can be sure that the story they have of Muhammad is true, they point to numerous books on their bookshelves and claim that they were written by those who knew Muhammad; that they saw what he did and heard what he said. But they never show us their original ‘extant’ codices or manuscripts, nor do they ever give us any forensically tested dates concerning when exactly those books were originally written. To be valid witnesses for Muhammad we must have these traditional writer’s original ‘extant’ manuscripts to look at, in order to know whether they really wrote what they are purported to have written.
“Remember, the compilers of the prophet’s life and sayings all worked under the authority of the Muslim Caliphs. So, they would have had access to durable writing material, such as Parchments and Vellum (i.e. using animal skins), unlike our earliest Christian writings, which were all written on Papyrus (non-durable leaves). So, the Muslim written texts should still be in existence even today, a mere 1400 years later. Consequently, there is no excuse not to have the original manuscripts.
“Let’s find out what we now know about the ‘extant’ manuscripts of the Sira [Mohammed’s biography], the Hadith[Mohammed’s sayings], the Sahaba’s codices [Mohammed’s companions] and the Tabi’un’s codices (the 2nd generation), as well as the Ta’rikh [Mohammed’s history] and the Tafsir [Mohammed’s commentaries].” [11][brackets and emphasis added]
1) Available Muslim documents: Look with me at the above chart entitled “Sources for the ‘Islamic Traditions’ according to Islam.”[12] Islam claims that what we know about Mohammed and the Qur’an comes from several sources. First, it comes from the Sahaba or the eyewitnesses/companions of Mohammed and the Tabi’un, the second generation who received what they knew from the Sahaba, shown in red print above. Islam claims that these sources were written in the late 7th century to early 8th century, by Muwatta ibn Malik, Sahifa Hamman B. Munabbih, Musnad ibn Hanbal, Musanaf Abdul Razzaq, Musnad al-Tayalisi, Abi Shaybah. [13]
The second primary Muslim source isthe Sira or biography of Mohammed shown in green print above. According to Islamic tradition, Ibn Ishaq (d. 767 A.D.) wrote Mohammed’s biography. [14] But notice that Ishaq died in 767A.D., over 130 years after Mohammed’s death. Did Ishaq know Mohammed or hear his teachings or observe his actions? No. So how could he have known Mohammed’s biography? We do not have any of Ishaq’s writings today. Hence, where did the biography of Mohammed come from?
Islamic tradition says Ibn Hisham wrote down what Ishaq said about the life of Mohammed, but Hisham died in 827 A.D, [15] almost 200 years after Mohammed’s death. And Hisham left out what he didn’t like about Ishaq’s portrayal of Mohammed. [16] Then another man, Al Waqidi (d. 835 A.D.) wrote down the military campaigns of Mohammed, but he also died 233 years after Mohammed’s death. [17] Thus, Ibn Hisham and Al-Waqidi actually give us the biography of Mohammed, not Ishaq. So, this is the first genre.
The third Muslim primary source is called theHadith or sayings of Mohammed pictured in blue print in the above chart. These Muslim writers include Sahih Bukhari (d. 870 A.D.) who is considered the most important of all the other hadith contributors. He “admitted that of the 300,000 hadith he collected, he considered only 100,00 might be true. He then narrowed this number down to 7,275, many of which are repetitions so that the total number is in fact near 3,000. That means that even he admitted there were errors in over 295,000 [98%] of the hadith.”[18] [brackets and emphasis added] Other hadith contributors include Sahih Muslim (d. 875 A.D.), At-Tirmidhi (d. 892 A.D.), Ibn Maja(d. 886 A.D.), Abu Dawud (d. 899 A.D.), and An-Nisa’i (d. 915 A.D.). Notice that there is a gap of over 238+ years between the times Mohammed allegedly spoke these words and the first copies that are currently known by writers of the hadith. [19] Did any of these men know Mohammed or hear what he said? No. But Islam claims they wrote down what Mohammed said.
The fourth Muslim source is the tafsir or commentaries on the Qur’an pictured in light brown print in the chart above. Smith notes that 25% of the Qur’an is not even understood by Muslim scholars. [20] As I read the Qur’an, I find it difficult to comprehend. Some stories don’t have beginnings or endings, or they seem to begin in the middle of the story. There are no transitional phrases between stories to help you follow the author’s train of thought.
The fifth Muslim source is the Tarikh or the histories of Mohammed also pictured in light brown print in the above chart. Both the tafsir and tarikh contributions were first written down by Al Tabari who died in 923 A.D., [21] almost 300 years after Mohammed. Did Al Tabari know Mohammed or witness his words and actions? No, of course not.
Thus, according to the standard Islamic narrative, everything we know about Mohammed from Muslim documents – who he was and what he said and did – comes 50-300 years after Mohammed died.
But more recent research shows that these Islamic documents are not nearly as old as Muslim scholars believe. Look at the timeline above for extant (existing) Manuscripts for everything we know about Islam’s origins. [22] From left to right, Islam claims that the Sahaba and the Tabi’un, the first and second generation of eyewitnesses to Mohammed and the Qur’an, were written in the late 7th to early 8th centuries, and yet there is no 7th – 8th century documents for these writings. They do not appear in writing until the 9th to 13th centuries: Muwatta ibn Malik:9th century (200 years later), Sahifa Hamman B. Munabbih: 12th century (500 years later), Musnad ibn Hanbal:13th century (600 years later), Musanaf Abdul Razzaq:13th century (600 years later), Musnad al-Tayalisi:13th century (600 years later), Abi Shaybah:13th century (600 years later) – this suggests they were all written by others over 200-600 years later and redacted or attributed back to the 7th – 8th centuries! Thus, they are most likely all fraudulent. [23]
Islam maintains that the Sira (biography of Mohammed), the Hadith (the sayings of Mohammed), the Tafsir(commentaries on the Qur’an) and the Tarikh (histories of Mohammed) all were written 200-300 years after Mohammed. However, Dr. Jay Smith has demonstrated that these supporting documents were written much later (11th-16th centuries), 400-900 years after Mohammed presumably lived, and then redacted or attributed back to the 7th-10th centuries. [24]Most of these documents were not canonized into written form until 1,200 – 1,270 years later than Mohammed.
For example, the Sira (biography of Mohammed), was comprised of 36 different biographies written down in the last few hundred years. But who wrote the standard work which Islam depends upon today? It was Heinrich Ferdinand Wustenfeld (1808 – 1899), who between 1858 – 1860 compiled the Sira taken from libraries and museums in six mostly European cities (Fez, London, Oxford, Dublin, Paris and London). [25] It was then translated into French and English, and “sanitized” by Alfred Guillaume [26] and others later on. Hence, the man whom Muslims are dependent on to know who their prophet is or what he did, is an elderly German linguist who wrote Mohammed’s story over 160 years ago. [27]
Furthermore, Islam claims that the Hadith (sayings of Mohammed) were created in the 9th-10th centuries, but this does not align with history. Their earliest extant manuscripts were actually created much later: [28] Abu Dawud: 11thcentury (400 years after Mohammed); An-Nasai: 12th century (500 years after Mohammed); Ibn Majah: 13th century (600 years after Mohammed); Jami’ At-Tirmidhi: 14th century (700 years after Mohammed); Sahih Muslim: 14thcentury (700 years Mohammed); Sahih Bukhari: 14th – 15th centuries (700-800 years after Mohammed). Not one of the Hadith was compiled in the 9th – 10th centuries. Their final extant manuscripts were not created until the 11th -15th centuries, which is 400 – 800 years later! Thus, not one of them ever heard a word Mohammed said!
What about Al Tabari’s Tafsir (commentaries on the Qur’an) and Ta’rikh (histories of Mohammed)? The edition of Al Tabari which everyone uses today was compiled by Michael Jan De Geoje, the professor of Arabic at Leiden University, Holland, between 1879 – 1901, and is known as the “Leiden Edition.” Yet, De Goeje used two 13th century Arabic manuscripts from Turkey as his model. So, even Al Tabari’s Ta’rikh and his Tafsir are not 10th century originals but are much later 13th century compilations which were merely redacted or attributed back to Al Tabari 300 years earlier. Yet, they are still 600 years later than Mohammed! What’s more, it took a Dutch scholar to compile them 1,200 years later! [29]
Another problem with the Muslim documentary evidence for the Qur’an has to do with distance and direction (see above map). [30] The Islamic Traditions say that everything happened in Mecca and Medina (circled in green on the map above), in west central Arabia. Mohammed was born in Mecca and lived there 52 years before he moved to Medina in 622 A.D. It was while he lived in Mecca and Medina that he received the Qur’an from 610 – 632 A.D. Yet everything we know about Mohammed did not come from those cities, it came from Baghdad, which is 1200 miles too far north.
Ibn Hisham, who wrote Mohammed’s biography (the Sira), is from Basra, but he grew up in Cairo and wrote in Baghdad. Cairo is 990 miles from Mecca. And Basra is 1200 miles from Mecca as is Baghdad. Sahih Bukhari who wrote down the sayings of Mohammed (the Hadith), is from Bukhara which is 2,6000 miles from Mecca. Al Tabariwho wrote down the commentaries of the Qur’an and the histories of Mohammed (The Tafsir & Tarikh) is from Tabaristan (northern Iran today) which is 1,7000 miles from Mecca. None of these traditional writers lived or worked in Mecca or Medina. They were too far to the north from Mecca and came from east and west of Baghdad.
Since these Muslim sources are much too late and too far away to provide confirmation of the reliability of the Qur’an, we must go back to the seventh century when Mohammed lived to determine what documents are available which can substantiate the reliability of the Qur’an.
2) The Doctrina Iacobi and 661 Chronicler: There are two seventh century documents outside the Islamic Traditions which are available for us to examine today which are helpful for our purposes here. Both of these documents deal with the relationship between the Arabs and the Jews. The first is the Doctrina Iacobi, the earliest witness of Mohammed and his “movement” available to us outside Islamic tradition. It is a Greek Christian polemical tract, from Carthage (Tunis), but written in Palestine, by a Christian apologist between 634 and 640 A.D. [31] The second is a chronicle supposedly written by the historian Bishop Sebeos in 660 A.D. [32]
The Qur’an implies that Mohammed’s relationship with the Jews was becoming unfavorable in 624 A.D. (or soon after the Hijra in 622 A.D.), and thus moved the direction of prayer, the Qibla at that time, from Jerusalem to Mecca, “144 Indeed, we have seen you turning your face toward the heaven. So we will have you turn to a direction which will please you. So turn your face toward the forbidden mosque [Masjid ul Haraam at Mecca]… 149 And from whatever place you come out, so turn your face toward the forbidden mosque and surely to the truth from your lord. And Allah is not unaware of what you do. 150 And from whatever place you come out, so turn your face toward the forbidden mosque, and wherever you were, to that part so turn your faces lest people have an excuse against you except those who are unjust among them. So do not fear them. And fear me that I may complete my grace on you, and perhaps you may be guided.” (Qur’an 2:144, 149-150). [33] In these verses Allah instructs Mohammed and his followers to turn toward the forbidden mosque in Mecca away from the mosque in Jerusalem, implying that relations between the Jews and Arabs were severed or at the least, strained.
In contrast to this, an early non-Muslim source describes a healthy relationship between the Muslims and Jews at the time of the first conquests (late 620s A.D.), and even later. Yet the Doctrina Iacobi warns of the Jews who mixed with the Saracens (Arabs), and the danger of falling into the hands of these Jews and Saracens(Arabs). [34] In fact, this relationship seems to continue on into the conquest of Palestine as an early Armenian source mentions that the governor of Jerusalem in the aftermath of the conquest was a Jew. [35] It is plausible that the Jews and Arabs (Saracens) seem to be allied together during the time of the conquest of Palestine and even for a short time after. [36] If these witnesses are correct, then one must ask how it is that the Jews and Saracens (Arabs) are allies as late as 640 A.D., when, according to the Qur’an, Mohammed dissolved his ties with the Jews as early as 624 A.D., more than 15 years earlier?
To answer that we need to refer to the earliest connected account of the career of Mohammed that is found in an Armenian chronicle from around 660 A.D., which is attributed by some to Bishop Sebeos. [37]The chronicler describes how Mohammed established a community which comprised both Ishmaelites (i.e. Arabs) and Jews, and that their unifying motivation was their common descent from Abraham: the Arabs through Ishmael, and the Jews through Isaac. [38] The chronicler believed Mohammed had bestowed both communities with a birthright to the Holy Land, while concurrently providing them with a monotheist genealogy. [39]
Hence, we find non-Muslim documentary sources contradicting the Qur’an, maintaining that there was a good relationship between the Arabs and Jews for at least an additional 15 years beyond that which the Qur’an alleges. Also, if Palestine was the focus for the Arabs, then the city of Mecca comes into question, and additional documentary evidence concerning Mecca may prove to be the most detrimental proof against the reliability of the Qur’an which we have to date.
Islam maintains that Mecca is the oldest and best-known city in history. The Qur’an makes inferences to Mecca on its pages. The word “Mecca” is not mentioned in the following Qur’anic verses, but Islam understands them to refer to the city.Meccais where Adam and Eve were thrown down from heaven after they ate from the tree (Qur’an 7:24). We cannot find a city older than Adam and Eve, so Mecca is believed by Islam to be the oldest city. The first sanctuary appointed for humankind was that at “Becca,” understood by Islam to refer to Mecca (Qur’an 3:96). Mecca is the “mother of the villages” (Qur’an 6:92; 42:7). According to the Qur’an it was Abraham and Ishmael who built the Meccan Ka’aba (Qur’an 2:125-127). Mecca is where Abraham lived in 1900 B.C. when he destroyed the idols within the Ka’aba (Qur’an 21:51-71). Much of Mohammed’s story revolves around Mecca. He was born there in 570 A.D. and spent his formative years there until 622 A.D. when he fled to Medina. He returned to Mecca in 630 A.D. and took control of it. Mecca became the center for the Qibla (direction of prayer) in 624 A.D. (Qur’an 2:149-150). And Mecca is the center of trade North, South, East and West. [41] These all suggest that people have lived in Mecca from the very beginning of humankind.
Yet, the only clear reference to the word “Mecca” in the Qur’an is in one verse: “And he is who holds back their hands from you and your hands from them in the belly [valley] of Mecca after he had given you triumph over them, and Allah was seer of what you do.” (Qur’an 48:24). [42] [emphasis added] If Mecca is such an important place, why is it only mentioned once in the Qur’an? Doesn’t this signify that Mecca either was not that important to the author(s) of the Qur’an or it did not come into existence until later on?
However, when we look at the 9th and 10th century Islamic Traditions (which are actually 11th – 15th century), we see many references to the city of Mecca because they are written much later. [43] Mecca was in a valley and a parallel valley (Ibn Hisham; Al Bukhari 2:645, 2:685, 3:891, 2:815, 2:820, 4:227) with a stream (Al Bukhari 2:685), fields, (Al Bukhari 9:337), trees (Sahih al-Tirmidhi 1535), grass (Al Bukhari 9:337), fruit (Al Bukhari 4:281), clay and loam (Al Tabari VI 1079 p. 6), grain, palm trees, dates, olives, pomegranates (Qur’an 6:99, 141; 16:11, 67), with mountains overlooking the Ka’aba (Ibn Hisham; Al Bukhari 2:645, 2:685, 3:891, 2:815, 2:820, 4:227), where the pagans raised livestock (Qur’an 4:119). Mecca is described as a very fertile place in the Islamic Traditions and in the Qur’an.
Yet, Townsend states that the physical and geographical features of Mecca do not line up with the Qur’an or the Hadith.[44] For example, “the mountains of Safa and Marwah, which mark the journey of Hagar in her quest for water, do not fit with the description in the Hadith. They are too small and close to each other. Also, the Hadith references to Mecca describe a place where the soil is suitable to grow fields of grain, trees, and grapevines. However, Mecca does not have olive trees, and it cannot even support the growth of food for camels and sheep. The Hadith also talks about two parallel valleys with a stream in between, but Mecca does not have these features. However, all of these features are found in the ancient city of Petra,” [45] much farther north from Mecca. Mecca is in a desert (see above pics), so it is too arid and dry to support the descriptions of fertility found in the Qur’an and Hadith, according to modern soil studies! [46] Mecca has never had the kind of fertility that these Islamic traditions claim.
From research carried out by both Crone and Cook, except for an inference to a city called “Makoraba” by the Greco-Egyptian geographer Ptolemy in the mid-2nd century A.D. (though it is not certain this allusion by Ptolemy referred to Mecca, as he only mentioned the name in passing), there is absolutely no other report of Mecca or its Ka’bain any authenticated ancient document; that is until the mid-eighth century, [47] when Mecca is mentioned in the Continuatio Byzantia Arabica, which is a source dating around 741 A.D. [48] In addition, Mecca is not even found on a map until around 900 A.D.[49]
Dr. Crone visited several surrounding civilizations such as the Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Roman, Nabataeans, Qedarite, Himyarite, and Nubian civilizations, etc. (see red circle and rectangle areas on above map), and read their ancient documents and she could not find one reference to Mecca.[50] So, Crone visited the lesser-known towns closer to Mecca on the Arabian Western Plateau which were oases, and she found they were well-known and well documented all the way back to 300 B.C., yet she did not find one mention of Mecca (see above map). [51] Townsend agreed with Crone’s findings, stating that there is no primary source evidence of the existence of an ancient city in the present location of Mecca. [52] He observed that there are numerous mentions of Ta’if, just 70 miles away, as well as Najran, Sana’a, Medina, and Petra – but no mention of Mecca. There is even an absence of the name of Mecca in the ancient inscriptions found in the records of cities that occupied the Arabian Peninsula. [53] If Mecca was known as the “mother of the villages [cities]” as the Qur’an states (Qur’an 6:92; 42:7), then surely there would be documents from the 7th century, or earlier, that would mention the city as well as the people.
Even more problematic for Islam which claims that Mecca was the center of trading routes for Arabia in the 7th century and before, is that there is not any reference to trade with Mecca in the records of that time. [54] Patricia Crone did extensive research on the Meccan trade routes, and she learned that the ancient trading documents of that time referred to less significant towns close to Mecca, including Ta’if (which is south-east of Mecca), Yathrib (later Medina), as well as Khaybar, Petra, and Mamre in the north and Ma’rib, Sana’a, and Najran in the south (see above map), but no mention is made of Mecca from the 2nd to 8th centuries. [55]
When we note the trade route through these towns (which were oases), we find that they are all located on the Western Plateau of the Arabian Peninsula, while Mecca is over 3,000 feet down below it in a desert, proving it was not on any trade route (see map above). [56]
In addition, when Dr. Crone went to the Red Sea trade routes, she found that it was all along the East African coast, but not on the Arabian coast (see above map), proving none of the trade went through Mecca at all, confronting the notion that it was the center of trade.
Mecca, before 741 A.D. (which is considered the earliest documentary evidence for it anywhere), simply has no history, and even that reference is in Southern Turkey, which is too far north. When Ptolemy in the 2nd century wrote his book on Arabian geography,he never listed Mecca, so that none of the earliest 15th-16th century European maps of Arabia have Mecca listed on them either.
The reason for this is because Mecca was in the middle of a dessert and had no water. Trade needs people, and people need water, food and towns, all of which never existed in Mecca until the mid 8th century, over 100 years after Islam was supposedly created. Because of Mecca’s water problem, Queen Zubaydah’s Aqueduct was built in 801 A.D. (see upper left pic above), which then had to be refurbished 9 times in the subsequent 974 years due to the overbearing need for drinkable water; and then finally it was replaced with desalination plants after 1926 A.D. [57]
Islam claims that Allah miraculously provides “inexhaustible water” for 2 billion Muslims through the ZamZam well, which is currently only 3-9 feet across and 100 feet deep, and about 66 feet east of the Ka’aba in Mecca (see above middle pic). [58] But what they don’t tell you is that the ZamZam well gets all its water from desalination plants built by American and European companies. (see lower right pic above) [59]
Linguists have observed that theArabic word endings used in the Qur’an do not come from Mecca, but from Nabataean Aramaic, which is situated 600 miles farther north around the city of Petra (see above pic). [60]Geographically speaking, the Qur’an places fifty-four of its sixty-five referenced areas 600 – 1,000 miles farther north from Mecca (Ad = 23 times, Thamud = 24 times, and Midian = 7 times) suggesting the authors of the Qur’an came from much farther north in northern Arabia closer to the city of Petra (see above map). [61] Whoever wrote the Qur’an wrote from farther north where these places existed.
Islam contends that between 70 – 300 prophets were buried in Mecca in a kneeling position so they could keep praying, so we should be able to find them today. Yet, with all the skyscrapers being constructed there in recent years, requiring deep foundations, they have not yet dug up one prophet’s body. Smith concludes that it seems the Saudi Arabians, because of Mecca’s lack of history, are cementing up all the evidence, suggesting even they are either skeptical of its history or they don’t want the rest of the world to find out the truth about Islam’s origin (see above pic). [62]
Conclusion: Townsend, the author of The Mecca Mystery, concludes, “To put it as bluntly as possible: there is not a single shred of uncontested primary source evidence confirming the existence of an ancient city at the spot where the modern city of Mecca is located.” [63]
The documentary evidence not only contradicts the Qur’an’s dating on the split between the Arabs and the Jews, but it also contradicts both the Qur’an and the Hadith’s description of the city it identifies as the birthplace and cornerstone for Islam. The standard Islamic tradition refers to Mecca as a place with much vegetation, existing since Adam and Eve, and with up to 300 prophets buried there. Yet, it is not referred to until 741 A.D., and none of the early maps show Mecca at all. Not one prophet’s body has been discovered buried in Mecca. Scholars such as Patricia Crone examined the ancient historical and trading documents, and Mecca was not the great commercial center the later Muslim traditions would have us believe, as it was not known by the people who lived and wrote from that period of time. In fact, history shows that what the Qur’an and Hadith describe could not even qualify as a viable city during the time of Mohammed, and it certainly could not have been the center of the Muslim world at that time. In addition, research has debunked the Red Sea Trade via Arabia, proving it was all via Africa, because it had water and Mecca did not. None of the surrounding empires ever heard of Mecca, most likely because it lacked WATER.
How then can we believe that the Qur’an is reliable? Do these same types of problems exist with the Bible? Let’s turn our attention to…
The Bible’s Documentary Evidence
For the last several decades the documentary evidence for the reliability of the Bible has been an area of research which has increased rapidly. But this hasn’t always been so. The assumption by many former archaeologists was that the Old Testament was not written in the 10th – 14th centuries B.C. by the authors described within its text, but by later Jewish historians during the much later 2nd – 6th centuries B.C., and that the stories were then redacted or attributed back onto the great prophets such as Moses and David, etc. Yet, an enormous quantity of historical data has been uncovered and is continuing to be uncovered, as well as the new forensic research methods being employed to study them, so that many of these preconceived notions of authorship are simply no longer valid. For instance:
1)The oldest book of the Bible is considered to be Job which conservative scholars believe was written during the Patriarchal period of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (2100 -1900 B.C.). The following internal evidence confirms that Job was written during this period of time:[64]
a. Job’s wealth was reckoned in livestock (Job 1:3; 42:12), which was also true of Abraham (Gen. 12:16; 13:2) and Jacob (Gen. 30:43; 32:5).
b. The Sabeans and Chaldeans (Job 1:15, 17) were nomads in Abraham’s time, but in later years they were not nomadic.
c. The Hebrew word qeśîtâh, translated “piece of silver” (Job 42:11), is used elsewhere only twice (Gen. 33:19; Josh. 24:32), both times in reference to Jacob.
d. Job’s daughters were heirs of his estate along with their brothers (Job 42:15). This, however, was not possible later under the Mosaic Law if a daughter’s brothers were still living (Num. 27:8).
e. Literary works similar in some ways to the Book of Job were written in Egypt and Mesopotamia around the time of the patriarchs.
f. Several names of people and places in the book of Job were also associated with the patriarchal age. Examples include (Sheba, a grandson of Abraham (Gen. 25:3), and the Sabeans from Sheba (Job 1:15; 6:19); Tema, another grandson of Abraham (Gen. 25:15), and Tema, a location in Arabia (Job 6:19); Eliphaz, a son of Esau (Gen. 36:4), and Eliphaz, one of Job’s companions (Job 2:11); Uz, a nephew of Abraham (Gen. 22:21), and Uz, where Job lived (Job 1:1).
The documentary evidence for the Patriarchal period includes four sets of tablets which have been and are continuing to be uncovered from that area of the world. They demonstrate that the Biblical account is indeed historically reliable. Let’s briefly look at all five sets of tablets (see above pics): [65]
Armana Letters: (from Egypt) mention the Habiru or Apiru in Hebrew, which was first applied to Abraham in Genesis 14:13 and the name “Job” (Ayyabum).
Egyptian Execration Texts: These mention the names of people and places found in the book of Job: Sheba (Job 6:19), Tema and Eliphaz (Job 2:11; 4:1; 15:1; 22:1; 42:7, 9); Uz and Job (Job 1:1).
Ebla tablets: 1,800 tablets from Tel Mardikh (Northern Syria), dating from 2500-2250 B.C., [66] shows us that a thousand years before Moses, laws, customs and events were recorded in writing in that part of the world, and that the judicial proceedings and case laws were very similar to the Deuteronomy law code (i.e., Deuteronomy 22:22-30 codes on punishment for sex offenses). One tablet mentions and lists the five cities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiimand Zoar in the exact sequence which we find in Genesis 14:8! Until these tablets were uncovered, the existence of Sodom and Gomorrah had always been in doubt by historians.
Mari Archives: (from the Euphrates) mentions king Arriyuk, or Arioch of Genesis 14, and lists the towns of Nahor and Haran (from Genesis 24:10), as well as the names Benjamin and Habiru. They also mention the names Sheba, Eliphaz, Uz, and Job in the book of Job.
Nuzi tablets: (from Iraq) speaks about a number of customs which we find in the Pentateuch (i.e., Genesis – Deuteronomy) such as:
1. a barren wife giving a handmaiden to her husband (i.e., Hagar)
2. a bride chosen for the son by the father (i.e., Rebekah)
3. a dowry paid to the father-in-law (i.e., Jacob)
4. work done to pay a dowry (i.e., Jacob)
5. the unchanging oral will of a father (i.e., Isaac)
6. a father giving his daughter a slave-girl (i.e., Leah, Rachel)
7. the sentence of death for stealing a cult god (i.e., Jacob).
2) The Pentateuch (i.e. Genesis – Deuteronomy): In years past, skeptics contended that the Pentateuch could not have been written by Moses during his lifetime (ca. 1525-1405 B.C.),[67] because there was no evidence of any writing that early. Then the Black Stele was found in Susa (modern Iran) in 1901 with the detailed laws of Babylonian King Hammurabi which were written approximately 300 years before Moses, and in the same region. [68]
3) The Masoretic Text: There was also a lot of doubt about the reliability of the Old Testament documents, since the oldest manuscript in our possession was the Masoretic Text, written in 916 A.D. Skeptics asked how we can depend on a collection of writings whose earliest manuscripts are so recent? Then in 1947 came the amazing discoveries of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the caves of Qumran and along the Dead Sea written around 125 B.C. These scrolls show us that outside of minute copying errors it is identical to the Masoretic Text and yet it predates it by over 1,000 years! [69] We have further substantiation in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew text, which was composed around 250-150 B.C. [70]
4) Available Christian documents: When we analyzed the Qur’an’s documentary evidence, we looked first at the Muslim documents. In the same manner, I want to look at the Christian documents now. In the above chart, [71] we list Christianity’s emergence according to our Traditions. When we look at the documentary evidence for Jesus, we start with the first Sira (biography of Jesus) and Hadith (sayings of Jesus) written by Luke from 60-62 A.D., [72] just 27-29 years after Jesus died. Then the book of Acts which is our Tahrikh or early histories of the church also written by Luke between 60-62 A.D., [73] likewise 27-29 years after the death of Christ. The apostle Paul’s letters to the churches are the Tafsir or commentaries on the life of Jesus between 49-64 A.D., [74] only 16-31 years after Jesus’ death. Next, we have the second Sira (biography of Jesus) and Hadith (sayings of Jesus) written by Mark (68-69 A.D.), [75] just 35-36 years after Christ’s death. Then we have Matthew’s Sira (biographies of Jesus) and Hadith (sayings of Jesus) written between 50-70 A.D, [76] only 17 – 37 years after the crucifixion of Jesus. And finally, we have the last Sira and Hadith written by John in 90 A.D., [77] just 57 years after the death of Jesus. Hence, within 16-57 years after Christ’s death, we have the entire New Testament. All of the New Testament writers lived in the same place Jesus lived, and they either knew Him personally, or they got their material from others who saw what He did and heard what He said.
5) Available non-Christian documents: As an example, let’s look at the crucifixion of Christ, the most important event in history (see chart above). [78] The Qur’an, which Islam claims was written in the mid-7th century, says, “And their saying, ‘Surely we killed the Christ ‘Isā, son of Mary, the messenger of Allah.’ And they did not kill him, and they did not salaba [crucify] him; but it was made to appear to them, and surely those who disagree about him are in doubt of him. They do not have any knowledge of him except following the conjecture, and they did not kill him for certain.”(Qur’an 4:157). [79] [emphasis added] The Qur’an denies that their Jesus (‘Isā) actually died on the cross. It says it was made to appear he died by having another man take Christ’s place on the cross. Is the Qur’an’s claim supported by the historical documentary evidence from the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D. outside of Christianity? No.
Thallus, a Greek Samaritan historian writing about 52 A.D. spoke of the “darkness which accompanied the crucifixion of Christ.”[80]Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian (37-100 A.D.), [81] wrote that “there was a wise man who was called Jesus…. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die.” [82]Lucian, a Greek Satirist from the 2nd century A.D., “without using Jesus’ name he writes of that one whom they still worship today, the man in Palestine who was crucified because he brought this new form of initiation into the world.” [83]There is also a Syriac manuscript in the British Museum by a Syrian and probably Stoic philosopher, Mara Bar Serapion(sometime after 70 A.D), that asks, “What advantage did the Jews gain from executing their king? It was just after that their kingdom was abolished.”[84] The Roman historian, Tacitus (56-120 A.D.), spoke in his Annals of “Christ who was executed under Pontius Pilate in the reign of Tiberias.” [85]Most of these Greek, Roman, and Jewish 1st and 2nd century historians were opposed to Christianity, yet they all agree that Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross.
Who are we going to believe? The Qur’an, which Islam claims was written in the mid-7th century, over 600 years after Jesus walked on the earth, or these 1st and 2nd century Greek, Roman, and Jewish writers who lived much closer to the time of Jesus? We can see from this one example that Christianity has a much better historical record than does Islam.
Conclusion:
When we compare the historical documentary evidence of the Qur’an and the Bible (see above chart), we discover when the earliest biographies and sayings for both faiths were written. For Christianity, they were written 16-57 years after Jesus’ death on the cross by those from the same area. But for Islam, they were written 400-900 years later, and by those who were hundreds of miles too far north. Which do you think has more authority and reliability?
A former Muslim who became a Christian, writes, “After thoroughly investigating the truth claims of slam and Christianity, even while a Muslim, there was no avoiding the obvious truth: The evidence in favor of Christianity was far, far stronger than the evidence for Islam….
“The traditional Islamic narrative is incompatible with both the history of Christianity and even with its own historical records. To believe in the Islamic account of Christian origins while taking the historical records seriously, we would have to conclude that Jesus was an utterly incompetent Messiah and Allah is a deceptive God. The historical record of Islamic origins makes many scholars wonder whether Muhammad existed, and it makes scholars think the Quran was originally far more fluid and indeed a very different kind of book than it is today.
“The Islamic narratives of Christian origins, and even of Islamic origins, are incompatible with history. In other words, to believe the truth of Islam is to ignore the historical evidence.
“As a Muslim, I wanted to base my beliefs not on blind faith, not on what appealed to me, and not even on my family’s heritage. I wanted to ground my faith in reality. If I wanted to take the records of history seriously, I had to abandon my Islamic faith and accept the gospel.” [86][emphasis added]
As Christians, we have the evidence to boldly and clearly proclaim Christ crucified to our Muslim friends. For centuries, the truth of Christianity has withstood criticism. In the first century, when one of Jesus’ disciples, Thomas, doubted the eyewitness testimony of Jesus’ resurrection (John 20:25) and demanded tangible evidence that Christ was alive before he would believe it. Jesus did not come to Thomas and tell him not to doubt or question such an important event. Instead, Christ says to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” (John 20:27). Knowing full well the struggles going on in Thomas’ heart, Jesus invites him to explore with his hands (“Reach your finger here”) and his eyes (“look at My hands”) the reality of His resurrection body.
When Jesus said, “reach your hand here, and put it into My side,” He was referring to a literal hole in His side that was left by the spear. It had healed over but it left an obvious impression. Jesus did not condemn Thomas for his unbelief. He didn’t say, “You should not ask questions like that Thomas!” Christ gave Thomas undeniable evidence that He rose from the dead to answer his objection and then invites him to believe.
In our Judeo-Christian America, we are taught to think critically and question truth claims. Truth does not pull away from scrutiny. It stands up to it.
But in an Islamic community, you are to respect the Qur’an and not question it. The Qur’an encourages Muslims not to question it, lest they become “infidels” (non-Muslims): “101 O you who have believed, do not ask about things which, if they were revealed to you, it would be harmful to you. And if you ask of it when the Qur’an is sent down, it will be revealed to you. Allah will pardon you for this. And Allah is forgiving, forbearing. 102 The people before you asked such questions, and by them they became infidels.” (Qur’an 5:101-102).[87]
Dakdok comments about these verses, “What a way to understand the Qur’an! Just don’t ask questions because, if you ask, perhaps you won’t find an answer. On the other hand, if you do find the answer and it contradicts the teaching of the Qur’an, then perhaps you will become an infidel (unbeliever).
“Christians, on the other hand, are encouraged to ask questions and seek further understanding, which is one of the primary reasons that we have Bible study classes. In them, we can investigate and search for answers to all kinds of questions, and these answers are in the Word of God. Perhaps the greatest problem that Muslims face is the necessity to believe in a book, which in many cases they have not read, but whether they have or not, they simply cannot understand. As it is even written in its own pages, no one can even interpret it, except Allah himself!” [88][emphasis added]
As Islam spreads throughout the U.S., it is essential that Christians speak the truth in love to Muslims about Islam and Christianity. When western scholars and followers of Christ ask questions about the Qur’an, Mohammed, and Mecca, Islamists will be confronted with the truth about their faith and its incompatibility with history. It is then, that we must share the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection with them so they “may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing [they]… may have life in His name.” (John 20:31).
ENDNOTES:
[1] Tom Constable, Dr. Constable’s Notes on Daniel, 2025 Edition, pp. 6, 40.
[2] Conservative scholars believe Job was written during the Patriarchal period (2100 -1900 B.C.). See Roy B. Zuck, “Job,” The Bible Knowledge Commentary Wisdom, 2018 Kindle Edition, pp. 15-16.; Tom Constable, Notes on Job, 2025 Edition, pp. 1-2.
[3] Robert Vacendak, “Revelation,” The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition, 2019 Kindle Edition, pp. 1944-1945; John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” The Bible Knowledge Commentary Epistles and Prophecy, 2018 Kindle locations 4701 to 4707; Archibald Thomas Robertson, A. T. Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament, 2014 Kindle Locations 211099 -211108.
[4] Much of this section is adapted from Dr. Jay Smith’s July 9, 2025, video presentation at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, entitled, “Two New Findings That Mohammed Didn’t Exist,” at www.youtube.com, unless otherwise noted. View video at this LINK .
[5] Norman L. Geisler and Abdul Saleeb, Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the CrossSecond Ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1993, 2002), pg. 94; Daniel Janosik, THE GUIDE TO ANSWERING ISLAM: What Every Christian Needs to Know About Islam and the Rise of Radical Islam (Cambridge, OH: Christian Publishing House, 2019 Kindle Edition, pp. 33-34 cites Ali Dashti, Twenty-Three Years: A Study of the Prophetic Career of Mohammad (Mazda, 1994), pp. 47-58. Usama Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN, 2009 Smashwords Edition, pp. 5-10. Dakdok notes that the surahs written in Mecca include surahs 1, 6- 7, 10-12, 14-21, 23, 25-32, 34-46, 50-54, 56, 67-75, 77-97, 100-109, 111-114. The surahs written in Medina include surahs 2-5, 8-9, 13, 22, 24, 33, 47-49, 55, 57-66, 76, 98-99, 110.
[6] Map is adapted from Smith, July 9, 2025, “Two New Findings That Mohammed Didn’t Exist,” at www.youtube.com.
[7] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, pg. 75 cites Andrew Rippin and Jan Knappert, eds. and trans., Textual Sources for the Study of Islam(Manchester: University Press, 1986)), pp. 68-72; Arthur Jeffery, Islam: Muhammad and His Religion (Indianapolis and New York: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc., 1958), pp. 35-46; and John Alden Williams, Islam (New York: George Braziller, 1962), pp. 66-69.
[9] Walter Martin, The Kingdom of the Cults: The Definitive Work on the Subject 6th Edition (Bloomington, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2019 Kindle Edition), pp. 523-524.
[10] Smith, July 9, 2025, “Two New Findings That Mohammed Didn’t Exist,” at www.youtube.com.
[14] Daniel Janosik, THE GUIDE TO ANSWERING ISLAM: What Every Christian Needs to Know About Islam and the Rise of Radical Islam (Cambridge, OH: Christian Publishing House, 2019 Kindle Edition), pg. 21.
[16] Ibid., pp. 21-22; cf. Nabeel Qureshi, No God but One: Allah or Jesus? A Former Muslim Investigates the Evidence For Islam And Christianity (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016 Kindle Edition), pp. 261, 312 cites Ibn Hisham’s notes in The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rasul Allah, trans. Alfred Guillaume (Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 2002), pg. 691.
[17] Smith, July 9, 2025, “Two New Findings That Mohammed Didn’t Exist,” at www.youtube.com.
[31] S. P. Brock, “Syriac Views of Emergent Islam,” Studies on the First Century of Islamic Society, edited by G.H.A. Juynboll (Carbondale, So. Ill. Univ. Press, 1982), pg. 9; Patricia Crone and Michael Cook, Hagarism (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1977), pg. 3.
[32] Crone and Cook, Hagarism (1977), pg. 6; Bishop Sebeos, Histoire d’Heraclius, tr. F. Macler (Paris, 1904), pp. 94-96.
[33] Verses taken from Usama K. Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN: An Accurate, Modern English Translation of the Qur’an, Islam’s Holiest Book (Venice, FL: Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC, 2009 Smashwords Edition), pp. 60-61. Used by permission of Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC.
[34] N. Bonwetsch, (ed.), “Doctrina Iacobi nuper baptizati,” in Abhandlungen der Koniglichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Gottingen,Philologisch-historische Klasse N.s., vol. xii (Berlin, 1910), pg. 88; Michael Cook, Muhammad (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1983), pg. 75.
[35] K.R. Patkanean (ed.), Patmout’iun Sebeosi Episkoposi i Herakln (St. Petersburg, 1879), pg. 111; Bishop Sebeos, Histoire d’Heraclius, tr. F. Macler (Paris, 1904), pg. 103.
[40] Much of this section is adapted from Smith, July 9, 2025, “Two New Findings That Mohammed Didn’t Exist,” at www.youtube.com, unless otherwise noted.
[41] W. Montgomery Watt, Muhammad at Mecca (London: Oxford University Press, 1953), pp. 2-4.
[42] Verse taken from Usama K. Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN: An Accurate, Modern English Translation of the Qur’an, Islam’s Holiest Book (Venice, FL: Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC, 2009 Smashwords Edition), pg. 700. Used by permission of Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC.
[43] Adapted from Smith, July 9, 2025, “Two New Findings That Mohammed Didn’t Exist,” at www.youtube.com.
[44] Janosik, THE GUIDE TO ANSWERING ISLAM, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 321 cites Peter Townsend, The Mecca Mystery: Probing the Black Hole at the Heart of Muslim History (Peter Townsend, 2018), pg. 50.
[45] Ibid., pp. 55-56 cites Townsend, The Mecca Mystery (2018),pp. 110-113.
[46] Dan Gibson, Qur’anic Geography:A Survey and Evaluation of the Geographical References in the Qur’an with Suggested Solutions for Various Problems and Issues (Canada: Independent Scholars Press, 2011), pg. 233.
[47] Cook, Muhammad (1983), pg. 74; Crone and Cook, Hagarism (1977), pg. 22.
[48] Ibid., pp. 54-55 cites Robert Hoyland, Seeing Islam as Others Saw It (Princeton, NJ: Darwin Press, 1997), pp. 43-44;
[55] Patricia Crone, Meccan Trade and the Rise of Islam (Princeton University Press, 1987), pp. 7, 11, 41-42; cf. Townsend, The Mecca Mystery (2018), pg. 49.
[56] Jay Smith, “The Bible and The Qur’an – An Historical Comparison,” at www.pfandercenter.org cites R.W. Bulliet, The Camel and the Wheel (Cambridge, Mass., 1975), pg. 105; N. Groom, Frankincense and Myrrh, a Study of the Arabian Incense Trade (London, 1981), pg. 193; W.W. Muller, “Weibrauch…,” off-print: Pauly-Wissowa, Realencyclopadie, Supplement and 15 (Munich, 1978), pg. 723. You can view Smith’s article at this Link.
[57] Smith, July 9, 2025, “Two New Findings That Mohammed Didn’t Exist,” at www.youtube.com.
[58] Retrieved on December 7, 2025, from a Wikipedia article entitled, “ZamZam Well,” at www.en.wikipedia.org.
[59] Smith, July 9, 2025, “Two New Findings That Mohammed Didn’t Exist,” at www.youtube.com.
[60] Janosik, THE GUIDE TO ANSWERING ISLAM, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 57 cites Robert Kerr, “The Language of the Koran,” Tingis Magazine, February 18, 2013 at https://www.tingismagazine.com/articles/the-language-of-the-koran/ and Mark Durie, The Qur’an and its Biblical reflexes: Investigations into the Genesis of a Religion (Rowman and Littlefield, 2018).
[61] Ibid., pg. 56 cites Townsend, The Mecca Mystery (2018), pg. 104 and Gibson, Qur’anic Geography (2011), pg. 137.
[62] Smith, July 9, 2025, “Two New Findings That Mohammed Didn’t Exist,” at www.youtube.com.
[63] Janosik, THE GUIDE TO ANSWERING ISLAM, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 321 cites Peter Townsend, The Mecca Mystery (2018), pg. 48.
[64] The following is retrieved from Roy Zuck, “Job,” The Bible Knowledge Commentary Wisdom, 2018 Kindle Edition, pp. 15-16; cf. Tom Constable, Dr. Constable’s Notes on Job, 2025 Edition, pp. 1-2.
[65] Adapted from Smith, “The Bible and The Qur’an – An Historical Comparison,” at www.pfandercenter.org, unless otherwise noted.
[66] Norman Geisler and William E. Nix, From God To Us Revised and Expanded: How We Got Our Bible (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1974, 2012 Kindle Edition), pg. 177.
[67] Tom Constable, Dr. Constable’s Notes on Genesis, 2025 Edition, pg. 2.
[68] Retrieved on December 6, 2025, from the article entitled, “Code of Hammurabi,” at www.history.com.
[69] Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2017 Kindle Edition), pp. 102-106; Geisler and Nix, From God To Us Revised and Expanded, 2012 Kindle Edition, pp. 201-203.
[70] Geisler and Nix, From God To Us Revised and Expanded, 2012 Kindle Edition, pp. 198-199.
[71] Adapted from Smith, July 9, 2025, “Two New Findings That Mohammed Didn’t Exist,” at www.youtube.com.
[72] Alberto Samuel Valdez, “Luke,” The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 340.
[73] Alberto Samuel Valdez, “Acts,” The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 747.
[74] Robert Wilkin, “Galatians,” The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition, 2019 Kindle Edition, pp. 1292-1293; Robert Wilkin, “2 Timothy,” The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 1557.
[75] Barry K. Mershon, “Mark,” The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition, 2019 Kindle Edition, pp. 216-217.
[76] Hal Haller, Jr., “Matthew,” The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 14.
[77] Tom Constable, Dr. Constable’s Notes on John, 2025 Edition, pp. 3-4.
[78] Adapted from Smith, July 9, 2025, “Two New Findings That Mohammed Didn’t Exist,” at www.youtube.com.
[79] Verse taken from Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN: An Accurate, Modern English Translation of the Qur’an, Islam’s Holiest Book, 2009 Smashwords Edition, pg. 167. Used by permission of Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC.
[80] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, pg. 288 cite F.F. Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? (Chicago: Intervarsity Press, 1968), pg. 30
[81] McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World, 2017 Kindle Edition, pg. 84.
[82] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, pg. 288 cite Josephus, Antiquities, 18:63; See discussion in McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World, 2017 Kindle Edition, pp. 155-157.
[83] McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World, 2017 Kindle Edition, pg. 148 cites Robert E. Van Voorst, Jesus Outside the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2000), pg. 59.
[84] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, pg. 288 cite Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable (1968), pg. 31; for a more comprehensive treatment see, McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World, 2017 Kindle Edition, pp. 149-150 cite Darrell L. Bock, Studying the Historical Jesus (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), pg. 53.
[85] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, pg. 288 cites Tacitus, Annals 15:44 cited by Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable (1968), pg. 22; for a more comprehensive treatment see, McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World, 2017 Kindle Edition, pp. 150-153.
[86] Qureshi, No God but One: Allah or Jesus? 2016 Kindle Edition, pp. 290-291.
[87] Verses taken from Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN: An Accurate, Modern English Translation of the Qur’an, Islam’s Holiest Book, 2009 Smashwords Edition, pg. 196.
[88] Excerpt from Usama K. Dakdok, Exposing the Truth about the Qur’an: The Revelation of Error, Volume 1 (Venice, FL: Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC, 2013 Smashwords Edition), pg. 15.
The Qur’an or the Bible? (Two different Scriptures)
Introduction
In our first article comparing Islam with Christianity, we observed the rise of Islam in America. [1] As Islam slowly infiltrates (not immigrates into) our country, it is imperative that Christians understand the differences between Islam and Christianity and be equipped to answer Islamists. God has brought Muslims into America so we can reach them with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In the next few articles, we are going to compare the sacred writings of Islam (the Qur’an) with the sacred writings of Christianity (the Bible). Both Christianity and Islam get their beliefs from their holy scriptures, the Bible and the Qur’an, yet we find that they disagree on a number of areas. For example, when you compare how each scripture describes the Person of Jesus, His death, and resurrection, you will understand that there are opposing assertions held by both. Hence, it is important to discern which scripture can best make the claim to be the final and perfect Word of God.
When two documents which claim to be true are in contradiction, one must determine whether the contradictions can be explained adequately using criteria which a non-believer, or a third party, can accept; in other words, using measures which go beyond the believers’ personal faith commitment to their revelation. Essentially one must ask whether the Qur’an or the Bible can withstand an external critical analysis for their authenticity. Since both Islam and Christianity claim to receive their beliefs from the revealed truth which they find in their respective scriptures, it is essential to see if there is historical data or evidence to verify that what each scripture claims are true. [2]
I do want to note that this is an immensely complex and difficult subject which I did not anticipate when I first began this study. The more I researched this topic, the more I realized that there was no way I would be able to cover this subject in the space of one article.
For example, manuscript research for the Qur’an is in its infancy because Islamists do not consider it to be valid.[3]Unlike the Bible, textual criticism is unknown in classical, or even modern Islam. It is problematic to do the research because Muslims don’t consider old Quranic manuscripts important. Old manuscripts are discarded in mosques, or burned, so few have survived. Access to earliest manuscripts is difficult and requires introductions and time. It is also dangerous to do any research on manuscripts because Islam considers the Qur’an to be “above criticism.” What Western scholars usually find will close the doors to them. And what they find may cost them their lives. An example of this is John Wansbrough and Patricia Crone who both received death threats because of their findings which cast doubt on the reliability of the Qur’an. So, they had to relocate to safer locations.
Both the Bible and the Qur’an claim to have been revealed at a certain place, and over a period of time. They speak of people, places, and events. If they are true, then we would expect to find evidence for their claims, and especially verification for what they say in the period in which they themselves claim they were revealed.
Christianity teaches that the Bible, a collection of sixty-six books, was written by about forty people in three different languages – Hebrew (most of the Old Testament), Aramaic (Ezra 4:8-6:18; 7:12-26; Jer. 10:11. Dan. 2:4-7:28), [4] and Koine Greek (all the New Testament) – on three different continents (Asia, Africa, Europe) over a period of about two thousand years, from the time the book of Job was written during the patriarchal period (2100-1900 B.C.) [5]to the writing of the last book of the New Testament (Revelation) by the apostle John (95 A.D).[6] The first thirty-nine books are called the Old Testament and record the anticipation of the coming of Christ. The final twenty-seven books are called the New Testament and record Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, final victory, and rule on earth.
The standard Islamic narrative today teaches that the Qur’an, is uncreated and exists eternally on clay tablets in heaven (Qur’an 85:22). This uncreated Qur’an was sent down from Allah (non-Arabic word of Syriac or Hebrew origin meaning “the god”) [7] to one person only, the prophet Mohammed (Qur’an 39:41), through the angel Gabriel, in one language (Arabic), over a period of twenty-three years in two different locations – Mecca (610-622 A.D.) and Medina (622-632 A.D.) [8] – in west central Arabia (see above map). After each revelation from Allah through the angel Gabriel, since Mohammed could not read or write, he would recite the words of revelation to those present (thus the Arabic word “Qur’an,” which means reading or reciting). [9] Many of the devout Muslims would recite these verses in their prayers and commit them to memory. [10] Hence, unlike the Bible, which was a written text, the Qur’an began as an oral text.
About a year after Mohammed’s death (June 632 A.D.), many of those who could recite the Qur’an from memory (Hafiz/Qurra) were killed in the battle of Yamamah (633 A.D.). Umar (who would later become the second Caliph or successor to Mohammed) said, “I am afraid that more heavy casualties may take place among the Qurra’ on other battlefields, whereby a large part of the Qur’an may be lost.” [11] Qureshi wisely asks, if the Qur’an was already written down at this time, why would Umar be afraid of it being lost by the death of its reciters?[12]
Hence, it was deemed necessary by Islamic leaders to collect all of the prophet’s revelations into one book for use in the Islamic community lest a large part of the Qur’an be lost in future battles involving their Hafiz. [13] This demonstrates that memorization of the Qur’an was not good enough to preserve the Qur’an. It needed to be written down.
The compilation of the Qur’an (see above diagram) was initiated by Umar bin Al-Khattab who later became the second Caliph of Islam (successor to Mohammed), [14] when he ordered Zayd ibn Thabit, one of Mohammed’s most trusted secretaries, to collect all of the Qur’an in written and oral form. [15] At this point whatever Qur’anic verses were written down on scraps of bone, leaves, and cloth would be combined with those verses recorded from the ones who had memorized portions of the Qur’an. [16] After this first manuscript or canon of the Qur’an was completed (632-634 A.D.), it was given to Hafsah, the daughter of Umar, the second Caliph, who stored the Qur’an under her bed for twenty years. [17]
Later during the reign of Caliph Uthman over the entire Islamic Empire (644-655 A.D.), [18] it was reported to him that several Muslim communities were using different versions of the Qur’an, so he ordered that Zayd, along with Az-Zubair, Al-As, and bin Hisham, rewrite the first Qur’an copy given to Hafsah into an official revised version of the Qur’an in the “Quraishi” dialect (652 A.D.). [19]
Dr. Jay Smith, a Christian apologist (defends truth), polemicist (confronts opponents with truth), and missionary (sent to proclaim truth to unbelievers) experienced in evangelizing Muslims, points out that there would have been no Quraishi dialect in 652 A.D. because there were no dots (vowels) or diacritical marks (signs placed above or below letters to change their pronunciation) in the early Arabic to distinguish dialects until the 8th – 9th centuries. [20]Early Arabic only had 16 consonantal letters with no vowels or diacritical marks. This is referred to as the rasm of the Qur’an. [21] The earliest Qur’anic manuscripts prove this point (see above pic). [22] Today Arabic has 28 consonantal letters along with vowels and diacritical marks. Smith notes that Bukhari, an 8th century traditionalist in Islam, must not have viewed the earliest manuscripts which were consonantal with no dots (vowels) or diacritical marks in the 7thcentury when the Qur’an was supposedly composed and compiled. [23]
Why would God choose a language that could not accommodate the Qur’an? The earliest Arabic manuscripts of the Qur’an were consonantal with no vowels or diacritical marks. After the production of this revised version in 652 A.D., [24]all the other copies of the Qur’an that disagreed with this revised version were recalled and burned by the express order of the Uthman. [25] Then, under the guidance of Uthman, Zayd ibn Thabit was summoned again to take this revised Qur’an and, together with some other companions, make copies to deliver to every province, [26]including Basra, Baghdad, Damascus, Jerusalem, Cairo, Alexandria, Aden, Herat, and Nishapur. [27] This was to be the standardized Qur’anic text for all of Islam.
The Qur’an is slightly shorter than the New Testament, consisting of 114 surahs(the equivalent of a chapter), 86 of which were revealed to Mohammed in Mecca (610 – 622 A.D) and 28 revealed to him in Medina (622 – 632 A.D.). [28] Each chapter is divided into verses (ayat). Each surah contains a title that is usually derived from a word or phrase within the chapter (such as, “The Cow,” “The Spoils,” “Joseph,” “He Frowned,” etc.). But in most cases, these titles do not describe the theme of the entire chapter. [29]
Islam claims that the Uthmanic version of the Qur’an (like the 1924 Cairo Hafs’ text used today) has been unchanged in the last 1400 years,[30] claiming that Allah would perfectly preserve (Qur’an 15:9; [31] 85:21-22) his eternal book without corruption or “crookedness” (Qur’an 18:1; 4:82). Today Islam claims that the Qur’an is the greatest, the only perfectly preserved, and final revelation. It corrects all previous revelations, [32] including the Bible.
Here is a chart summarizing Islam’s and Christianity’s claims about their sacred books (see above chart). [33]The purpose of the next few articles is to look at the historical data which exists in these periods and determine whether it supports or denies the claims for the historicity of both the Bible and the Qur’an. I will attempt to do this by looking at three areas of evidence: manuscripts, documents, and archaeological facts from the periods mentioned above. If the manuscript, documentary and archaeological evidence supports the claims for the Bible or the Qur’an, then we can assume their reliability. However, if the evidence denies their historicity, then we have to doubt their authenticity. [34]I will give more space for Islam in these sections since the majority of Christians, like this author, are not very familiar with its history and distinctives.
Also, due to lack of space, I will also look at the documentary evidence and archaeological facts in my next two articles, Lord willing.
I. The Manuscript Evidence
When comparing the manuscript evidence of the Qur’an with the Bible, it is important to understand that during the time period for its composition (2000 B.C.– 95 A.D.), the Bible’s manuscripts were typically written on less durable material called papyrus (a paper-like material made from the papyrus reed stalk and leaves), [35] which would typically disintegrate within 100-200 years. Whereas by the 7th century A.D. when sources tell us Mohammed received revelations from Allah through the angel Gabriel (610-632 A.D.), the Qur’an manuscripts were written on parchment or vellum (i.e. animal skins) which can endure for thousands of years. [36]
When conducting an analysis of the Qur’an’s manuscripts, there are some unique problems one must address that are not encountered with the Bible. Smith writes, “While we can find multiple manuscripts for the Bible written 700-900 years earlier, at a time when durable paper was not even used, the manuscripts for the Qur’an within the century in which it was purported to have been compiled, the seventh century, simply do not exist. Prior to 750 A.D. (thus for 100 years after Muhammad’s death) we have no verifiable Muslim documents which can give us a window into this formative period of Islam.” [38]
The fact of the matter is the primary sources which we possess are from 150-300 years after the events which they describe, and therefore are quite distant from those events. [39] For that reason, they are, for all practical purposes, secondary sources, as they rely on other material, much of which no longer exists. We simply do not have any “account from the Islamic’ community during the [initial] 150 years or so, between the first Arab conquests [the early 7th century] and the appearance, with the sira-maghazi narratives, of the earliest Islamic literature” [the late 8th century]. [40]
One would expect to find in those intervening 150 years, at least remnants of evidence for the development of the old Arab religion towards Islam (i.e. Muslim traditions); yet nothing is found. [41] The available documentary evidence prior to 752 A.D. “consists almost entirely of rather dubious citations in later compilations.”[42] Hence, we have no reliable proof that the later Muslim traditions speak truly of the life of Mohammed, or even of the Qur’an. [43] In addition, there is no evidence for the original Qur’anic text within the first century of Islam.[44] Nor do we have any of the original alleged nine copies which were made of the Uthman revised Qur’an sent to Basra, Baghdad, Damascus, Jerusalem, Cairo, Alexandria, Aden, Herat, and Nishapur. [45]
Even if these copies had somehow disintegrated with age (as some Muslims now allege), there would surely be some fragments of the documents at our disposal. By the end of the seventh century, Islam had expanded from Spain in the west to India in the east. According to Muslim tradition, the Qur’an was the centerpiece of their faith. Surely within that enormous sphere of influence there would be some Qur’anic documents or manuscripts which still exist till this day. Yet, there is nothing anywhere from that period at all. [46]
With the immense number of manuscripts available for the Christian scriptures, all compiled long before the time Mohammed was born, it is incredible that Islam cannot provide a single substantiated manuscript of their most holy book from within 100 years of their founder’s birth (570 – 670 A.D.).
However, some Muslims claim they do have the original copies of the revised Qur’an from Uthman (652 A.D.) in their possession. They refer to six early Arabic manuscripts (see above chart). The two documents which do hold some credibility to which many Muslims mention are the Samarkand Manuscript in Tashkent library in Uzbekistan (southern part of the former Soviet Union), and the Topkapi Manuscript, which is in the Topkapi Museum, in Istanbul, Turkey.
What Muslims may not know is that these two manuscripts are written in the Kufic Script, a script which according to modern Qur’anic manuscript experts, did not appear until late into the eighth century, and was not in use at all in Mecca and Medina in the seventh century. [47] Since both the Topkapi and Samarkand Manuscripts are written in the Kufic script, neither one could have been written earlier than 150 years after the Uthmanic revision was supposedly compiled; at the earliest the late 700s or early 800s. [48]
Two leading Muslim scholars, Dr. Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu and Dr. Tayyar Altıkulaç, conducted five years of research (2002-2007) on the six early Arabic manuscripts and concluded that they are from the early to mid 8th century and are not Uthmanic nor sent by him. [49]
In addition, a more recent review examining the 2,270 variants and paleography of the Topkapi manuscript by a leading scholar of that manuscript, Dr. Rami Hussein Halaseh, shows that “up to the second century [AH – Anno Hegirae or in the year of the Hijrah in 622 A.D.] (816 AD) the qur’anic text was still being edited.” [50][brackets and emphasis added]He concludes that the Topkapi manuscript was written from 750-900 A.D. [51]
B. Corrections in Early Qur’an Manuscripts
While Islam claims that the Uthman revised Qur’an (652 A.D.) has been perfectly preserved and not been changed in the last nearly 1400 years, there are recent discoveries that confirm the textual corruption of the Qur’an. For his doctoral thesis, Dr. Daniel Brubaker examined the 6 earliest Qur’anic manuscripts, as well as other manuscripts which appeared soon after. He documented just how extensive these corrections or corruptions have been, thus undermining the traditional Islamic claim of an uncorrupted version of the Qur’an. [52]
For example, Brubaker states, “In a correction, something is added (insertion), removed (erasure), replaced (erasure overwritten, taping overwritten, or overwriting without erasure), or (perhaps) hidden… Because each correction is different in nature and significance, it would be a mistake to draw conclusions from raw numbers, but for general information, here is a rough breakdown of the relative number of instances so far:” [53] [800 physical corrections documented in his 2014 doctoral dissertation] [54]
Since his doctoral dissertation in 2014, Brubaker has found over 4,000 (and counting) additional physical corrections in the early manuscripts of the Qur’an. [56] He presents several possible explanations for these corrections, one of which was that some of these corrections were made following a campaign to standardize the text such as Uthman’s revised Qur’anic text in 652 A.D. [57]
He also notes that there are partial corrections which he says indicates “a movement toward a standard over time, a gradual process rather than a sudden complete standardization. By partial correction, I mean places where one aspect of the writing on a page was brought to conformity with the 1924 Cairo rasm [consonantal text with no vowels or diacritical marks] but another part of the writing remained uncorrected.”[58] [brackets added]
It is important to know how the 1924 Cairo Qur’an was chosen. In 1924, in the city of Cairo, Egypt, high schools were noticing that students were coming with different answers to test questions about the Qur’anic text because they were using 37 variant Qur’ans. So, it was impossible to come up with a standardized religious test for all the students. Because of this, it was decided to have one man choose one Qur’an from among the 37 Qur’ans to be the standardized one. That man was Muhammad b. ‘Ali al-Husayni al-Haddad from Al Azhar University and he chose the 796 A.D. ‘Hafs’ Qur’an for all high schools in Cairo.
Hafs was from Iraq and died in 796 A.D. He had never met Mohammed. He had never seen the original Qur’an. He lived 144 years after the prophet. So, al-Haddad only chose what he thought was Hafs’ Qur’an. The educational authorities of Cairo gathered all the other Qur’ans (36 of them) that disagreed with Hafs’ and put them in a boat, taking them out into the middle of the Nile River, and dumped them (see above pic). [59] But that did not remove all those variants. Dr. Smith’s team have collected 37 different Qira’at Arabic Qur’ans in various marketplaces around the Arabic speaking world in recent years (see pic below). [60]
In 1936, when the government of Egypt realized how successful the 1924 Cairo Hafs’ Qur’an was in all of its schools, they decided to make the Hafs’ Qur’an standard for all Qur’ans in Egyptian schools. But that was only in Egypt.
Finally, in 1985, when King Fahd of Saudi Arabia realized how impactful the 1924 Cairo Hafs’ Qur’an was in Egypt, he decided to make this the standard Qur’an for the entire world. It became known as the “Faruq Edition,” named after King Faruq, who came to power in 1982. The Qur’an that is being used today, has only been standardized for the entire world for 41 years! And it comes from one student who created his own Qur’an in 796 A.D., 144 years after Mohammed.
Smith argues that the reason Brubaker has found over 4000 corrections (and counting) to the earliest manuscripts of the Qur’an is because those texts did not align with the much later Cairo Hafs’ text. Every time they inserted a word, erased a word or phrase, or covered a word or phrase, what was left was the Hafs’ standardized text.
C. The 63 Earliest Extant Fragments of the Qur’an.
On the Islamic Awareness website (islamic-awareness.org) developed by Mansur Ahmed, they claim that within the first century of Islam (622 A.D. – 719 A.D.) they had 96% of the Qur’anic text (see above chart). [61] This figure is obtained from 63 different Qur’anic manuscripts, most of which are fragments or parts of manuscripts (see chart below).
Dr. Smith’s team investigated these different manuscripts and found that 20 of the 63 manuscripts are tentatively dated, with disagreements between scholars (green arrows). No one has come to any conclusions about these. Notice that 3 of the top 5 manuscripts fall into this category. Then we see that 9 manuscripts are dated after 719 A.D. (blue arrows) and should not even be on the list. This includes the very top manuscript which is the most important one. The remaining 34 manuscripts (red arrows) are not dated because no one has done any work on them. So, they are pure speculation by the Muslims. Thus, we can conclude that none of these manuscripts are valid because all of them are either later, or tentatively dated, or have no supporting evidence! [62]
D. Pre-Islamic Sources in the Qur’an
Another difficulty with manuscript evidence for the Qur’an is that of the accounts involving many characters from the Bible, but they bear little similarity to the Biblical accounts. The Qur’anic stories include many distortions, amendments, and some bizarre additions to the familiar stories we have known and learned in the Bible. So, we ask, where did these stories come from, if not from the previous scriptures?
Many of these accounts come from other pre-Islamic Jewish and Christian apocryphal writings (some of it from the Jewish Talmud and Midrash)which appeared from 100 A.D. to 500 A.D., [63] and were not recognized by the Jews or the church to be authoritative or part of the canon of the Bible. [64]
When we compare some of the familiar sounding stories in the Qur’an with Jewish and Christian apocryphal literature, we find incredible similarities between these fictional apocryphal stories and the stories that are described in the Qur’an. Examples include the murder of Abel by Cain (Qur’an 5:31-32) borrowed from the Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziah, a second century writing, and the Jewish Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5, a 5th century writing; [65] or the story of Abraham, the idols and the fiery furnace (Qur’an 21:51-71) taken from the Midrash Rabbah, a second century Jewish fable;[66] or the amusing story of Solomon, his talking Hoopoe bird, and the queen of Sheba who lifts her skirt when mistaking a mirrored floor for water (Qur’an 27:17-44), taken from the 2nd Targum of Esther, a second century writing. [67]
There are other instances where we find both apocryphal Jewish and Christian writings within the Qur’anic text. The account of Mt. Sinai being lifted up and held over the heads of the Jews as a threat for rejecting the law (Qur’an 7:171) comes from the second century Jewish apocryphal book, The Abodah Sarah. [68] The odd accounts of the early childhood of Jesus in the Qur’an can be traced to a number of Christian apocryphal writings which were rejected by the early church: the Palm tree which provides for the anguish of Mary after Jesus’s birth (Qur’an 19:22-26) and the baby Jesus talking from the cradle (Qur’an 19:29-33) both come from the second century false book, The Story of the Baby of Mary and the Childhood of the Savior; [69]the account of the infant Jesus creating birds from clay (Qur’an 3:49) was influenced by Chapter 2 in the second century Greek book, The Gospel of Thomas and also by Chapter 36 of the Arabic book, The Gospel of a Childhood.[70]
The descriptions of Hell in the Qur’an look a lot like the descriptions of hell in the Homilies of Ephraim, a Nestorian preacher of the sixth century. [71] Smith suggests that the author of the Qur’an in suras 42:17 and 101:6-9 was influenced by a fictitious book, The Testament of Abraham, written around 200 B.C. in Egypt, and later translated into Arabic and Greek, to teach that a scale or balance will be used on the day of judgment to weigh good and bad deeds in order to determine whether one goes to heaven or to hell. [72]
Additional borrowed Jewish, Christian, and other sources include: the angels Harut and Marut (Qur’an 2:102), from the Midrash Yalzut, Chapter 44; the 7 Heavens and 7 Hells (Qur’an 15:43-44; 17:44), from the traditions of Jagigah and Zuhal; the Mi’raj and Buraq, the winged horse (Quran 17:1), from the Testament of Abraham (200 B.C.); the Cave of the 7 Sleepers from the Story of the Martyrs (Gregory of Tours, or Diogenes Laertius); the Sirat Bridge (Qur’an 19:71) from the Chinavad from the Zoroastrian book Dinkart; Paradise, Houris, eyes like pearls (Qur’an 55:56-58; 56:22-24, 35-37), taken from Zoroastrian writings about Paaris, et al. [73] Smith states that some scholars think 30-60% of the Qur’an is borrowed from other sources, most of which were written between the 2nd – 5th centuries, suggesting that the creators of the Qur’an borrowed from the wrong sources!
The reason they borrowed from these other sources is because the Old and New Testaments of the Bible were not written in Arabic in the 7th – mid 8th centuries when the Qur’an was allegedly being compiled and completed. [74] Smith explains that many Jews lived in Arabia in the 7th-8th centuries, having fled Jerusalem after its destruction in 70 A.D. Several of the Jewish traditions were passed down orally from generation to generation. They would be retold around campfires to Arab traders, using the local vernacular. A lot of these stories would then be embellished. Others would be used as “bedtime” tales for the Jewish children. But the authentic Old Testament was never translated into Arabic until the late 8th century A.D., and the New Testament until the late 9th century A.D., thus, much too late to make it into the Qur’an. [75]
These accounts derived from Jewish and Christian apocryphal writings and other questionable sources have always been considered heretical by Christian and Jewish orthodox believers alike. How then did these sources make their way into a book that claims to be the final revelation from God? Shouldn’t this cause us to seriously question the divine origin of the Qur’an? It seems to this author that the Qur’an is a man-made book rather than a divine revelation from God.
Let’s now turn our attention to the manuscript evidence for the Bible and determine whether the Bible which we read today is historically accurate?
E. The Bible’s Manuscript Evidence
The Old Testament has survived in few complete manuscripts, most of which date from the ninth century A.D. or later. There are, however, abundant reasons for believing that these copies are reliable. Geisler and Nix note, “Several lines of evidence support this contention including: (1) the few variants existing in the Masoretic manuscripts; (2) the almost literal agreement of most of the Septuagint [the Greek translation of the Hebrew canon] with the Hebrew of the Masoretic Text (MT); (3) the scrupulous rules of the scribes who copied the manuscripts; (4) the similarity of parallel Old Testament passages; (5) archaeological confirmation of historical details of the text; (6) the agreement, by and large, of the Samaritan Pentateuch (SamP); (7) the thousands of Cairo Genezah manuscripts; and (8) the phenomenal confirmation of the Hebrew text by the Dead Sea Scroll (DSS) and Documents in the Judean Desert (DJD) discoveries.” [76] [brackets added]
In contrast to the Qur’an, the sheer number of New Testament manuscripts (MSS) which are existent today are astounding! Yet, Muslims argue that since we do not have the original manuscripts of the Bible, the reliability of the copies we do have is therefore in doubt. But this argument could also be directed at the Qur’an as recent discoveries have brought into question whether or not the earliest manuscripts of the Qur’an are close to the original Qur’anic text which Muslims claim was written down within 20 years of Mohammed’s death (see discussion above).
Because the Bible is a book, it was initially made up of manuscripts (handwritten copies). Subsequently, a primary means for determining its historical reliability today is the number of copies from those original manuscripts which are currently in one’s possession and the time interval between the original and earliest copy. This is known as the bibliographical test. [77] More copies of the original were made to preserve the original manuscript and to distribute the original to more and more people. Hence, the more copies we have the better we can compare between them and thus know if the document we now read corresponds with the original manuscript. Smith explains it like this: “It is much like a witness to an event. If we have only one witness to the event, there is the possibility that the witness’s agenda or even an exaggeration of the event has crept in, and we would never know the full truth. But if we have many witnesses, the probability that they all got it wrong becomes minute [small].” [78] [brackets added]
Also, the shorter the time interval between the original manuscript and the earliest copy, the greater the historical reliability of the document. Why? Because history has shown that the closer the copies are to the original, it usually means the fewer times it has been copied and therefore, the less chance it has of human error creeping in.
When comparing the New Testament, which was originally written in Koine Greek, with other credible ancient writings, the New Testament has far more manuscript authority than any other credible ancient literature as shown in the chart below. [79]
A more recent chart based on additional discoveries and new technologies (see below) called, “The Number of Biblical Manuscripts,” [80] shows an increase in manuscripts for the New Testament and includes Old Testament scrolls and codices [i.e., book form]. McDowell writes, “In the chart… the second and third columns compare both ‘old’ and ‘new’ dates determined for the earliest manuscript in each language. The two columns at the far right compare the ‘old’ and ‘new’ number of manuscripts estimated to be catalogued for that language. For each language, the data labeled ‘old’ was tabulated in 2012. The columns labeled ‘new’ show the data for each language as of August 2014—with the exception of the new number of Greek manuscripts which reflects the official number as of January 2017.
“This comparison reveals the change, if any, in dating and numbers of manuscripts that have occurred in that two-year interval, through the discovery of earlier manuscripts in a particular language or by the addition of newly discovered or catalogued manuscripts. Current research continues to change these totals. And we must realize that every day, marvelous new discoveries are being made. That is why the numbers of scroll and manuscript discoveries are out-of-date as soon as you print them. We recognize how astonishingly rapid is the increase of information and even the development of new methods to recover that data from manuscripts that had been thought to be forever illegible.” [81][emphasis added]
In an updated chart showing an increase in manuscripts of major classical works and the New Testament based on additional discoveries and new technologies (see chart below), we still see that the New Testament is by far more reliable than any other ancient classical writing. [82]
To help us visualize how many Biblical manuscripts exist today (see diagram below), McDowell states, “How high do you think the stack of New Testament manuscripts would be? Think about this: of just the 5,800+ Greek New Testament manuscripts, there are more than 2.6 million pages. Combining both the Old and New Testament, there are more than 66,000 manuscripts and scrolls.
“A stack of extant manuscripts for the average classical writer would measure about four feet high; this just cannot compare to the more than one mile of New Testament manuscripts and two-and-a-half miles for the entire Bible.” [83][emphasis added]
While Muslims insist that the Qur’an has been perfectly preserved (which is highly suspect as shown previously), they miss the strength of this argument for the New Testament’s reliability, “since the Qur’an is only a medieval book (7th century A.D.). But most Muslims are totally unaware that for an ancient book (1st century A.D.), the New Testament is the most accurately copied book in the world.”[84] [emphasis added]
F. The Early Versions and Translations of the New Testament
Since Christianity has been a “going” faith from its beginning (cf. “Go… and make disciples of all the nations…” – Matt. 28:19; “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone…” – Mark 16:15; “repentance and remission [forgiveness] of sins should be preached in His name to all nations” – Luke 24:46-48; “you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem… all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” – Acts. 1:8), the Scriptures were soon translated into the known languages of that period, some of which were written as early as 150 A.D., such as the Syriac Peshitta. [85] For that reason, other written translations or versions appeared over time such as Coptic translations (late 3rd century), Old Latin (4th century A.D.), Latin Vulgate (4th century A.D.), Syriac (late 4th century A.D.), Georgian (5th century A.D.), Gothic (5th or 6th century A.D.), Ethiopian (6th century A.D.), Armenian (mid 9th century A.D.), and Slavic (10th century A.D.), totally an additional 18,130+ existing manuscripts. [86] (see “The Number of Biblical Manuscripts” chart above). Smith writes, “The fact that we have so many translations of the New Testament points to its authenticity, as it would have been almost impossible, had the disciples or later followers wanted to corrupt or forge its contents, for them to have amassed all of the translations from the outlying areas and changed each one so that there would have been the uniformity which we find witnessed in these translations today.” [87]
G. Early Church Father’s Quotations of the New Testament
Another great attestation for the historical reliability of the New Testament manuscripts is the mass number of quotations taken from its pages by the early fathers (leaders) of the church (see chart above). [88] Geisler and Nix correctly conclude, “Not only did the early Fathers cite all twenty-seven books of the New Testament, they also quoted virtually all of the verses in all of these twenty-seven books. Five Fathers alone from Irenaeus to Eusebius possess almost 36,000 quotations from the New Testament… We know of no other book from the ancient world that exists largely in [total] by way of thousands of individual and selected quotations of it. It is an amazing fact that the New Testament could be reconstructed simply from quotations made within two hundred years of its composition.”[89] [brackets and emphasis added]
Islam claims that the Bible has been corrupted because the Qur’an contradicts the Bible on many (if not all) of the Bible’s important teachings, events, and people which were recorded much earlier than the Qur’an. Therefore, for the Qur’an to be true, a person must be led to believe that it is the Bible that is false and has been corrupted. But where in the Qur’an does it say that the Bible has been corrupted? The truth is, the Qur’an declares just the opposite.
What does the Qur’an teach about the Bible? When we read the Qur’an, Allah and his prophet Mohammed give credit to the Bible as being preserved and perfect without any corruption. “O you who have believed, believe in Allah and his messenger [Mohammed] and the book [Qur’an], which he has sent down on his messenger, and the book[the Bible], which he has sent down before. Whoever becomes an infidel in Allah and his angels and his books and his messengers and the last day, so indeed, he has strayed far away astray.” (Qur’an 4:136). [91] [emphasis added] The Qur’an commands Muslims to believe in the Bible and its prophets. This is proof that the Bible was correct at the time of Mohammed.
Allah claims that he is the “guardian” over the “books” when he says to Mohammed, “And to you [Mohammed] we have sent down the book [the Qur’an] with the truth, confirming what is between his hands of the book [Bible] and as guardian over it.” (Qur’an 5:48a). [92] The Qur’an confirms the previous books of the Bible are and will be true as long as the Qur’an exists. [93] Since Muslims believe Allah is all-powerful, wouldn’t he be powerful enough to preserve the “book” (Bible) he claims to have authored which was in existence hundreds of years before Mohammed and the Qur’an?
The Qur’an says there is “guidance” and “light” in the Bible and the gospel of ‘Isā (the name of Islam’s Jesus). “Surely we have sent down the Torah, in it is guidance and light.” (Qur’an 5:44a). [94]“46 And in their footsteps, we sent ‘Isā, son of Mary, confirming what is between his hands of the Torah, and we gave him the Gospel, in it is guidance and light, and confirming what was between his hands from the Torah, and a guidance and a sermon to the fearer. 47 And that the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah has sent down in it. And whoever does not judge by what Allah has sent down, so those are the transgressors.” (Qur’an 5:46-47). [95] The Qur’an confirms in these verses that the Gospel is from God and is correct in Mohammed’s time. [96]
Allah declares that all the writers of the Bible were inspired. This proves that the Bible is the Word of God. “And we did not send before you any except men that we inspired, so ask the people of the reminder [Jews and Christians], if you were not knowing.” (Qur’an 16:43). [97]
Allah also told Mohammed to ask Jews and Christians about the truth of the Bible: “So, if you were in doubt concerning what we have sent down to you, so ask those who are reading the book before you; indeed, the truth came to you from your lord, so do not be of the doubters.” (Qur’an 10:94). [98] We learn two important facts in this one verse: First, we know from this verse that Christians and Jews had the Bible in their hands during the lifetime of Mohammed, because how could they read a book they do not have? Second, the Bible is perfect, for how could Allah command Mohammed to check his Qur’an with a corrupt book when he was “in doubt” about his own revelations? This is further proof that the Bible existed and was true in Mohammed’s day.
When Muslims say the Bible has been corrupted, then they are contradicting their Allah and their Qur’an because we have just read several verses in the Qur’an (Allah’s words) that confirm the Bible and its perfection, truthfulness, and preservation. Allah declares, “…And no one can change the words of Allah. ” (Quran 6:34; cf. 10;64; 18:27). [99]
If a Muslim still believes the Bible is corrupted, they are contradicting their own Qur’an, proving that there are inconsistencies in it and that the Qur’an cannot be from Allah: “Do they not consider the Qur’an? If it was from other than Allah, they would have found in it many inconsistencies.” (Qur’an 4:82). [100]
In summary,the manuscript evidence at our disposal today for the New Testament gives us nearly 24,000 Greek and non-Greek manuscripts with which to substantiate the historical accuracy of our current New Testament. The earliest of these manuscripts have now been dated at 117-138 A.D., [101] only 50+ years since the original. No other credible book from the ancient world has as small a time gap between the original composition and the earliest manuscript copies as the New Testament. [102] In addition, we have over 18,136 early translations of the New Testament which underscore the historical accuracy of the early manuscripts. We have scriptural quotations in the letters of the early Church fathers with which we could almost reproduce the New Testament if we so wished. This indeed is substantial manuscript evidence for the New Testament. But if this is not enough evidence, the Qur’an itself confirms the Bible and its perfection, truthfulness, and preservation without corruption.
II. Conclusion
So what comparisons are there between the manuscript evidence for the Qur’an and the Bible? We know from the historical record that by the end of the seventh century that Arabs had expanded right across North Africa and up into Spain, and east as far as India. The Qur’an (according to later Islamic tradition) was supposedly the centerpiece of their faith and practice at that time. Certainly, within that enormous sphere of influence there should therefore be some Qur’anic manuscripts which still exist to this day. Yet, there is nothing from that period at all. The only manuscripts which Islam provides turn out to have been compiled in the ninth century, while the earliest substantiated manuscript is dated 790 A.D., written not 1400 years ago as Muslims claim but a mere 1,200 years ago.
Look at the chart above comparing the Qur’an early manuscripts with the New Testament Greek manuscripts. [103] Notice the enormous difference between the number of early manuscripts for both books. We have learned that the accuracy of the Qur’an’s manuscripts has also been brought into question by Daniel Brubaker’s research. The thousands of manuscript variants of the Qur’an’s early manuscripts reveal a much less reliable book than what we possess in the New Testament.
While Christianity can claim more than 5,850 known Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, over 18,130 early New Testament versions and translations, adding up to nearly 24,000 confirmed New Testament manuscripts still in existence, most of which were written between 25-400 years after the death of Christ, Islam cannot provide a single manuscript until well into the eighth century over 100 years after its supposed original compilation (see above chart comparing the two books). [104] If the Christians could retain so many thousands of ancient manuscripts, all of which were written long before the Qur’an, at a time when paper had not yet been introduced, forcing the dependency on papyrus which disintegrated with age, then one wonders why the Muslims are not able to forward a single manuscript from this much later period, during which the Qur’an was supposedly revealed? This indeed gives the Bible a much stronger claim for reliability than the Qur’an.
Furthermore, while the earliest New Testament manuscripts as well as the earliest letters from the church fathers correspond with the New Testament which we have in our hands, providing us with some certainty that they have not been unduly added to or tampered with, the Qur’anic material which we have in our possession abounds with stories whose origins we can now trace to second century Jewish and Christian apocryphal literature. We know in some cases who wrote them, when exactly they were written and at times even why they were written; and that none of them were from a divine source, as they were written by the most human of Rabbis and storytellers over the intervening centuries after the Bible had been canonized.
In addition, when the Bible’s total number of early manuscripts is compared to the Qur’an’s (see above chart), [105] the superiority of the Bible’s historical reliability is accentuated even more. Contrary to the standard Islamic narrative, the Qur’an is not complete nor unchanged as we have learned in this historical assessment. What our Muslim friends need is a better book which can give them guidance and light.
Usama Dakdok writes, “Many Muslim scholars who have had deep knowledge of Islam, some of whom even served as imams and professors in Al-Azhar University and other universities around the world, have become Christians. They have something in common which astonished me when I first discovered it. They reported that they had become Christians because they studied the Qur’an and discovered the falsehoods and the errors in it as they read the Bible. They saw the light and truth of the original account, not as it was copied and corrupted in the Qur’an.” [106] [emphasis added]
ENDNOTES:
[1] See the article posted by Pam Geller on July 1, 2009, entitled, “ISLAMIC INVASION OF AMERICA: THE 20 POINT PLAN,” at this LINK. Notice the references to the Qur’an in points 7 and 10. This 20-point plan originated from a refugee from the Muslim Middle East named Anis Shorrosh, author of ”Islam Revealed” and ”The True Furqan.” Anis is a Christian Arab American who emigrated from Arab-controlled Jerusalem in January 1967. Shorrosh says, “The following [20-point plan] is my analysis of Islamic invasion of America, the agenda of Islamists and visible methods to take over America by the year 2020.”
[2] Adapted from Jay Smith, “The Bible and The Qur’an – An Historical Comparison,” at www.pfandercenter.org. You can view this comparison at this Link.
[3] This paragraph is adapted from Dr. Jay Smith, March 9, 2026, class lecture entitled, “Manuscript Evidence for the Qur’an.”
[4] Tom Constable, Dr. Constable’s Notes on Daniel, 2025 Edition, pp. 6, 40.
[5] Conservative scholars believe Job was written during the Patriarchal period (2100 -1900 B.C.). See Roy B. Zuck, “Job,” The Bible Knowledge Commentary Wisdom, 2018 Kindle Edition, pp. 15-16.; Tom Constable, Notes on Job, 2025 Edition, pp. 1-2.
[6] Robert Vacendak, “Revelation,” The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition, 2019 Kindle Edition, pp. 1944-1945; John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” The Bible Knowledge Commentary Epistles and Prophecy, 2018 Kindle locations 4701 to 4707; Archibald Thomas Robertson, A. T. Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament, 2014 Kindle Locations 211099 -211108.
[7] Usama K. Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN: An Accurate, Modern English Translation of the Qur’an, Islam’s Holiest Book (Venice, FL: Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC, 2009 Smashwords Edition), pg. 36-37; cf. Dr. Jay Smith’s July 6, 2025, presentation entitled “Dismantling Islam Historically,” at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills. See the video of his presentation at this LINK. See also Jay Smith’s November 24, 2019, video presentation entitled, “Jay Smith Historical Critique Quran Origins 1,” at www.youtube.com. You can view this second video at this LINK.
[8] Norman L. Geisler and Abdul Saleeb, Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the CrossSecond Ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1993, 2002), pg. 94; Daniel Janosik, THE GUIDE TO ANSWERING ISLAM: What Every Christian Needs to Know About Islam and the Rise of Radical Islam (Cambridge, OH: Christian Publishing House, 2019 Kindle Edition, pp. 33-34 cites Ali Dashti, Twenty-Three Years: A Study of the Prophetic Career of Mohammad (Mazda, 1994), pp. 47-58. Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN, 2009 Smashwords Edition, pp. 5-10. Dakdok notes that the surahs written in Mecca include surahs 1, 6- 7, 10-12, 14-21, 23, 25-32, 34-46, 50-54, 56, 67-75, 77-97, 100-109, 111-114. The surahs written in Medina include surahs 2-5, 8-9, 13, 22, 24, 33, 47-49, 55, 57-66, 76, 98-99, 110.
[9] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, pg. 92 cites Michael Nazir-Ali, Frontiers in Muslim-Christian Encounter (Oxford: Regnum Books, 1987), pg. 124.
[10] Nabeel Qureshi, No God but One: Allah or Jesus? A Former Muslim Investigates the Evidence For Islam And Christianity (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016 Kindle Edition), pg. 107.
[13] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, 2002, pp. 92-93 cites Al-Bukhari (d. 870 A.D.), The Translation of the Meanings of Sahih Al-Bukhari, translated by Muhammad Muhsin Khan, Al-Medina: Islamic University, Vol. 6, pp. 477-478; Qureshi, No God but One: Allah or Jesus, 2016 Kindle Edition, pg. 281.
[14] Qureshi, No God but One: Allah or Jesus, 2016 Kindle Edition, pg. 49.
[15] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, pp. 92-93 cites Al-Bukhari, The Translation of the Meanings of Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 6, pp. 477-478.
[16] Janosik, THE GUIDE TO ANSWERING ISLAM, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 34.
[17] Ibid., pg. 321; cf. Jay Smith, November 24, 2019, video entitled, “Jay Smith Historical Critique Quran Origins 1,” at www.youtube.com.
[18] Qureshi, No God but One: Allah or Jesus, 2016 Kindle Edition, pg. 119.
[19] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, 2002, pg. 93 cites Al-Bukhari, The Translation of the Meanings of Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 6, pp. 478-479.
[20] Smith’s July 6, 2025, video presentation entitled, “Dismantling Islam Historically,” at www.youtube.com.
[21] Daniel Brubaker, Corrections in Early Qur’an Manuscripts: Twenty Examples(FULL COLOR EDITION) (Quran Manuscript Change Studies Book 1) (Lovettsville: Think and Tell Press,2019 Kindle Edition), pp. 1, 8; Qureshi, No God but One: Allah or Jesus, 2016 Kindle Edition, pg. 314.
[22] Smith’s July 6, 2025, video presentation entitled, “Dismantling Islam Historically,” at www.youtube.com.
[23] Jay Smith, November 24, 2019, video entitled, “Jay Smith Historical Critique Quran Origins 1,” at www.youtube.com.
[31] Dakdok demonstrates that Qur’an 15:9 is referring to the Bible, not the Qur’an – see Usama K. Dakdok, Exposing the Truth about the Qur’an: The Revelation of Error, Volume 2 (Venice, FL: Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC, 2013 Smashwords Edition), pp. 650-651.
[32] Smith’s July 6, 2025, presentation entitled “Dismantling Islam Historically,” at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills at www.youtube.com.
[33] Adapted from Smith, “Jay Smith Historical Critique Quran Origins 1,” at www.youtube.com.
[34] This approach is adapted from Smith, “The Bible and The Qur’an – An Historical Comparison,” at www.pfandercenter.org.
[35] Retrieved on November 1, 2025, from the September 25, 2022, article entitled “What is Papyrus?” at www.museumofthebible.org; Norman Geisler and William E. Nix, From God To Us Revised and Expanded: How We Got Our Bible (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1974, 2012 Kindle Edition), pg. 13.
[36] Brubaker, Corrections in Early Qur’an Manuscripts, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2.
[37] Much of this section is retrieved from Smith, “The Bible and The Qur’an – An Historical Comparison,” at www.pfandercenter.org, unless otherwise noted.
[38] Ibid., cites John Wansbrough, The Sectarian Milieu: Content and Composition of Islamic Salvation History (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1978), pp. 58-59.
[39] Ibid., cites Yahuda Nevo, “Towards a Prehistory of Islam,” Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam, vol.17 (Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 1994), pg. 108; Wansbrough, The Sectarian Milieu, pg.119; Patricia Crone, The Meccan Trade and the Rise of Islam (Princeton University Press, 1987), pg. 204.
[40] Ibid., cites Wansbrough, The Sectarian Milieu, pg.119.
[41] Ibid., cites Nevo, “Towards a Prehistory of Islam,” Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam, 1994, vol. 17, pg. 108; Patricia Crone, Slaves on Horses (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1980), pp. 5-8.
[42] Ibid., cites R.S. Humphreys, Islamic History, a framework for Enquiry (Princeton, 1991), pg. 80.
[43] Ibid., cites Joseph Schacht, “A Revaluation of Islamic Traditions,” Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain (Hertford: Stephen Austin, 1949), pp. 143-154.
[44] Ibid., cites Annemarie Schimmel, Calligraphy and Islamic Culture (New York: New York University Press, 1984), pg. 4.
[45] Ibid., cites John Gilchrist, Jam’ Al-Qur’an (Jesus to the Muslims, 1989), pp. 140-154; Martin Lings and Yasin Hamid Safadi, The Qur’an: Catalogue of an Exhibition of Quran Manuscripts at the British Library, 3 April – 15 August 1976 (British Library, World of Islam Pub. Co., 1976), pp. 11-17.
[47] Ibid., cites Lings and Safadi, The Qur’an, 1976, pp. 12-13, 17; Gilchrist, Jam’ Al-Qur’an, 1989, pp. 145-146; 152-153
[48] Ibid., cites Gilchrist, Jam’ Al-Qur’an, 1989, pp. 144-147.
[49] Smith, March 9, 2026, class lecture entitled, “Manuscript Evidence for the Qur’an,”cites Dr. Tayyar Altıkulaç, Al-Muṣḥaf Al-Sharif: Attributed To ʿUthmān Bin ʿAffān (IRICA, 2007), pp. 23, 36 – footnote 14a, 41f, 65, 71-72, 81; François Déroche, La transmission écrite du Coran dans les débuts de l’islam. Le codex Parisino-petropolitanus (Brill, 2009), pp. 172-177; cf. Jay Smith, “The Bible and The Qur’an – An Historical Comparison,” at www.pfandercenter.org where he cites Martin Lings and Yasin Hamid Safadi, The Qur’an: Catalogue of an Exhibition of Quran Manuscripts at the British Library, 3 April – 15 August, 1976 (British Library, World of Islam Pub. Co., 1976), pp. 11-20.
[50]Ibid., cites Rami Hussein Halaseh, The Topkapı Qurʾān Manuscript H.S. 32: History, Text, and Variants (De Gruyter, 2024), pg. 149.
[51]Ibid., cites Halaseh, The Topkapı Qurʾān Manuscript H.S. 32 (2024), pg. 83 and François Déroche, Qurʾans of the Umayyads: A First Overview (Brill, 2013),pg. 131.
[52] Brubaker, Corrections in Early Qur’an Manuscripts, 2019 Kindle Edition; see also David Wood’s August 12, 2022, video entitled, “The Corruption of the Quran (Jay Smith and David Wood),” at www.youtube.com . You can view the video at this Link. This video claims to prove conclusively that the Qur’an is corrupt.
[53] Brubaker, Corrections in Early Qur’an Manuscripts, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 10.
[56] Jay Smith, November 25, 2019, video presentation entitled, “Jay Smith Historical Critique Quran Origins 2,” at www.youtube.com. You can view the video at this LINK.
[57] Brubaker, Corrections in Early Qur’an Manuscripts, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 95.
[59] Smith, November 25, 2019, video presentation entitled, “Jay Smith Historical Critique Quran Origins 2 at www.youtube.com cites Gabriel Said Reynolds (Ed.), The Qur’an in its historical context (London & New York: Routlege, 2008), pp. 2-3; Angelika Neuwirth & Nicholas Sinai (Eds.), The Qur’an in Context: Historical and Literary Investigations into the Qur’anic Milieu (Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2010), pg. 1.
[60] Smith, November 25, 2019, video presentation entitled, “Jay Smith Historical Critique Quran Origins 2 at www.youtube.com .
[65] Jay Smith’s April 3, 2022, video presentation entitled, “Jay Smith- Historical Critique Quran Origins,” at www.youtube.com. You can view the video at this LINK.; See also Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN, 2009 Smashwords Edition, pg. 182.
[66] Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN, 2009 Smashwords Edition, pg. 57; Smith’s April 3, 2022, “Jay Smith- Historical Critique Quran Origins,” at www.youtube.com.
[67] Ibid., pg. 523; Smith’s April 3, 2022, “Jay Smith- Historical Critique Quran Origins,” at www.youtube.com.
[71] Smith, “The Bible and The Qur’an – An Historical Comparison,” at www.pfandercenter.org cites John Glubb, The Life and Times of Muhammad (New York, Stein and Day, 1971), pg. 36.
[76] Geisler and Nix, From God To Us Revised and Expanded, 2012 Kindle Edition, pg. 241; cf. see a more detailed discussion in pp. 193- 203.
[77] Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2017 Kindle Edition), pg. 46 cites John Warwick Montgomery, History and Christianity (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1971), pg. 26.
[79] From Norman L. Geisler and William E. Nix, A General Introduction to the Bible, rev. ed. (Chicago: Moody, 1986), pg. 408.
[80] McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World, 2017 Kindle Edition, pg. 53 states that chart is adapted from Peter S. Cowe, “The Armenian Version of the New Testament,” in The Text of the New Testament in Contemporary Research: Essays on the Status Quaestionis, 2nd Ed., edited by Bart D. Ehrman and Michael W. Holmes (Leiden: Brill, 2013), pg. 256.
[81] McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World, 2017 Kindle Edition, pp. 52-53.
[83] Ibid., pg. 53 cites Daniel B. Wallace, Lecture at Discover the Evidence, Dallas, TX, December 3–4, 2013.
[84] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, 2002, pg. 238.
[85] McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World, 2017 Kindle Edition, pg. 50 cites Geisler and Nix, A General Introduction to the Bible, revised and expanded edition, 1986, pg. 317.
[88] Adapted from Geisler and Nix, From God To Us Revised and Expanded, 2012 Kindle Edition, pp. 60-64, 138; McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World, 2017 Kindle Edition, pp. 64-65; and Dr. Daniel Janosik, March 2, 2026, class lecture entitled, “Manuscript Evidence for the Bible.”
[89] Geisler and Nix, From God To Us Revised and Expanded, 2012 Kindle Edition, pp. 217-220.
[90] Much of this section is adapted from the gospel tract entitled, “The Straight Way to Eternal Life,” by the Straightway of Grace Ministries, unless otherwise noted.You can learn more about this ministry to Muslims at www.TheStraightWay.org.
[91] Verse taken from Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN, 2009 Smashwords Edition, pg. 164. All Qur’anic quotes are used by permission of Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC.
[93] Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN, 2009 Smashwords Edition, pg. 186.
[94] Verse taken from Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN, 2009 Smashwords Edition, pg. 185. All Qur’anic quotes are used by permission of Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC.
[95] Verse taken from Ibid., pg. 186. All Qur’anic quotes are used by permission of Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC.
[96] Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN, 2009 Smashwords Edition, pg. 185.
[97] Verse taken from Ibid., pg. 383. All Qur’anic quotes are used by permission of Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC.
[99] Verse taken from Dakdok, THE GENEROUS QUR’AN, 2009 Smashwords Edition, pg. 208. All Qur’anic quotes are used by permission of Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC.
[100] Verse taken from Ibid., pg. 154. All Qur’anic quotes are used by permission of Usama Dakdok Publishing, LLC.
[101] Geisler and Nix, From God To Us Revised and Expanded, 2012 Kindle Edition., pg. 204 refers to John Ryland’s Papyrus P52 fragment, the oldest New Testament Greek text (117-138 A.D.).
[102] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, 2002, pg. 238. Note: We do not include the Qur’an in this comparison, because it is only a medieval book (7th century A.D.)., whereas the New Testament is classified as an ancient book (1st century A.D.) – see Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam, 2002, pg. 238.
[103] Adapted from Geisler and Nix, From God To Us Revised and Expanded, 2012 Kindle Edition, pp. 60-64, 138; McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World, 2017 Kindle Edition, pp. 64-65; and Janosik, March 2, 2026, class lecture entitled, “Manuscript Evidence for the Bible.”
[104] Adapted from McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World, 2017 Kindle Edition, pg. 53 states that chart is adapted from Peter S. Cowe, “The Armenian Version of the New Testament,” in The Text of the New Testament in Contemporary Research: Essays on the Status Quaestionis, 2nd Ed., edited by Bart D. Ehrman and Michael W. Holmes (Leiden: Brill, 2013), pg. 256 and Janosik, March 2, 2026, class lecture entitled, “Manuscript Evidence for the Bible.”
[105]Ibid.
[106] Dakdok, Exposing the Truth about the Qur’an: The Revelation of Error,Volume 1, 2013 Smashwords Edition, pp. 20-21.
A comparison of the two largest faith communities in the world today
Introduction
I will never forget watching on TV the dreadful terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, that left nearly 3,000 people dead in New York City, Washington D.C., and Shanksville, PA. That night at an outdoor gathering of believers for prayer, it was eerie to look up at the sky and not see any airplanes. I thought to myself, will there be more attacks tonight or this week?
The televised images of death and destructiontook an emotional toll on many Americans, including this writer. Shock, sadness, fear, and anger were common emotional responses in the initial days following the attacks.
Just days after 9/11, then-President George W. Bush was concerned about possible repercussions against Muslims in the U.S., so he gave a speech to the Islamic Center in Washington, D. C., in which he declared: “Islam is peace.”[1] Similar words are echoed by many American Muslim scholars today who insist that Islam is a loving and peaceful religion.
“On September 20, 2001, President… Bush announced that the United States had declared war on ‘a radical network of terrorists and every government that supports them.’ The U.S. government initiated a Global War on Terror, sending troops to Afghanistan in October 2001 and later to Iraq.
“The 9/11 attacks prompted calls for new strategies to keep the nation safe. The USA PATRIOT Act, passed in October 2001, expanded the government’s intelligence-gathering tools and its ability to detain and deport immigrants suspected of terrorism. Many people continue to debate whether the methods used after 9/11 effectively protect national security without compromising civil liberties.[2]
The 9/11 attacks also continue to impact individuals’ health.“Immediately after the collapse of the Twin Towers, layers of thick gray dust and ash coated the site and surrounding areas. Days after the attack, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency declared the air in lower Manhattan safe, but the dust—made of destroyed building materials, industrial chemicals, and electronics mingled with jet fuel residue—was later determined to be hazardous.
“More than 400,000 survivors, first responders, rescue and recovery workers, cleaning crews, lower Manhattan residents, and others are estimated to have been exposed to these toxins on 9/11 or during the nine-month rescue and recovery operations at Ground Zero. Tens of thousands nationwide are now suffering from chronic illnesses, including respiratory diseases, mental health issues, and more than 100 different types of cancer. More than 2,000 of those exposed have died.” [3][emphasis added]
In January 2002, just months after the attacks, 83% of Americans said “defending the country from future terrorist attacks” was a top priority for the President and Congress, the highest for any issue. [4] But in a 2010 analysis by Pew Research Center, it was found that the share of Americans who were very concerned about another terrorist attack ranged from about 15% to roughly 25% since 2002. [5]
After 9/11, our “federal government moved quickly to develop a security framework to protect our country from large-scale attacks directed from abroad, while enhancing federal, state, and local capabilities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from threats and disasters at home. A key element of this framework included the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in March 2003, bringing together 22 separate agencies and offices into a single, Cabinet-level department.”[6]
Nearly 10 years after 9/11, plans were being made to have an Islamic cultural center (Park51 or Cordoba House), 2 ½ blocks from the location where the World Trade Center towers were destroyed by Islamist pilots. Plans leading up to the building of Park51 were confronted with resistance. On August 11, 2010, CNN released a poll showing 68% of Americans opposed the plan to build a mosque so close to where the World Trade Center used to stand, while 29% supported the plan. [7] Former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Newt Gingrich said, “The name ‘Cordoba House’ is a deliberately insulting term that refers to Cordoba, Spain – the capital of Muslim conquerors who symbolized their victory over the Christian Spaniards by transforming a church there into the world’s third-largest mosque complex.”[8] [emphasis added]
Then-President Barack Obama stated: “As a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan… This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable.” [9] A year later, Park51’s doors were opened on September 21, 2011. [10]
No matter how much our federal government tried to protect our country from terrorism since 9/11, it failed to address the truth about Islam. Unfortunately, Christian churches are not discovering and teaching the truth about Islam either. More about that later.
I believe 9/11 was meant to be a wakeup call for America. Yes, there was an increase in Americans turning to religion and faith soon after that horrendous attack, but that was short-lived. We have failed to increase our knowledge about Islam which has left us more vulnerable to the real threat that Islam has become, “not only to Christianity but to freedom of religion in general, and to our very way of life.”[11]
As the prophet Hosea said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”(Hosea 4:6). My prayer is that God will restore and strengthen His people as they grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18), which includes knowing the truth about Islam.
The Rise of Islam in America
Islam and Christianity are the two largest faith communities in the world. Reports indicate that there are over 2.4 billion people who identify themselves as Christians worldwide (29% of the 8.24 billion total world population), [12] which includes Catholics (50%), Protestants (37%), Orthodox (12%), and “other” (1%). [13]
It is estimated that there are over 2.05 billion people around the world who identify themselves as Muslims, which represents over 25% of the world’s total population of 8.2 billion people. [14]The two largest denominations within Islam are Sunni Muslims (87-90%) and Shia Muslims (10-13%). [15] These two denominations arose over the political dispute as to whom should be the first successor (Caliph) to Mohammed, the founding prophet of Islam. The Sunni Muslims argued that Mohammed’s successor should be elected, but the Shia Muslims insisted that he must come from Mohammed’s bloodline. [16]
Shia Muslims believe that God has given in addition to the prophet Mohammed, an infallible guide in religious matters called an Imam from the direct bloodline of Mohammed. They argue that “the twelfth of the line of Imams did not die, as his enemies assert, but like the Qur’anic Jesus, he was taken by God from human sight, and is in occultation [concealed]. He will return to earth as the Mahdi, the awaited messianic figure who … will bring the triumph of religion and herald the last judgment.”[17] [brackets and emphasis added]
Many sources say that Islam is now the fastest growing religion in the world. For example, from 2010 to 2020, the number of Muslims increased by 347 million to 2.0 billion people, whereas Christians grew by 122 million to 2.3 billion. [18] Amazingly, Muslims added more people during the decade (347 million) than all non-Muslim religions combined (248 million). [19] The rate of Muslim growth was the highest in North America, where Muslims numbered 5.9 million in 2020 (up 52%). [20]
When you compare the birth rates of Muslim families in America to non-Muslim American families, you will notice that Islamic families are growing at a faster rate, with the exception of Mormon families (2.8). Muslim women average 2.76 children whereas the average birth rate of Protestant (2.11) and Catholic (2.10) women in America is lower. [21] The reason I bring attention to this is because history shows that when Islam becomes the majority population in a country or region, it will seek to bring the rest of the population of that country under Sharia Law or Islamic Law either by force or political advancement.
For example, twenty-four years after the worst Islamic terrorist attack took place on U.S. soil, there are currently 275 mosques in New York City alone, including the one near Ground Zero. [22] These mosques are teaching from the book (the Qur’an) which spawned the beliefs and hatred that led to this heinous terrorist attack on the city in 2001. Estimates of the number of Muslims in New York City range from 750,000 to over 1 million. [23]
New York City has allowed “mosques (masjids) to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer [Adhan] on Fridays between 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. without obtaining a permit and despite sound restrictions in city neighborhoods… [This] also allows the call to prayer to be broadcast in the evenings during Ramadan, the month-long period of fasting and prayer for the Muslim community.”[24] [brackets added]
Minneapolis, MN, was the first major city in America to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer five times per day,[25] starting at 3:30 a.m. and as late as 11 p.m. [26] Other cities that include the public broadcast of the Muslim call to prayer five times per day include Dearborn, MI; Hamtramck, MI (the first majority Muslim city in the U.S. [27]); and Astoria, New York. [28]
Think about this. We have pastors and priests, and even students in America that cannot pray acknowledging the God of the Bible at public school graduations or before football games using the P.A. system, but now we have Muslims who can use the P.A. system for their call to prayer across cities. [29]
What does this Muslim call to prayer say? This call to prayer is known as the Adhan which is Arabic for “to listen.” The call to prayer is in Arabic. Here is the English translation of the Arabic call to prayer:
Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! (Allah is bigger[30] [than your God]! Allah is bigger [than your God]!) Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! (Allah is bigger [than your God]! Allah is bigger [than your God]!)
Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah. (I bear witness that there is no god [worthy of worship] except Allah.) Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah. (I bear witness that there is no god [worthy of worship] except Allah.)
Ashadu anna Muhammadan Rasool Allah. (I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.) Ashadu anna Muhammadan Rasool Allah. (I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.)
Hayya ‘ala-s-Salah. Hayya ‘ala-s-Salah. (Hurry to the prayer. Hurry to the prayer.) Hayya ‘ala-l-Falah. Hayya ‘ala-l-Falah. (Hurry to success. Hurry to success.)
Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! (Allah is bigger [than your God]! Allah is bigger [than your God]!) La ilaha illa Allah. (There is no god [worthy of worship] except Allah.) [brackets added [31] ]
This Islamic call to prayer is intended to show “power and control over a country.” The Adhan declares the supremacy of the god of Islam known as Allah and is considered a “warlike declaration.”[32]
Usama Dakdok, an Egyptian born Christian who speaks fluent Arabic and has translated the Qur’an into English, states that the Arabic word ‘Akbar’ means ‘bigger’ not ‘great’.The phrase ‘Allahu Akbar’ cannot be taken from the life of the Muslim because it’s in every prayer. The shouting of this phrase was used by the founding prophet of Islam, Mohammed, and early Muslim jihadis to seize villages and cities. The use of ‘Allahu Akbar,’ meant that Allah is bigger than any other god or entity and it is used to strike terror in the hearts of individuals.[33]
Many terrorist attacks against non-Muslims include “Allahu akbar!” [“Allah is bigger or greater!”] being shouted by the attackers as a means of justifying or motivating their violent actions. Examples include a man on April 18, 2017, went on a shooting spree in Fresno, CA, murdering four men and during his arrest shouting, “Allahu akbar!”[34] A Canadian citizen stabbed a police officer in the back and neck while shouting “Allahu Adbar!” at an international airport in Flint, MI, in June 2017. [35] On October 31, 2017, a man rented a truck and drove it down a bike path in Lower Manhattan, New York, killing eight people and injuring a dozen others as he shouted, “Allahu Adbar!” [36] An orthodox Jewish man walking to his synagogue was shot in the back in Chicago, IL, by a man shouting “Allahu akbar!” on October 24, 2024. [37]
On August 27, 2025, a mass shooting took place at a Minneapolis Catholic School Mass, killing two schoolchildren and injuring at least 21 others. [38] The mass shooter left a series of videos online, including one video which consisted of several gun magazines (possibly used in the shooting) with written messages on them, including, “Donald Trump must die,” “6 million wasn’t enough” (a holocaust reference), “Israel must fall” (Naziism)and“Masha’allah,” an Arabic term meaning “what Allah has willed.” Anni Cyrus, born and raised in Iran, believes this mass shooter was a display of the Red-Green Axis[39] in action. She said that the mass shooter was not a convert or practicing Muslim but was a soldier of the Red-Green Axis. Why did this 23-year-old transgender man attack a Catholic School? Some think because he was a transgender and hated Donald Trump. But Cyrus believes he also attacked Catholics because Islam considers them to be infidels (i.e., non-Muslims). [40]
On June 24, 2025, the people of New York City chose in their primary elections an Islamic mayoral candidate to represent the Democratic party whose name is Zohran Kwame Mamdani.[41] [Editor’s Note: Mamdani won the mayoral election in November 2025 [42]] What you probably will not hear from mainstream media is that Mamdani is a Shia Muslim which is the same as the official state religion of Iran. He is a member of the most militant Muslim sect who believe their twelfth Imam, their Muslim Messiah, will come back during a time of great chaos here on earth to usher in judgment. The Shia Muslims’ mission is to hasten the return of this twelfth Imam, by creating maximum chaos through wars, revolutions, and terrorism. The Iranian regime is not politically motivated, but religiously motivated to cause trouble wherever they go. They seek to destroy Jews and Christians. [43]
Mamdani’s parents are anti-Israel activists. His mother, Mira Nair, is a filmmaker. His father, Mahmood Mamdani is a professor at Columbia University and participated in pro-Hamas rallies there recently. Mahmood works closely with people from the Liberation Road Socialists and the pro-Chinese Maoists, which started Black Lives Matter. Their son, Zohran, is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. These affiliations are leaders of the defund police and George Floyd movements. [44] If Mamdani is elected mayor of New York City, how will his leadership impact the morale of the New York City police department and the well-fare of its non-Muslim residents?
Like his parents, Zohran Mamdani, is an anti-Israel activist. He said he would have Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he ever comes to New York City. [45] This mayoral hopeful also said he won’t condemn the globalizing of the Intifada [46] – an Arabic word meaning “uprising” and is used in reference to intense Palestinian protests against Israel, mainly in the form of violent terrorism. [47] He also said that Israel has no right to exist as a state. [48] Such statements are consistent with the hatred Islam has toward Israel.
New York City is not the only place where Islam is infiltrating. It is spreading across America. As of 2024, over 2,700 mosques exist in the United States of America.[49] A mosque is the place of worship and instruction for Muslims.
Bill Warner states that Christian universities are playing an important part in the Islamification of America.[50] Instead of teaching the truth about Islam, Christian universities are focusing on being nice to Muslims and avoiding conversations that would be uncomfortable for them. For example, Vanderbilt University’s Muslim Student Association (MSA) invited an FBI counter-terrorism expert to speak to the university. The student president of the MSA introduced himself saying that Islam had in essence won the state of Tennessee (which some used to call the “buckle” of the Bible belt), because evangelical and fundamental churches have accepted that Islam is a valid and true religion. He went on to say that all Muslims in Tennessee need to do now is to immigrate and have children, that the situation and future there were affirmed.
A former FBI agent who was a friend of Warner’s and accompanied him to this meeting, asked the FBI counter-terrorist expert if she had ever read the Qur’an. She replied, “No, but I have had some verses of the Qur’an explained to me.” Warner’s friend then asked, “Are you familiar with the Hadith [a written record of Mohammed’s words and actions]?” “No,” she replied. “Have you read the Sirah [biography or life journey of Mohammed]?” he asked. “No,” she answered. She said she knew a little about Sharia Law. “Basically,” Warner says, “what we have here is our ‘expert’ was profoundly ignorant.” [brackets added]
Warner then said, “Three days after 9/11, church phones began to ring and the message said, ‘Hello, I am Ahmed, and we would like to come to your church and give a talk on Islam – the peaceful religion.’” Think about that. Just three days after what we would call a massive public relations disaster, churches were the target of a new push to Islamify America. And amazingly, churches took them up on the deal. And so began the Bridge Building / Interfaith gathering movement. Stop for a moment and process this with me. Following up just three days after the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil shows how brilliant Islam’s strategy is to reach a consensus. How many other religions did this? My guess is very few if any.
Warner and his wife attended the first interfaith gathering in Nashville, TN, which consisted of one Rabbi, one Christian minister, and one Muslim who was an Imam. After each one presented their own point of view, Warner’s wife asked the Christian minister, “Have you ever read the Qur’an?” “Well, no, but I intend to,” he replied. Then the Rabbi was asked, “Have you ever read the Qur’an?” “No, I have not,” he said. Then the Imam was asked, “Have you read the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible?” The Imam replied, “Oh, yes. I’ve had several courses in it.” Then the Imam was asked, “Have you read the New Testament?” He said, “Yes, I have. I’ve had several courses in it as well.” How is this going to play out? Two representatives that were professionally ignorant, and one who knows everything.
Warner said that the Christian minister and the Rabbi were there to smile and be nice. They were not going to resist anything that the Imam told them. The first thing the Imam told them was that Jesus was in the Qur’an. The truth is there is a character named Isā in the Qur’an, but not Jesus. The Jesus of the Bible is not the same as Isā in the Qur’an. The Qur’an says that Isā was created from dust like Adam (Qur’an 3:59), he was not God or the Son of God (Qur’an 5:17, 72-73, 116; 9:30-31; 17:111; 19:34-35), nor did he die on the cross and rise from the dead (Qur’an 4:157-159). But the problem is the Christian minister did not know enough about Islam to push back on this.
The first Palm Sunday after 9/11, the pastor of a very large church in Nashville, TN, stood up and told the congregation that he had a new best friend, who was a local Imam. The concern is that on a Palm Sunday, he was thrilled to have this Imam as a new best friend, but during his sermon he never mentioned Jesus. Warner concludes that what he sees in Nashville, TN, is that the strongest supporters of Islam are the churches.
Why is this so important? Warner states that the American Muslim Advisory Council (AMAC) in Nashville, TN, was put in charge of training the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and the highway patrol on the subject of terrorism. Warner listened to a recording of this entire event and said that the Muslim trainer basically preached the dawahwhich is the Islamic practice of inviting people to embrace the faith of Islam. It involves communicating the message of the Qur’an and the teachings of their Prophet Mohammed, promoting Islamic beliefs, and demonstrating exemplary behavior and good conduct.
Suppose you were a member of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and after that meeting, you go to your church and tell them you just learned that Muslims and Christians worship the same God. “Is that true?” you ask. And the church leaders reply, “Oh, yes, it is very true.” So, what is being done here is churches are believing the falseness that Islamists are presenting as truth. Why are churches doing this? Because they are ignorant about the truth of Islam. They have not read the Qur’an nor the Hadith. Their lack of knowledge is making them vulnerable to deception.
Another example is a Presbyterian pastor in Nashville, TN, who was invited to visit the country of Turkey by the equivalent of the Turkey Muslim Brotherhood who also paid for his trip. When he returned to the U.S., he wrote an article in the Nashville newspaper which expressed his elation about Islam. He basically said if this is what Islam is, then we must embrace it. Bring on all the Islam that you want. However, it took a Hindu (not a Christian) to write an opposing opinion to this minister’s article in the newspaper, which informed the readers that this pastor was walking in the graveyard of Christianity, and he did not know it. This Hindu writer informed this pastor that everything appears to be fine in Turkey, because Turkey’s history shows that all is fine now because the Christians had been eliminated by Islam.
Why did a Hindu have to push back on the Christian minister’s conclusion? Because Christian leaders and churches are not being taught the truth about Islam in Christian seminaries or universities. Instead, they are being taught a falseness that says Islam is a loving and peaceful religion.
Let’s go to Plano, Texas, where the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC) has a “402-acre master plan near Josephine, Texas, known as EPIC City. Marketed as a peaceful, self-sustained Muslim community, its design is far more ambitious: a mosque, school system, senior housing, a college, commercial centers — even law offices that align with Islamic legal doctrine. Over a thousand homes, all structured under the banner of a singular religious identity. The project’s ideological architect, Yasir Qadhi — a name familiar to many of us who have long warned about his agenda — is openly calling it ‘EPIC 1.0’ and ‘2.0’ with the goal of making this model replicable across North America.” [51] [emphasis added]
“Yasir Qadhi, is no moderate. He’s not even quietly radical. He is openly hostile to democracy, pluralism, and Western civilization as we know it. Qadhi has stated, verbatim, that: ‘No Supreme Court, no system of government, no democracy where they vote… What gives you the right to prohibit something or allow something?’ (Yasir Qadhi, public lecture—archived and transcribed by MEMRI and various Islamic watchdogs)
“This is not a fringe interpretation. Qadhi is telling you plainly: democracy is illegitimate. In his own words: ‘To believe that it is permissible to follow a system of laws other than the Sharia negates one’s testimony of Islam.’ (Yasir Qadhi, [IlmSummit 2008], widely cited in scholarly critiques of political Islam)
“According to Qadhi’s ideology, any Muslim who believes in constitutional law, religious tolerance, or separation of church and state has rejected Islam and is to be considered an apostate. And what happens to apostates under Sharia? Qadhi doesn’t shy away: ‘Yes, under the Islamic law, apostasy is a crime punishable by death. That is the consensus of the scholars.’ (Yasir Qadhi, Islamic Awareness Conference, 2009)
“This is not religion. This is totalitarian theocracy. Qadhi’s record includes:
· Referring to Christians as “filthy polytheists” whose lives “hold no value” in jihad. (Islamic seminar, 2006)
· Justifying the killing of homosexuals and apostates under Islamic law. (Islamic Center of Tennessee, recorded lectures)
· Fundraising for Aafia Siddiqui, the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist convicted of attempting to kill U.S. soldiers. (2008 fundraising dinner, documented by IPT)
· Denying the Holocaust, only to later “clarify” under pressure. (2001 online post, now deleted, archived by critics)
· Praising the Taliban and calling for a jihad-aligned worldview to be nurtured among American Muslims.” [52]
“During a recent segment on Brannon Howse Live, we examined footage of Islamic schools in Texas that teach skewed geopolitical narratives, including maps that effectively erase Israel, labeling the entire region ‘Palestine.’ Boys and girls separated. Hijabs mandatory. And the teachings go far beyond religion — they push a worldview that prioritizes Islamic law, Sharia, over American principles.
“While they build, they also infiltrate — demanding curriculum changes in public schools, fighting for Islamic holidays in school calendars, and even leveraging county and city officials, including the mayor of Plano, to normalize this takeover as ‘interfaith collaboration.’ But this isn’t about faith. It’s about power.
“Let’s be brutally honest: Islamists are using our freedoms to gain control and silence resistance. Free speech? They weaponize it to promote intolerance under the banner of tolerance. Freedom of religion? They invoke it to demand special privileges — while marginalizing every other belief system that doesn’t align. And anyone who speaks up? Labeled ‘Islamophobic,’ smeared, threatened, even hunted.
“… Now the movement is turning bold. Bolder than ever. With over 260 Sharia-aligned Muslims already elected to office in this country — and projections showing that number will climb toward 300 by 2026 — we’re facing something far more dangerous than just ‘cultural differences.’ This is political Islam. Organized. Funded. Protected by lawfare. And it will not stop at Texas.” [53][emphasis added]
Conclusion
Since 9/11, Islam has slowly but surely infiltrated [not immigrated into] American society.This article is just scratching the surface of Islam’s influence in America. Like never before, Christians must be equipped to address the truth about Islam. Lord willing, in the coming months, we will compare Islamic beliefs and practices with Christian beliefs and practices: [54]
The Qur’an or the Bible? (Two different Scriptures)
Tawhid or the Trinity? (Two different Gods)
Mohammed or Jesus Christ? (Two different Founders)
Sharia or the Gospel? (Two different Solutions)
Jihad or the Crusades? (Two different holy wars)
Witnessing to Muslims
The burden of my heart is to equip Christians to better communicate the love of Jesus Christ for all people, especially Muslims, through the gospel or good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8; I John 4:9-10). And also, I am deeply burdened to inform Muslims of the Christian perspective so they may come to the point of receiving Jesus’ life freely through faith alone in Him alone (John 3:14-16; 4:10-14; 10:10a; Rom. 6:23b), and then begin to experience His life abundantly through discipleship (John 8:30-32; 10:10b; 13:34-35; 15:1-8; et al.).
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Retrieved on September 5, 2025, from Hannah Hartig and Carroll Doherty’s September 2, 2021, article entitled, “Two Decades Later, the Enduring Legacy of 9/11,” at www.pewresearch.org.
[2] Retrieved on September 5, 2025, from “Repercussions of 9/11” at www.911memorial.org.
[4] Retrieved on September 5, 2025, from Hannah Hartig and Carroll Doherty’s September 2, 2021, article entitled, “Two Decades Later, the Enduring Legacy of 9/11,” at www.pewresearch.org.
[6] Retrieved on September 5, 2025, from “Implementing 9/11 Commission Recommendations,” at www.dhs.gov.
[7] Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from Britannica’s article entitled, “WTC Muslim Center,” which cites CNN Opinion Research Poll, Opinion Research Corporation, Aug. 11, 2010, at www.britannica.com.
[8] Ibid., cites Newt Gingrich, “Statement on Proposed Mosque/Islamic Community Center near Ground Zero,” www.newt.org, July 21, 2010.
[9] Ibid., cites Barack Obama, “Remarks by the President at Iftar Dinner,” www.whitehouse.gov, Aug. 13, 2010.
[10] Retrieved on August 31, 2025, from September 21, 2011, Associated Press article entitled, “Park51 Islamic Center Near Ground Zero Opens Its Doors,” atwww.nbcnewyork.com.
[11] Norman L. Geisler and Abdul Saleeb, Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the CrossSecond Ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1993, 2002), pg. 7.
[13] Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from Gina Zurlo’s article, “World Christianity: It’s annual statistical table time!” at www.omsc.ptsem.edu; Haruto Nakamura’s July 1, 2024, article, entitled, “Global Christian Population: How Many Christians Are in the World?” at www.hotbot.com; Pam Wasserman’s January 12, 2024, article entitled, “World Population by Religion: A Global Tapestry of Faith,” at www.populationeducation.org.
[14] Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from “Global Muslim Population,” at www.timesprayer.com.
[16] Geisler and Saleeb, Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the CrossSecond Ed., pg. 295.
[17] Ibid., pg. 296 cites John Alden Williams, Islam (New York: George Braziller, 1962), pp. 224-225. Geisler and Saleeb also state, “For two recent sympathetic works on Shi’ite Islam, written by Shi’ite scholars, see…” Moojan Momen, An Introduction to Shi’ite Islam: The History and Doctrines of Twelver Shi’ism (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1985) and Abdulaziz Sachedina, Islamic Messianism: The Idea of Mahdi in Twelver Shi’ism (Albany, NY.: NY.” State University of New York Press, 1981).
[18] Retrieved on August 30, 2025, from Conrad Hackett’s Jun 10, 2025, article entitled, “Islam was the world’s fastest-growing religion from 2010 to 2020,” from www.pewresearch.org.
[20] Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from the June 9, 2025, report by Conrad Hackett, Marcin Stonawski, Yunping Tong, Stephanie Dramer, Anne Shi, and Dalia Fahmy, entitled, “3. Muslim population change,” at www.pewresearch.org.
[21] Retrieved on August 31, 2025, from Ryan Burge’s October 4, 2021, article entitled, “The Future Of American Religion: Birth Rates Show Who’s Having More Kids,” at www.religionunplugged.com.
[22] Retrieved from Clement Lisi’s August 23, 2023, article entitled, “New York Mosques Can Broadcast Call To Prayer Without A Permit,” at www.religionunplugged.com.
[23] Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from Ira Stoll’s September 1, 2025, article, “New York City May Now Have More Muslims Than Jews,” at www.theeditors.com; Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from “Islam in New York City, “ at www.en.wikipedia.org.
[24] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from Celina Tebor’s CNN August 29, 2023, article entitled, “New York City mosques can now broadcast Muslim call to prayer on Friday afternoons without permit,” at www.cnn.com.
[25] These five daily prayers are obligatory for all Muslims and are one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
[26] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from Amy Mek’s April 13, 2023, update entitled, “Minneapolis Becomes First U.S. City to Blast Islamic Call to Prayer Five Times a Day, Starting at 3:30 am (Update),” at www.rairfoundation.com.
[27] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from Zhaoyin Feng’s November 15, 2021, article entitled, “The US city run by Muslim Americans,” at www.bbc.com.
[28] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from Kalpana Jain’s June 21, 2023, article entitled, “Islam’s call to prayer is ringing out in more US cities – affirming a long and growing presence of Muslims in America,” at www.theconversation.com.
[29] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from Brannon Howse’s, June 1, 2023, program entitled, “Students Cannot Pray Over P.A. System Before Football Games But Muslims Can Use P.A. System For Islamic Call to Prayer,” at www.worldviewtube.com.
[31] Brackets added by Fair Foundation USA, see Mek’s April 13, 2023, update entitled, “Minneapolis Becomes First U.S. City to Blast Islamic Call to Prayer Five Times a Day, Starting at 3:30 am (Update),” at www.rairfoundation.com.
[34] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from AP news article on April 18, 2017, entitled, “Deadly spree shooting in central California racially motivated, police say,” at www.cbc.ca. The police say it was not terrorism, but a racially motivated shooting even though the shooter shouted, “Allahu akbar!” during his arrest.
[35] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from BBC news article entitled, “Michigan airport knife attacker shouted ‘Allahu akbar,’ says FBI,” at www.bbc.com.
[36] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from Robert Spencer’s November 2, 2017, article entitled, “NY Deputy Police Commissioner: ‘This isn’t about Islam, this isn’t about the mosque he attends,’” at www.worldviewtube.comand from May 17, 2023, article entitled, “Judge Imposes Eight Consecutive Life Sentences Plus 260 Years in Prison for ISIS-Inspired 2017 Murder of Eight Victims and Attempted Murder of 18 Others in NYC Truck Attack,” at www.justice.gov.
[37] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from NBC news article on November 1, 2024 entitled, “Hate crime and terrorism charges filed after Jewish man shot in ‘targeted’ attack,” at www.nbcnews.com.
[38] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from an AP September 7, 2025, article entitled, “Hundreds mourn 8-year old, who was killed in a mass shooting at a Minneapolis Church,” atwww.abcnews.go.com.
[39] Red-Green Axis refers to an alliance between Communist, Marxists, Socialists, Liberals (Red) and Islam (Green). Their goal is to bring America down – see Aynaz Anni Cyrus’ February 19, 2019, program entitled, “Former Muslim on Red-Green Axis Behind Interfaith Dialogue,” at www.worldviewtube.com.
[40] Retrieved on September 8, 2025, from Brannon Howse’s August 29, 2025, program with Anni Cyrus entitled, “Unveiling the Red-Green Axis: From Minneapolis to Venezuela, Exposing Global Threats and Cultural Shifts,” at www.worldviewtube.com.
[41] Ryan King and Carl Campanile’s June 29, 2025, article entitled, “Zohran Mamdani doubles down on plan to target ‘whiter neighborhoods’ with higher taxes — and says billionaires shouldn’t exist,” at www.nypost.com; Joseph Ax’s June 29, 2025, article entitled, “New York mayoral candidate Mamdani defends campaign despite Democratic unease,” at www.reuters.com.
[42] See updated November 5, 2025 article by Rachel Treisman and Brian Mann entitled, “Mamdani wins New York City mayoral race, in a historic victory for progressives,” at www.npr.org or at this LINK.
[43] Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from the June 25, 2025, Brannon Howse Live interview with Islamic expert Trevor Loudon entitled, “Unmasking Zohran Mamdani: Marxist, Islamist, and the New York Mayoral Race,” at www.worldviewtube.com.
[47] Retrieved on September 6, 2025, from the June 25, 2025, article entitled, “What Does ‘Globalize the Intifada’ Mean and How Can it Lead to Targeting Jews with Violence?” at ajc.org.
[48] Jill Colvin’s June 29, 2025, article entitled, “How Democrats in America’s most Jewish city embraced a critic of Israel for New York mayor,” at www.apnews.com.
[49] Retrieved on August 30, 2025, from March 12, 2024, article entitled, “Mosques: A fixture of America’s cultural landscape,” at www.archive-share.america.gov.
[50] The following ten paragraphs are adapted from Brannon Howse’s August 6, 2019, interview with Bill Warner entitled, “Christian Universities Aiding in the Islamization of America,” at www.worldviewtube.com.
[51] Retrieved on September 10, 2025, from Aynaz Anni Cyrus’ May 1, 2025, article entitled, “Texas, We Have a Problem: Sharia is coming to town,” at www.thefrontpagemag.com.
[52] Retrieved on September 10, 2025, from Aynaz Anni Cyrus’ May 2, 2025, article entitled, “EPIC City – Caliphate Blueprint USA: Welcome to a community in Texas – where the Constitution is not welcome,” at www.thefrontpagemag.com.
[53] Retrieved on September 10, 2025, from Aynaz Anni Cyrus’ May 1, 2025, article entitled, “Texas, We Have a Problem: Sharia is coming to town,” at www.thefrontpagemag.com.
[54] These categories of comparison are adapted from Nabeel Qureshi, No God but One: Allah or Jesus?A Former Muslim Investigates the Evidence for Islam and Christianity (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016 Kindle Edition).
In Frank Peretti’s book, Piercing the Darkness, [1] he emphasizes with his literary style the importance of prayer in our Christian lives. Peretti graphically depicts prayer as a powerful tool that impacts the outcome of spiritual battles between God’s holy angels who minister to God’s people and carry out the plan of God, and the fallen angels who want to do the will and plan of Satan. As Christians pray, God’s angels are strengthened and demons are hindered,resulting in victory over the rulers of the kingdom of darkness. Conversely, when there is a lack of prayer among God’s people, demonic forces expand their influence and achieve victory over the angels of God.
This brings to mind the Old Testament picture of prayer in Exodus 17:8-16 when Moses was leading the children of Israel through the wilderness, and they were camped at Rephidim. After the Lord solved a water crisis by having Moses strike a rock so that water came out of it for the thirsty Israelites to drink (Exod. 17:1-7), another crisis arose involving the Amalekites.
The people of Amalek came out to attack Israel (Exod. 17:8). Moses instructed Joshua to choose some men for battle (Exod. 17:9a). While Joshua led the troops, Moses stood on the top of a hill with his shepherd’s staff (“rod”) overlooking the battlefield with Aaron and Hur next to him (Exod. 17:10). When Moses held up his hand high holding his staff, Israel prevailed against the Amalekites. But whenever Moses let down his tired hands for a rest, Amalek prevailed (Exod. 17:11). What happened on the battlefield was inseparably connected to what Moses did up on the hill. Moses was making spiritual intercession while Israel’s soldiers were fighting. To prevail against enemy attack, Moses had to make contact with heaven (through prayer) and Joshua and his men had to take responsibility for their actions by fighting against the Amalekites. [2]
Eventually Moses’ hands and arms became tired, so they gave him a stone to sit on while Aaron and Hur stood on either side of Moses and supported his hands (Exod. 17:12). By doing this, they helped Moses keep God’s staff held high all day long, and Joshua and his men defeated Amalek (Exod. 17:13).
What a wonderful picture this is of intercessory prayer. Just as Joshua couldn’t defeat the Amalekites by himself, nor could Moses engage in spiritual warfare by himself. Israel was victorious because of intercessory prayer. God told Moses to write this victory down so he and the people of Israel (and us) would not forget that the Lord is the One Who can defeat their enemies and give them victory (Exod. 17:14-16).
This is what we have been learning in this series on spiritual warfare. We have focused on the victory that God has provided for Christians over the powers of darkness (Eph. 1:7-14, 19-23; 2:4-7; et al.). This is victory that we are to appropriate and use in our daily battle with the Devil and his kingdom of darkness.
Our union with Christ gives us the strength we need in this spiritual battle. [3] Repeatedly in the book of Ephesians, the apostle Paul refers to our union with Jesus by using the phrases “in Him” (Eph. 1:4, 7, 10-11, 13), “in whom” (Eph. 1:13; 2:21-22; 3:12, 15; 4:16), or “in Christ” (1:3, 10, 20; 2:6-7, 10, 13; 3:6, 11; 4:32). The apostle Paul writes, “be strong in the Lord…” (Eph. 6:10a). Jesus has already won the battle over the kingdom of darkness. We are to daily appropriate this victory in our Christian lives.
The Person, power, and ministry of the Holy Spirit also gives us the enablement we need in spiritual warfare (Eph. 1:13-14; 2:18, 22; 3:5, 16; 4:3-4, 23-32; 5:8-9, 18-19; 6:17-18). Paul writes, “be strong… in the power of His might” (Eph. 6:10b). Christians cannot experience the victory Jesus has already won for us apart from yielding to the control of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18).
The Whole Armor of God
For the past year, we have looked at “the whole armor of God” (Eph. 6:10-17). God wants every Christian to wear “the whole armor of God” so we may stand against the “wiles” or trickery of the Devil (Eph. 6:11). The first three pieces of armor we have with us all of the time [4] (“having girded… put on… shod…” – Eph. 6:14-15). [5]This is the state we are always in. But the last three pieces of armor we are called to take and use as needed [6](“taking … take…” Eph. 6:16-17), [7] especially “in the evil day” (Eph. 6:13b) when all hell breaks loose and seeks to steal, kill, and destroy us (John 10:10a).
Paul describes the armor that Roman infantrymen wore in the order they would put it on. The soldier first puts on his belt which represents the Christian’s belt of truth (Eph. 6:14a). Since Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44), this first piece of armor is essential to protecting us from Satan’s deceptions and lies. We learned that truth is God’s viewpoint on a subject. It is the absolute standard by which reality is measured in its original form. [8]Truth points us in the direction that God wants to lead us.
After putting on his belt, the soldier then puts on his breastplate which protects his vital organs in his chest region. “The breastplate” (Eph. 6:14b) we are to put on is “righteousness” (dikaiosunē) which refers to the quality of “being right.” [9]God’s truth is the informational base that tells us the right thing to do. The truth points our heart in the direction of God’s righteousness. The breastplate of righteousness is our response to God’s truth or viewpoint on a matter.
When God’s truth and righteousness are operative in our lives, it will lead to the next piece of armor which is feet shod with the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15). We are often faced with a myriad of choices and decisions in life, but how do we know we have made the right choices or decisions? How do we know we are moving in the right direction? How do we know we have the right perspective on a matter? God’s peace will confirm it. The Lord will give us a deep-seated calm to move forward (“feet” suggest movement) with a decision even though hell may be breaking loose in our lives.
As we experience God’s peace as a result of His truth and righteousness being operative in our lives, we can then see our faith in God renewed and strengthened. This leads to the fourth piece of armor which is “the shield of faith” which can protect us from “all” the flaming arrows of the evil one that he uses to cause us to doubt our Christian faith (Eph. 6:16). The shield is the object of our faith. And God is our shield (cf. Gen. 15:1b; Psa. 5:12; 18:30). As we rely on God’s presence, the substitutionary death and life of Jesus (Rom. 5:9-10; Gal. 2:20), and God’s holy angels to protect us, we can stand our ground when all hell breaks loose against us. As we worship the Lord by faith individually and corporately (as pictured by Roman soldiers interlocking their shields before and above them in warfare), our faith is renewed and strengthened so that the flaming arrows of the powers of darkness are extinguished.
The next piece of armor we are to take up is the “helmet of salvation” (Eph. 6:17a). This powerful piece of spiritual armor protects and directs our thoughts, so our lives are filled with hope. Satan wants us to lose hope about our past salvation from the penalty of sin (Acts 16:31; Eph. 2:8-9), our present salvation from the power of sin (Phil. 2:12; Jas. 1:21-22), and our future salvation from the presence of sin (I Thess. 1:10; 4:13-5:11; I John 3:2-3). But when we put on the helmet of salvation, our hope is renewed and we can stand in the victory God has already given us with regard to our past, present, and future.
The sixth and final piece of armor we are to put on or take up is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Eph. 6:17b). This is the only offensive piece of spiritual armor God has given us and it is sufficient to overcome all the powers of darkness. This piece of armor is used by the Holy “Spirit” to cut and slice up the enemy (Heb. 4:12). It refers to the spoken “word [rhēma] of God” which has the power in Itself to do what it declares (cf. Gen. 1:2b-3). It is not enough to know the Word. We must declare it to the enemy. This is what Jesus did when He defeated the Devil who tempted Christ in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-11).
This is also what God instructed Joshua to do before he led the Israelites to conquer the inhabitants of the land of Canaan: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but youshall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Josh. 1:8). The way for God’s word not “to depart from your mouth” is to “meditate in it day and night.”“To meditate on something is to roll it over and over in your mind in much the same way that a cow chews its cud. When you do, the Word of God is driven deeply into your soul so that your actions [and words] can be driven by God’s perspective rather than your feelings or cultural opinion.” [10][brackets added]
When Jesus prepared His disciples for coming persecution (Matt. 10:16-42), He encouraged them by saying, “19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” (Matt. 10:19-20). Christ predicted that His followers would be brought before governing authorities (Matt. 10:17). And when they were, they were not to fret about what to say, because the Holy Spirit would speak in and through them about King Jesus. And the same Spirit will enable us to speak Christ’s message to those who oppose Him and His kingdom.
The “Allness” of Prayer
The apostle Paul concludes his teaching on spiritual warfare by emphasizing the “allness” of prayer (Eph. 6:10-18). [11]After addressing each piece of spiritual armor, the apostle writes, “…praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” (Eph. 6:18). The implication is that we put on each piece of armor through prayer. When?
“Always.” We are to pray the armor of God when we feel like it and when we don’t; when life is smooth and when it is stormy. Pray the armor of God “always” on every occasion. If we are going to produce much fruit for the Lord, we must make prayer a top priority (John 15:7-8).
Notice the passion of prayer when Paul writes, “with all prayer and supplication.” There are many different kinds of prayer – praise, worship, doctrinal, resisting the enemy, supplication (bind oneself to the Lord for an answer), and intercessory prayers, etc.
We are to pray “in the Spirit” which refers to praying in the strength of the One Who comes alongside us to help us (cf. “Helper” [Paraklētos] in John 14:16, 25). This means we pray in harmony with the Spirit of God which is according to the will of God revealed in Scripture. The Holy Spirit is “the Spirit of truth” (John 14:17) and He never contradicts the teaching of Jesus Who is “the truth” (John 14:6) nor the truth of God’s Word (John 17:17). It also means we are under the control of the Holy Spirit Who prays according to the will of God on our behalf (Rom. 8:26-27).
Prayer is to be “watchful” (agrupneō). This is a military term in the context of spiritual warfare. It means “to be vigilant in awareness of threatening peril… be on the alert … be on guard.” [12] It is like a soldier on duty to protect the encampment of his fellow soldiers. He gives an advanced warning that the enemy is coming. His duty is always to be alert, never to go to sleep. He is to use his watchfulness to protect his fellow soldiers as they sleep.
Likewise, Christians are to use their watchfulness in prayer to protect one another. When we see the enemy attacking another brother or sister in Christ, we are to pray the armor of God over that person. There is really not much we can say to that believer when they are in the heat of battle. But we can bring him or her before the throne of grace (Heb. 4:15-16) and ask the Lord to intervene in his or her life to deliver them from the powers of darkness.
Paul then speaks of the perseverance of prayer when he says to pray “with all perseverance and supplication.” What does that mean? It means you don’t give up. You keep praying until God answers your prayers.
Remember when Daniel had been praying and fasting for three weeks and then he received an incredible vision of a glorious man (Dan. 10:1-9)? The angel of God that had been sent to Daniel when he first began praying and fasting three weeks earlier finally arrived (Dan. 10:10-12). The reason it took the angel three weeks to come to Daniel was because “the [demonic] prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood” him for three weeks – the entire time Daniel had been praying and fasting (Dan. 10:13a). This demonic prince of Persia was so powerful it took “Michael, one of the chief princes” [of the angels of God] to help this angel who had been battling the demonic “kings of Persia” (Dan. 10:13b). By virtue of his strength, the angel battling the kingdom of darkness prevailed and came to Daniel to strengthen him so he could receive the revelation that follows in chapters 11 and 12 of Daniel (cf. Dan 10:15-19).
What if Daniel had not persevered in prayer during those three weeks? He would not have received the incredible prophecy regarding the future. Brothers and sisters, we must not give up in praying for one another.
Next the apostle speaks of the panorama of prayer when he says, “for all the saints.” This phrase includes us, our spouses, our children, our grandchildren, our parents, our siblings, our Christians brothers and sisters in our local churches and around the world, our governmental leaders and world leaders across the globe. We begin to pray for fellow believers in Ukraine and Russia, in China and Iran, and wherever the Lord leads us to pray. Spiritual warfare praying has a very broad application.
Finally, Paul speaks of the projection of prayer when he writes, [praying] “for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel.” (Eph. 6:19). Observe that spiritual warfare prayer impacts the words (“utterance”) of a powerful “gospel” message which conveys the manifold grace of God (cf. Eph. 1:6-14; 2:4-9). He asks them to pray, “that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel.” The powers of darkness want to silence the mouth of the apostle Paul (and all believers), but he asks his readers to pray for him to speak “boldly” so he can “make known the mystery of the gospel” to those he has contact with during his first imprisonment in Rome [13] while under house arrest chained to a Roman soldier (Eph. 3:1; 4:1; 6:20; cf. Acts 28:30). [14] This request from Paul suggests he may have been afraid to share the gospel at this time. Having boldness does not mean the absence of fear. It is overcoming fear by relying on the Holy Spirit to speak through us (cf. Matt. 10:18-20).
We can enter into the ministry of the Holy Spirit through spiritual warfare prayer. We are to pray this way for each other and for those who preach the gospel to the unsaved. We must pray this way for our spiritual leaders in our local churches and around the world, so the gospel is proclaimed clearly and boldly around the world.
Conclusion
Please join me now in putting on the whole armor of God through prayer. [15]
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I put on the whole armor of God with praise and thanksgiving. You have provided all I need to stand in victory against Satan and his kingdom of darkness.
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I take the belt of truth and its stabilizing power and protection. Thank You that Satan cannot stand against the bold use of the truth. I cling to Jesus Who is the truth and is full of truth, as my strength and protection from all of Satan’s deceptions. Thank You Father God for the Holy Spirit Who is the Spirit of truth. I look to You, Holy Spirit, to lead me in accord with the truth of what Jesus taught and what the Bible teaches. I ask You, Spirit of truth, to warn me before I deceive anyone and to protect me always from believing Satan’s lies. Please show me any way in which I am being deceived. I ask that the Bible, the Word of truth, shall constantly gain a deeper place in my life. Thank You, Lord God, for making the local church a pillar and foundation for Your truth in my life. Help me relate to my church and give protection to others as well as receive it myself.
Thank You Father God for providing the breastplate of righteousness to guard my spiritual heart so it can pump Your life throughout my spirit, soul, and body. I praise You for declaring me to be totally righteous in Your sight apart from any good works I do when I believed in Jesus Christ. I praise You for freely crediting Jesus’ perfect righteousness to my account in heaven so Satan cannot successfully accuse me or condemn me of wrongdoing in Your courtroom. Thank You that my salvation does not rely on my good works, nor my ability to keep rules and regulations, but on Jesus alone Who died in my place on the cross and rose from the dead. I praise You for depositing deep down in my spirit all the righteousness that belongs to Jesus Christ. Help me to appropriate that righteousness by faith as I dig deep with Your Word of truth so my spirit can release Your righteousness to my soul, and my soul can release that righteousness to my body, transforming my spirit, soul and body into Jesus’ likeness. I know that Satan must retreat before the righteousness of God.
I joyfully put on the sandals of the gospel of peace. Jesus, I praise You because You not only brought me peace, but You are also my peace. Protect me from anything that would rob me of Your peace. Please help me to wear my sandals of peace every day so I may stand victoriously against the trickery of the Devil. I claim the peace with God that is mine through justification by faith alone in Jesus alone (Rom. 5:1). I desire the peace of God that touches my emotions and feelings through prayer (Phil. 4:6-7). Through my obedience, I seek the God of peace (Phil 4:9) Who makes even my enemies to live at peace with me. And I want to grow closer to You Jesus, because You are my peace.
Eagerly, I take up the shield of faith against all the blazing arrows that Satan fires at me. I know that You are my shield, O Lord. As I rely on Your presence, the substitutionary death and life of Jesus, and Your holy angels to protect me, I can stand my ground when all hell breaks loose against me. Help me to keep my shield of faith renewed and strengthened by worshipping You individually and corporately with other believers. Please grant me the grace to keep looking to Jesus no matter what I face or what I feel on my journey of faith.
Father God, I recognize that my mind is a particular target of Satan’s deceiving ways. Thus, I cover my mind with the powerful helmet of salvation which protects and directs my thoughts, so my life is filled with hope. Thank You for the assurance that my spirit is saved from the penalty of sin forever when I put my faith in the Lord Jesus alone for His gift of salvation. By Your grace I pray for my soul to be saved from the power of sin as I yield to the Holy Spirit’s power to obey what Your Word says. And thank You Lord for the hope that my physical body will be saved from the presence of sin when Jesus gives me a new glorified resurrection body when He comes back for His church.
Gracious Father, thank You so much for the sword of the Spirit, the spoken word of God which has the power in Itself to do what it declares. It is with great joy that I lift the sword of Spirit and choose to abide in its truth and power. Holy Spirit, please open my eyes to see wonderful things in Your Word! Please enable me to use Your Word to defend myself from Satan, and also to wield the sword well on the battlefield when the Devil attacks me, so his lies and deceptions are exposed, and he is pushed back and defeated.
Thank You, precious Lord, for the privilege of prayer. Help me to keep this armor well-oiled with prayer and to cover my brothers and sisters around the world with prayer. All these requests I offer to You through the mighty name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Frank E. Peretti, Piercing the Darkness: A Novel (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1989, 2003).
[2] Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pp. 273-274.
[3] The following two paragraphs are adapted from Mark Bubeck’s video message entitled “The Allness of prayer” in the Ephesian 6 series on the BRMinistry app.
[4] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2665.
[5] The first three verbs in Greek (perizōsamenoi… endysamenoi… hypodēsamenoi… ) are aorist middle participles which means they have already been put on by the soldier or Christian.
[6] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2665.
[7] The Greek verb translated “taking…” (analabontes) is an aorist active participle, meaning the Christian is taking the shield of faith as needed and the last Greek verb translated “take…” (dexasthe) is an aorist middle imperative which is used of the last two pieces of armor and means for oneself to take them up as needed.
[8] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pp. 1820-1821.
[9] Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 2000 Kindle Edition, pp. 247-248.
[10] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 538.
[11] Much of this section is adapted from Mark Bubeck’s video message entitled “The Allness of prayer” in the Ephesian 6 series on the BRMinistry app, unless otherwise noted.
[12] Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 2000 Kindle Edition, pg. 16.
[13] J. B. Bond, “Ephesians,” The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 1352.
[14] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2629.[15] Adapted from Mark Bubeck’s prayers entitled, “Prayer for Christian Unity” and “Prayer to Wear the Armor of God,” from Spiritual Warfare Prayers pamphlet (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1997).
The last few weeks have been filled with disturbing reports about the dismantling of the United States so that our country is no longer a superpower. These reports are not addressing an enemy that is outside of the U.S. They are speaking of an enemy that is here on U.S. soil. Reports indicate that thousands of Chinese military-aged males, Iranians, and Iranian-backed terrorists such as Hezbollah, have entered our country through its porous borders during the previous presidential administration. [1]
Following the bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities by the U.S. military on June 22, 2025, there is a growing concern that terrorist sleeper cells here in the U.S. will seek revenge against Americans.[2]Now with 4th of July celebrations coming up this week across the country, U.S. law enforcement is on high alert for Iranian retaliation. [3]
There are some analysts who believe that Islam is also seeking to cause America to collapse from within. We have over 2,700 mosques throughout the U.S.[4] What are these mosques teaching? Their sacred writing is called the Qur’an which they understand to be divine and unchanging. These mosques teach Jihad[5] and want there to be a movement towards Sharia Law[6] which is contrary to American Law.
It is naïve for Americans to believe that Islam is a peaceful religion. It is not. The ultimate goal of Islam is to convert the world to its religion (Qur’an 8:39). Allah (the god of Islam) [7] instructs his followers to kill the infidels – those who refuse to convert to Islam (Qur’an 5:72-76; 9:5; 47:4). However, Allah instructs his followers to treat infidels peacefully and not involve them in war only when the infidels have more might and larger numbers (Qur’an 47:35), much like their prophet Mohammed said as when he was weak in Mecca. Then when Mohammed became strong, he went to war with them and took over the city of Mecca by the edge of the sword. [8]
When Muslims are outnumbered by non-Muslims (infidels), instead of overtaking them with violence, they seek to overtake them through non-violent means. Some examples written by a Christian Arab American years ago, include: [9] [brackets added]
1. Terminate America’s freedom of speech by replacing it with statewide and nationwide hate-crime bills.
2. Wage a war of words using black leaders like Louis Farrakhan, Rev. Jesse Jackson and other visible religious personalities who promote Islam as the religion of African Americans while insisting Christianity is for whites only. What they fail to tell African Americans is that it was Arab Muslims who captured them and sold them as slaves. In fact, the Arabic word for black and slave is the same, “Abed.”
3. Engage the American public in dialogues, discussions, debates in colleges, universities, public libraries, radio, TV, churches and mosques on the virtues of Islam. Proclaim how it is historically another religion like Judaism and Christianity with the same monotheistic faith.
4. Nominate Muslim sympathizers to political office to bring about favorable legislation toward Islam and support potential sympathizers by block voting.
5. Take control of as much of Hollywood, the press, TV, radio and the Internet as possible by buying the related corporations or a controlling stock.
6. Yield to the fear of the imminent shut-off of the lifeblood of America – black gold. America’s economy depends on oil and 41 percent of it comes from the Middle East.
7. Yell “foul, out-of-context, personal interpretation, hate crime, Zionist, un- American, inaccurate interpretation of the Qur’an”anytime Islam is criticized, or the Qur’an is analyzed in the public arena.
8. Encourage Muslims to penetrate the White House, specifically with Islamists who can articulate a marvelous and peaceful picture of Islam [President Obama welcomed the Muslim Brotherhood to the White House during his administration. [10]]…
9. Accelerate Islamic demographic growth via:
• Massive immigration (100,000 annually since 1961).
• Use no birth control whatsoever – every baby of Muslim parents is automatically a Muslim and cannot choose another religion later.
• Muslim men must marry American women and Islamize them (10,000 annually). Then divorce them and remarry every five years – since one can’t legally marry four at one time. This is a legal solution in America.
• Convert angry, alienated black inmates and turn them into militants (so far 2,000 released inmates have joined al-Qaida worldwide). Only a few ”sleeper cells” have been captured in Afghanistan and on American soil.
10. Reading, writing, arithmetic and research through the American educational system, mosques and student centers (now 1,500) should be sprinkled with dislike of Jews, evangelical Christians and democracy…
When you read through this plan, every point has been unfolding since the time of its writing years ago. Its author wrote, “Will Americans continue to sleep through this invasion as they did when we were attacked on 9/11?“
Here in the U.S., our largest city has a Muslim democratic mayoral candidate who recently defeated the former Democratic governor of New York in the primary elections. [11] This mayoral candidate states that Israel has no right to exist as a Jewish state. [12] I wonder how this will play out if Mamdani is elected mayor of New York City, especially among its Jewish and Christian residents there?
What I am describing in this introduction is warfare that is up close, not “out there”somewhere in another country. We are facing a complex battle on our own soil.
The apostle Paul reminds us that our battle is not against “flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:12). Paul discusses four groupings of demonic spirits in this verse. You can read more details about these groupings in the third of these articles in this Spiritual Warfare series. But the main thing to understand is that our primary battle is not with people – not with Iranians, the Chinese, or Islamists. Our primary battle is with the Devil and his entire kingdom of darkness consisting of various demonic spirits under different levels of authority, all of which are under Satan, who is “the prince” (Eph. 2:2) of this kingdom, “the god of this age” (2 Cor. 4:4), and “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; cf. Matt. 4:8-9).
The Whole Armor of God
God wants every Christian to wear “the whole armor of God” so we may stand against the “wiles” or trickery of the Devil (Eph. 6:11). The first three pieces of armor we have with us all of the time [13] (“having girded… put on… shod…” – Eph. 6:14-15). [14] This is the state we are always in. But the last three pieces of armor we are called to take and use as needed [15] (“taking … take…” Eph. 6:16-17), [16] especially “in the evil day” (Eph. 6:13b) when all hell breaks loose and seeks to steal, kill, and destroy us (John 10:10a).
Paul describes the armor that Roman infantrymen wore in the order they would put it on. The soldier first puts on his belt which represents the Christian’s belt of truth (Eph. 6:14a). Since Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44), this first piece of armor is essential to protecting us from Satan’s deceptions and lies. We learned that truth is God’s viewpoint on a subject. It is the absolute standard by which reality is measured in its original form. [17]Truth points us in the direction that God wants to lead us.
After putting on his belt, the soldier then puts on his breastplate which protects his vital organs in his chest region. “The breastplate” (Eph. 6:14b) we are to put on is “righteousness” (dikaiosunē) which refers to the quality of “being right.” [18]God’s truth is the informational base that tells us the right thing to do. The truth points our heart in the direction of God’s righteousness. The breastplate of righteousness is our response to God’s truth or viewpoint on a matter.
When God’s truth and righteousness are operative in our lives, it will lead to the next piece of armor which is feet shod with the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15). We are often faced with a myriad of choices and decisions in life, but how do we know we have made the right choices or decisions? How do we know we are moving in the right direction? How do we know we have the right perspective on a matter? God’s peace will confirm it. The Lord will give us a deep-seated calm to move forward (“feet” suggest movement) with a decision even though hell may be breaking loose in our lives.
As we experience God’s peace as a result of His truth and righteousness being operative in our lives, we can then see our faith in God renewed and strengthened. This leads to the fourth piece of armor which is “the shield of faith” (Eph. 6:16) which can protect us from the flaming arrows of the evil one that he uses to cause us to doubt our Christian faith.
The next piece of armor we are to take up is the “helmet of salvation” (Eph. 6:17a). This powerful piece of spiritual armor protects and directs our thoughts, so our lives are filled with hope. Satan wants us to lose hope about our past salvation from the penalty of sin (Acts 16:31), our present salvation from the power of sin (Jas. 1:21-22), and our future salvation from the presence of sin (I Thess. 1:10; 4:13-5:11; I John 3:2-3).
Up to this point Paul has been focusing on our defensive armor. But the sixth piece of armor is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Eph. 6:17b). This is the only offensive piece of spiritual armor God has given us. Why would God give us only one offensive piece of armor to use against the kingdom of darkness? Because this one piece of armor is sufficient to overcome our enemy. Notice that it is a “sword” that belongs to “the Spirit.” This is the tool the Spirit of God uses to address the spiritual attacks we are facing.
Two Types of Swords
The New Testament uses two different Greek words for “sword.” One of those words (rhomphaia) refers to “a large and broad sword”[19] that was used for defending oneself from somewhat of a distance (cf. Luke 2:35; 21:24; Rev. 2:12, 16; 6:8). This word is used figuratively to describe the powerful word that proceeds from the mouth of King Jesus to decimate His enemies when He returns to earth at the end of the seven-year Tribulation (Rev. 19:15, 21). But this is not the word Paul uses in Ephesians 6:17b.
The other Greek word used for “sword” (machaira) was used of a shorter and very sharp sword like a dagger. [20]It was approximately eighteen inches long. This is what Peter used to cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant in his attempt to protect Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (cf. Matt. 26:51; Mark 14:47; Luke 22:49-50; John 18:10-11). This sword was used in hand-to-hand combat when the enemy was up close and in your face. This is the word Paul uses in Ephesians 6:17b
“The sword of the Spirit” is the tool that the Holy Spirit uses in the spiritual realm. [21] The Spirit uses this sword when the enemy confronts you up close in “the evil day.” When Satan or his demonic spirits are attacking you up close and there is no escape because they have encompassed you, you must get to the enemy quickly, definitively, and decisively. This is the sword the Holy Spirit (not us) uses to stab the enemy and give him a death blow to his attempts to defeat us.
This is the only offensive weapon the Spirit uses in the spiritual realm. He uses the sword of the Spirit to address the spiritual conflict in the invisible world which is being manifested up close in our visible world. This is the piece of armor that the Spirit uses to deal with what is causing us distress in the world in which we live. If we don’t believe the source of our battle stems from the spiritual world, we won’t use this piece of armor.
If we don’t use this spiritual weapon God has given us, we will be like Moses and Peter. When Moses tried to deliver Israel, he killed the Egyptian who was mistreating a Hebrew slave (Exod. 2:11-15). When Peter wanted to deliver Jesus in Gethsemane, he took out his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant (Matt. 26:51; John 18:10). Jesus, the God of the Old and New Testaments, told both of these men that He did not need their human methodologies or perspectives to fight a spiritual battle (Exod. 3:2-10; Matt. 26:52-54; John 18:11).
Many of us may be losing our spiritual battle because our default response to spiritual attack is to turn to human approaches or perspectives instead of God’s approach and perspective. We may be quick to seek human wisdom instead of God’s wisdom. When we choose to use a man-made method for a spiritual battle, we will have no assistance from God in our war against the kingdom of darkness.
For example, this is why God’s Word says, “For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (Jas. 1:20b). My human anger will not produce the righteousness of God. When I get cut off in traffic during rush hour, it is easy for me to be quick to anger toward that inconsiderate driver. My thoughts and words at that time do not express the righteousness of God. But God says, “Let Me handle this, Jeff.” (Rom. 12:17-19).
What is the Sword?
Paul informs us that “the sword of the Spirit” is “the word of God.” (Eph. 6:17b). There are three Greek words that are translated “word” in the New Testament. The first is graphē and it refers to the “writings or a piece of writing.”[22] Scripture is called the graphē (2 Tim. 3:16). The Bible you hold in your hand is the graphē. Those sixty-six books in written form are the graphē. But Paul is not talking about carrying your Bible around to defeat the devil on the evil day. Some people treat the Bible as a lucky charm and take it with them everywhere they go. That is not what Paul is talking about here.
The second Greek word is logos.The apostle John referred to Jesus as the Logos (John 1:1). Logos refers to a “message.”[23] Jesus was God’s messenger to the world. He presented God to humanity (John 1:18). Logos is also the content of the Bible (graphē). For example, when you hear a sermon at church, you are hearing the logos or message of the Bible which brings clarity to your understanding so you can apply it more effectively to your Christian life. Logos is very powerful. But this is not the word Paul uses for the sword of the Spirit.
The Greek word that Paul uses for “word” is the Greek word rhēma. This word means “utterance” or “words spoken and declared.” [24]Paul did not say, “the sword of the Spirit, which is the graphē of God.” Nor did he say, “the sword of the Spirit, which is the logos of God.” No, Paul says, “the sword of the Spirit, which is the rhēma of God.”
Evans explains it like this: “The rhēma is the declaration of the logos that you got from the graphē… The sword that the Spirit uses is the rhēma of God. The graphē, the book, gives you the logos, the message. But it is the rhēma that plunges in and draws blood. It is the rhēma that the Spirit uses. So many of us are not seeing the power of the Spirit because we have not graduated to the rhēma. We are either stuck at graphē… Others of us… come to understand the logos, the message. We want to understand the sermon… the truth… We may be inspired by it or educated by it… But when it comes to spiritual warfare… you need more than graphē and logos. You need rhēma – the logos from the graphē uttered.” [25]
Two swords clash together and the Word of God is victorious.
We want to utter or declare (rhēma) the logos (message) because of its intrinsic nature. Regarding the logos, the Bible says, “For the word (logos) of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12). When we get the message (logos) it is “living and powerful.” It has supernatural energy behind it. It is “sharper than any two-edged sword.” It can cut either way you swing it because on both sides of its blade it is razor sharp.
How sharp is the logos of God? It is so sharp, it can pierce “to the division of soul and spirit.” The “word”(logos) that God uses is able to penetrate the invisible world (“soul and spirit”). The spiritual world consists of our “soul” (psyches) which is being saved from the power of sin (sanctification) as we hear and do what God says (Phil. 2:12; Jas. 1:21-22) and our “spirit” (pneumatos) which was saved forever from the penalty of sin (justification) when we believed in Jesus for His gift of salvation (cf. Ezek. 36:26; Acts 16:21; Eph. 4:23-24; Heb. 10:14).
The author of Hebrews is telling us that “the word” (logos) is so sharp it can slice into the spiritual realm and separate what is “spirit” and what is “soul” (Heb. 4:12). Why does God want to use the message or logos to separate our “soul and spirit”? Because our “soul” can get in the way of our “spirit.” Our “soul” has been distorted by sin and it can hinder us from expressing our “spirit” which is who we truly are in Christ. Our personality, how we were raised, educated, and the perspective we have can all get in the way of our “spirit” which is our true identity in Christ.
Our “spirit” and “soul” can be so intertwined that we need the logos to separate the two so He can remove our soul-driven life and enable the “spirit” to express God’s presence in our lives. Remember, our “spirit” was created “according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:23-24) and was “perfected forever” (Heb. 10:14) when we were born again through faith in Jesus. Our spirit “cannot sin because” it “has been born of God” (I John 3:9). When the soul is removed from our decision making, then our “spirit” can express the character of Jesus in our lives. But the only thing that can get our “soul” out of the way is the logos of God.
For example, when you hear a sermon online or in person, the message (logos) of the Bible (graphē) is used by God to reveal that what you thought (“soul”) about a matter and what God thought (“spirit”) about it are not the same. The logos is revealing that the perspective your parents or peers or a politician or a professor or a post on social media taught you is not the same as what God is teaching you. You are realizing that what God thinks about that particular matter is not the same as what you thought. When that happens, you are getting sliced and diced by the word (logos).
But the “word” (logos) not only exposes what we do, but it also reveals what we think. It “is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12b). The logos not only discerns our thoughts but the intentions behind them. The goal of logos is to expose. The logos is God’s MRI or Xray machine.
When we come to church and read our Bibles, all we have done is open up graphē, the written word.But when the truth pierces our heart, we have encountered logos because the message is given. When we receive the message (logos) and accept it, we now have understanding and clarity about what God is saying. But in an up-close spiritual battle, the Spirit of God wants to use not just the graphē and the logos when you listen to Bible teaching on radio broadcasts or podcasts, He wants to use the rhēma of God, i.e., the spoken or declared word of God (Eph. 6:17b).
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, “God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.” (Gen. 1:3). God spoke, and it was so. The spoken word had the power within it to do what the spoken word declared would be done. God spoke it, and it happened exactly like He said it. Notice that there was no light until God spoke it into existence. God did not just think it into existence. He declared it and then there was light. There was power in the word spoken, not just in the word that is known. God used what He knew. The spoken word had the power within it to produce what the spoken word called for.
This is what the Spirit of God used to create light. How do we know this is what the Spirit used? The Bible tells us that when God was ready to create, “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” (Gen. 1:2b). The Spirit of God was ready to move when He heard the spoken word of Jesus. But the word of God had to be spoken before the Spirit could use it.
The same is true for us when we are in a spiritual battle. God’s Spirit wants to use the spoken word of God to defeat our enemy. It is not enough to know the Word. We must declare it to the enemy. This is what Jesus did when He was tempted in the wilderness by the devil. More on that after this next section.
Satan’s strategy is to knock the Sword of the Spirit out of our hands. Imagine you are a Roman soldier in a battle and an enemy soldier is coming at you. He is fully armed. He has his big rectangular shield that protects his entire body. All you can see is that big shield coming at you along with the top of his helmet … and … a … sword. If you are going to overcome this soldier, what is the first thing you will have to do? That’s right. You will have to knock the sword out of his hand. That is the only offensive weapon he has. If you go for his shield or even his helmet, he may stab you through with his sword. You have to get the sword out of his hand.
The “wiles” of the devil seek to knock the sword of the Spirit out of our hands. The best way for Satan to overcome the Christian is to knock the sword out of his hand. And, according to Ephesians 6:17b, the sword is the spoken (rhēma) word of God. If the devil can knock the spoken word of God out of the hand of the Christian, he can easily defeat the unarmed soldier for Christ. So, let’s look more closely at the wiles or methods of deception that Satan uses.
When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, the devil cast doubt on the spoken word of God. He said, “Had God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (Gen. 3:1b). The enemy got Eve to begin to doubt God’s spoken word. [29] Here the serpent turns Eve’s eye away from the freedom she has (“of every tree of the garden you may freely eat” – Gen. 2:16) and onto the single prohibition (“but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat” – Gen. 2:17). Eve said to the serpent, “2 We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” (Gen. 3:2-3). This turns her into a legalist in that she forgot the word “every” (she limited her freedom) and added the words “nor shall you touch it” (she increased her limitation). She begins to doubt the love and goodness of God.
Next Satan denies God’s spoken word. “Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die.’” (Gen. 3:4). This is an outright claim that God’s Word is not true; it cannot be trusted.
Finally, Satan distorts God’s spoken word when he says to Eve, “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen. 3:5). The serpent distorts the truth by claiming God limited Adam and Eve because He (God) did not want them to be like He was, knowing good from evil. Of course, when Eve and Adam ate of the fruit, they did learn the difference between good and evil, but not the way God knows the difference.
God’s knowledge was intuitive; Eve’s knowledge was experiential. Adam and Eve tasted sin for the first time and felt its effects, the effects of the fall. They experienced sin. Up until this point, God has known about sin intuitively. Not until the cross will He know it experientially. He knows about sin the way a heart doctor knows about heart attacks. The man with the heart attack knows about heart attacks in a way the surgeon does not. This new knowledge doesn’t get Eve to first base in the realm of knowledge when compared to an omniscient Being. She got duped. Nevertheless, the serpent has done his work: three blows to the mid-section of Eve. Now he hops out of the ring and tags his partner, the world.
The world leaps into the ring in round two in order to knock Eve out. “So, when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” (Gen. 3:6). The world is made up of “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (I John 2:16). The fruit “was good for food” (lust of the flesh), “pleasant to the eyes” (lust of the eyes), “desirable to make one wise” (pride of life). The world scores an uppercut, a chop to the chin, and a haymaker to the temple. Down goes Eve, down goes Eve, down goes Eve. Her husband wasn’t far behind.
Satan has been using these same simple boxing moves ever since. But notice, in round one the serpent is knocking the sword out of Eve’s hand (Gen. 3:1-5). The entire round is an attack on the spoken Word of God. Once the Word of God is no longer in the hand of the believer, he or she has lost the only offensive weapon they have. In leading Adam and Eve to sin, the serpent enjoys a two-round knockout. He is present only in round one. He uses the three punches mentioned above to undermine Eve’s faith in God’s Word. He tried to do the same thing with Jesus.
Remember when the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Matt. 4:1-11)? Satan tried to use the same three punches on Jesus that he used on Eve in the Garden of Eden. First, the devil uses the lust of the flesh when he says to Jesus, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” (Matt. 4:3). The phrase, “If You are the Son of God” is a first-class condition in the Greek language which assumes the condition is true, [31] and would therefore be translated, “Since You are the Son of God…” Satan is so crafty. He had been watching Jesus go without food for ”forty days and forty nights,” and of course “afterward He was hungry” (Matt. 4:2). So, the devil attacks Jesus at the point of His vulnerability.
And you know what? Satan and his demons are watching us and taking notes. They keep a scouting report on each of us. They know when we are vulnerable to temptation, and they act accordingly. [32]
So, Satan shows up at a specific time to address a legitimate need that Jesus has. He is telling Jesus, “Look, You are the Son of God. You can do whatever You want to do. So, You might as well command these stones to become bread.”“In this situation, Satan questioned the provision of God: Jesus was hungry. God hadn’t fed him. Why shouldn’t Jesus just make what was needed?” [33]
How does Jesus respond? He says, “It is written…” (Matt. 4:4a). Then Jesus quotes a verse from a chapter in the Old Testament, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Deut. 8:3). If the living Word (Jesus) needed to use the written Word to deal with the enemy of the Word, how much more must you and I who have written no word, need to use that same Word against the enemy of the Word?! Christ did not respond to the devil based on what He thought, and He had perfect thinking.
Jesus says, “Let Me tell you what the graphē says.” Christ tells Satan what the graphē says based on the logos. Christ doesn’t quote just any verse. He goes back to the Old Testament to a passage that deals with what He is facing in the New Testament. Christ was hungry. So, what does He do? He goes to Deuteronomy 8 where Moses explained to Israel how they survived through the wilderness when they were hungry. They survived by God’s provision. They didn’t survive merely because of the manna, but because of the One Who provided it through supernatural means. Was Jesus hungry? Yes. But He was willing to trust His Father to provide for Him supernaturally instead of acting independently of Him.[34]
Jesus had a legitimate need (hunger), and Satan was offering to meet that need in an illegitimate way – by having Jesus act independently of God. But God was offering to meet Christ’s legitimate need His way. The issue is not whether your need is legitimate; the issue is who is giving you the advice to address it? God or Satan?
Christ runs to Deuteronomy 8 and says to the devil, “Let Me tell You what God said about this situation.” “It is written: ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Deut. 8:3). Man doesn’t live by bread alone, but by where it came from, “by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” When Satan heard what was written, he couldn’t handle that anymore, so he went to another subject.
Satan’s next temptation uses the pride of life. “ 5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” (Matt. 4:5-6). Challenging Jesus to jump to His death doesn’t sound like much of a temptation. But notice that the devil supported his appeal by quoting God’s promise of angelic protection in Psalm 91:11-12. Jesus, then, had an opportunity to demonstrate that He was the promised Messiah for all of Jerusalem to see. The problem with Satan’s plan was it ignored God’s plan. If Jesus did what Satan advised Him to do, it would bypass the cross which was contrary to God’s will. [35]
Notice that Satan knows the Bible and he uses it. If the devil can’t convince you to act independently of God, he’ll work through your religion. But God doesn’t need Satan’s help to get you where He wants you to go.
Christ responds to Satan, by quoting Deuteronomy 6:16, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’” (Matt. 4:7). We are never to use disobedience to back God into a corner to force Him to fulfill His plan. [36]Satan was telling Jesus to test God. And Christ says to the devil, “God told Me in His Word not to test Him.” Notice that Satan does not argue with Jesus when He responds with the rhēma of God.
Instead, the devil uses the lust of the eyes to tempt Jesus. “8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.’” (Matt. 4:8-9). Did you catch that? “The devil took Him…” Sometimes God lets the devil take us to tempt us. Ultimately Satan wanted Christ to worship him. So, he offers Jesus the entire kingdoms of the world and their glory if Jesus would take a knee before him. Satan wants our worship too. He will make incredible offers to us to get us to bow down to him.
How does Jesus respond? “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Get behind Me, Satan!” (Matt. 4:10a). This command displays Jesus’ absolute authority over the devil. Then Christ quotes, Deuteronomy 6:13, “For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” (Matt. 4:10b). Worship is reserved for the one true God and Him only. Too often we may come to worship God on Sunday and then serve lesser agendas and gods the rest of the week. But if Jesus is the ultimate authority in the universe, He deserves our exclusive worship and service. [37]
In responding to each of Satan’s temptations, Jesus did not just study the Bible and know what it said. He opened His mouth and uttered what it said. He said to the devil, “Let Me tell You what God just said about what you are telling Me.” And when Jesus told Satan what God said, “Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.” (Matt. 4:11). The devil failed to knock the sword of the Spirit out of Jesus’ hands. He could not handle hearing the rhēma of God three times, so he left Jesus alone. When the fallen angel left, the faithful angels came and ministered to Jesus.
We may ask, “Why doesn’t the devil leave me alone?” Could it be because he knows we will never say, “It is written…”? He knows we will never bring that up. Instead, he knows we will talk about our families, our jobs, our education, our reading, our favorite sports, TV programs, and politicians, etc. He knows that we will never say, “It is written…” and if we do study the Word, he knows we are never going to use it and speak it to him. Thus, the devil does not fear us because we are not wielding “the sword of the Spirit, the word (rhēma) of God.” (Eph. 6:17b).
A Personal Example of the Rhēma of God
During a short-term mission trip in the Philippines with an evangelistic association in the summer of 2013, I was scheduled to go with three other American men to a predominantly Muslim area in the southern Philippines to preach the gospel in public schools. Two nights before we were to go there, the Filipino director and other Filipino staff who lived in or near that province began to brief me about the mission there and the high risk of going. Two countries recently issued an alert not to go into this area due to militant Muslim activity. I was told we would have to keep a low profile and have military escorts at all times. We would stay in our hotel when we were not preaching in schools.
The Filipinos then asked me a series of questions. They asked me, “What will you do if you are kidnapped?” “I would preach Jesus to them.” They asked, “But they will move you from militant camp to militant camp to make it difficult to find you. Then what?” “Then more Muslims will hear the gospel,” I said. They asked, “What about Pat and the girls if you are killed?” “God is their Father and He will take much better care of them than I ever could.” The staff then asked me, “What about how it would affect our evangelistic association if you were kidnapped or killed?” To which I said, “Good question. I will consider the implications.” But I thought to myself, Christ will be magnified in life or death. I knew I was called to go.
The pastors and I prayed and then I went to talk to the American founder and director of the association. He said no one should go if they are afraid because Muslims sense fear and try to bully those who are afraid. He said they don’t know how to handle fearless Christians. They can’t bully them. I told him I believed the Lord wanted me to go. I then went to tell the three other Americans of this new information to see if they were still led to go to the area. We talked and prayed a lot and the short of it is only two of us went.
I talked and prayed with Pat and the girls as well. They had obvious concerns, but I could not deny that the Lord Jesus wanted me to go. I shared with them verses God was bringing to my attention. “And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” (Deut. 31:8). I asked, “Is there anywhere we can go where God has not already gone before us?” “No.” “Is there anywhere we can go where God will not be with us?” “No.” “Is there any place we can go where God will abandon us?” “No.” “Then what is there to fear?” “Nothing.” “Why be discouraged or dismayed?” “No reason.” We claimed Psalm 31:14-15, “But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God. My times are in Your hand.’” My family was very concerned, but they knew the Lord was calling me to go.
I also shared with Pat and the girls how God had been speaking to me all week long leading up to this trip. I was having my devotions in the Book of Acts, and I would fall asleep thinking about what I had read and then dream about it at night and how God delivered the apostles from opposition and plots to kill them. When Stephen was being stoned, he saw Jesus standing in heaven as if to applaud his sacrifice for the gospel.
Satan’s attacks during the two nights before the trip were very intense. I felt an intense evil presence and intense fear gripped me. I had intrusive thoughts of being kidnapped, tortured, and dying a slow death. God led me to pull out the sword of the Spirit to confront the enemy. Two verses that especially ministered to me said, “9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.’” (Acts 18:9-10). It wasn’t enough to read these verses (graphē) or understand their significance (logos). I needed to declare their message to the powers of darkness, “It is written: ‘9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.’” (Acts 18:9-10). The Holy Spirit calmed my heart and encouraged me, assuring me of His presence, His protection, and His people to watch out for us. By God’s grace, I was prepared to die but planning to return to my family.
When our team of Filipino pastors/translators and myself and another American arrived in the province we were to evangelize, we went to the Filipino military battalion to meet with them and share our intentions to preach the Gospel of peace in that area. Their commander was a very gracious and kind man who informed our Filipino staff that it was too dangerous for Americans to go alone, and they would provide 24/7 military escorts for us. Honestly, with Jesus with us I did not believe it was necessary to have military escorts, but God had a higher purpose than our own safety.
We learned additional information about the criticalness of the area a day or two later. A month before our arrival, the Filipino military had captured the Militant Muslims’ commander and now the Militants were threatening to kill our military escorts (3 of the 4 were already believers and the 4th became a believer during the week with us) and kidnap a teacher since we were preaching in elementary and high schools. We had a choice to make at this point: Do we pull out or press on and preach the Gospel to these needy souls?
We pressed on because God is much greater than the lies of Militant Muslims and their threats. The Lord went before us and we preached the gospel of grace in eighty-five schools, two-thirds of which were 90% Muslim. Our military escorts had agents in the jungle giving them updates on the position of the Militants. I learned from our Filipino team leader that the militants had 60-70 men who could have overpowered our military escorts at any time, but God protected us from them. We also would be an easy target for a sniper as we preached outdoors at school assemblies, but the Lord was our rock and refuge.
The most memorable experience for me was when we went to an elementary school composed of mostly Muslim students. When we arrived, we saw a crowd of adults meeting around a stage. Classes were cancelled due to a PTA meeting. The president of the PTA permitted us to interrupt their meeting so we could share the gospel with over 220 adults, most of whom were devoted Muslims as shown by the head garments they were wearing and their veils over the faces of the women.
I began by saying, “The God who made this universe, the God of Abraham loves you very much.” My translator boldly and clearly translated for me which emboldened me even more. I then proceeded to talk about sin, death, and deserving to die forever in hell where the fire never stops burning to which all the Muslims and a few Catholics nodded in agreement when they heard these truths. I then asked, “How many of you want to live forever in hell?”, raise your hands. None of them did.
Then God led me to say, “How many of you believe Jesus Christ was a prophet from God?” They all shook their heads “Yes.” Then I asked, “How many of you believe a prophet of God can lie?” They all shook their heads “No.” Then the Lord led me to say, “Jesus Christ said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me. The only way to heaven, the only way to the God of Abraham is through Jesus Christ.”
As I said this, the devoted Muslims began to form a circle with each other in front of the stage, looking at me with eyes of anger and/or curiosity. I silently asked God to increase my love for them and my boldness. God enabled me to look each one in the eye through the remainder of the presentation as I shared about Jesus, Who was fully God and fully man. He loved them so much that He took their punishment for all of their sins and rose from the dead so that He is not alive to offer everlasting life as a free gift and peace with God to all who believe or trust in Him alone for His gift of everlasting life. After explaining the gospel, I invited them to take Jesus at His Word when He said, “Whoever believes in Him should not perish [in hell], but have everlasting life [in heaven]” (John 3:16b).
After leading them in a prayer to tell God they were now trusting in His Son, Jesus, for a home in heaven, I asked them, “How many of you just trusted in Jesus to give you a home in heaven? Raise your hands.” My heart leaped for joy as all of the people raised their hands, including the devoted Muslims whose faces turned from hate and confusion to hope and peace. We had to leave quickly for security reasons, but I praise the Lord Jesus for His faithfulness to seek and to save the lost.
God truly went before us on this trip as nearly twenty-seven thousand people heard the gospel in five days, and over twenty-four thousand said they trusted in Jesus for His gift of salvation. According to my figures, 96% of the people I shared with all publicly indicated they trusted in Jesus for a home in heaven. For the Muslims, this was more of an act of discipleship to publicly identify with Jesus Christ.
God also had believers in almost every school and/or village to fellowship with and feed us. In fact, every evening we met in the home of our team leader’s mother-in-law to feast and fellowship. Our last night in this province, we had a celebration dinner there. Afterward, we spent time in worship of our Savior Who is mighty to save.
Then each person shared a highlight from the trip, including the four soldiers who were with us 24/7. One of them said this, “Until the very last drop of our blood, we will protect you.”This was so humbling to hear. These soldiers were willing to take a bullet for us as were our translators. Their courage rubbed off on us. I experienced more peace in the militant area than I have experienced anywhere else. When I returned to the States, I learned that two Australian missionaries were shot and killed in the areas where we were either the week before we arrived or the week after.
As with all the pieces of armor, we take up the sword of the Spirit through prayer (Eph. 6:18-19).
Prayer:Gracious heavenly Father, thank You so much for the sword of the Spirit, the spoken word of God which has the power in Itself to do what it declares. It is with great joy that I lift the sword of Spirit and choose to abide in its truth and power. Holy Spirit, please open my eyes to see wonderful things in Your Word! Please enable me to use Your Word to defend myself from Satan, and also to wield the sword well on the battlefield when the Devil attacks me, so his lies and deceptions are exposed, and he is pushed back and defeated. I pray the power of the Holy Spirit is ignited in my life, so that Jesus may live His victorious life through me today and every day. In the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Colonel Rob Maness Live with David Pyne, President of the Task Force on National & Homeland Security on June 23, 2025, “The U.S. Enters War with Iran – More War Monday,” at www.worldviewtube.com; Brannon Howse Live with Shahram Hadian on June 20, 2025 – “Iran-Backed Terror Threats Inside the U.S. as FBI Increases Efforts to Monitor Them” at www.worldviewtube.com; Sophia Compton’s June 19, 2025, Fox News article entitled, “Border Patrol agents shut down massive drug smuggling tunnel between Tijuana and San Diego,” at www.foxnews.com.
[2] Madison Colombo’s June 25, 2025, article entitled, “Obama’s former DHS secretary sounds alarm on Iranian sleeper cells, calls it concern of ‘highest magnitude’” at www.foxnews.com. Brannon Howse, June 24, 2025, “Rising Threat of Terror Cells in US,” at www.worldviewtube.com; Adam Goldman and Devlin Barrett’s June 23, 2025, article entitled, “F.B.I. Warns of Possible Retaliation by Iran After Bombing of Nuclear Sites,” atwww.nytimes.com; Tara Suter’s June 22, 2025, article entitled, “Threat of sleeper cells in US has ‘never been higher’: CBP,” at www.thehill.com.
[3] Bill Hutchinson’s June 25, 2025, article entitled, “With July 4 just days away, US law enforcement on high alert for Iran retaliation,” at www.abcnews.go.com; Brooke Shafer’s article, entitled, “US cities ramp up security ahead of Fourth of July celebrations,” at www.newsnationnow.com.
[4] See March 12, 2024, article entitled, “Mosques: A fixture of America’s cultural landscape,”
[5] Jihad refers to a holy war. In the Bible, people were killed because of their sin in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ was killed for the sin of the world. But in Islam, Mohammed was commanded by Allah to kill the Christians and the Jews for not accepting Islam (Qur’an 9:29). According to the Qur’an, anyone who believes in Jesus is an infidel (Qur’an 5:72-76). Mohammed was killing Christians not because of their sins but because they believed in Christ. See Usama Dakdok’s article entitled, “Jihad,” at www.thestraightway.org.
[6] Shariah Law is Islamic Law and encompasses the words of Allah in the Qur’an and the words of Mohammed in the Hadith. For example, the Qur’an commands that Jews and Christians be decapitated (Qur’an 47:4). It also commands Muslims to kill the idolater which is anyone who worships any god but Allah (Qur’an 9:5). Men can beat their wives if they merely suspect rebellion (Qur’an 4:34). The Hadith (Abu Dawud 38:4447) teaches that the punishment for homosexuality is execution. This is what is practiced in Islamic countries. Muslims who come to America do not want to acclimate to our Constitution and laws. They want to establish Shariah Law which cannot coexist with American Law. See Anita Kuta’s article entitled “Sharia (Islamic Law),” at www.thestraightway.org.
[7] The god of Islam (Allah), is Satan for he is said to be the lord of the world in Qur’an 1:1-2, which when compared to the Bible, Satan is the ruler of the world, John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Cor. 4:4. Allah is also known as the best deceiver as we read in Qur’an 3:54 and 8:30, when compared to the Bible, Satan is the deceiver, Gen. 3:1-6; 2 Cor. 11:3; Rev. 12:9. Allah also leads people astray as we read in Qur’an 35:8 which is a description of Satan in the Bible, Gen. 3:1-6; Rev. 12:9. He also desires to fill hell with people as we read in Qur’an 38:85, 11:119, and 32:13, but the Bible teaches that God desires all people to be saved (I Tim. 2:3-4) and that not one person should perish in hell (2 Pet. 3:9). Adapted from Asuma Dakdok’s article, “Are Allah and God the same?” at www.thestraightway.org.
[9] To see all 20 points go to the article posted by Pam Geller on July 1, 2009, entitled, “ISLAMIC INVASION OF AMERICA: THE 20 POINT PLAN,” at www.thestraightway.org. This 20-point plan originated from a refugee from the Muslim Middle East named Anis Shorrosh, author of ”Islam Revealed” and ”The True Furqan.” Anis is a Christian Arab American who emigrated from Arab-controlled Jerusalem in January 1967. Shorrosh says, “The following [20-point plan] is my analysis of Islamic invasion of America, the agenda of Islamists and visible methods to take over America by the year 2020.”
[10] See Frank Gaffney’s pamphlet, The Muslim Brotherhood in the Obama Administration (David Horowitz Freedom Center, 2012 Kindle Edition).
[11] Ryan King and Carl Campanile’s June 29, 2025, article entitled, “Zohran Mamdani doubles down on plan to target ‘whiter neighborhoods’ with higher taxes — and says billionaires shouldn’t exist,” at www.nypost.com; Joseph Ax’s June 29, 2025, article entitled, “New York mayoral candidate Mamdani defends campaign despite Democratic unease,” at www.reuters.com.
[12] Jill Colvin’s June 29, 2025, article entitled, “How Democrats in America’s most Jewish city embraced a critic of Israel for New York mayor,” at www.apnews.com.
[13] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2665.
[14] The first three verbs in Greek (perizōsamenoi… endysamenoi… hypodēsamenoi… ) are aorist middle participles which means they have already been put on by the soldier or Christian.
[15] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2665.
[16] The Greek verb translated “taking…” (analabontes) is an aorist active participle, meaning the Christian is taking the shield of faith as needed and the last Greek verb translated “take…” (dexasthe) is an aorist middle imperative which is used of the last two pieces of armor and means for oneself to take them up as needed.
[17] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pp. 1820-1821.
[18] Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 2000 Kindle Edition, pp. 247-248.
[21] These next five paragraphs are adapted from Tony Evan’s sermon video entitled, “The Sword of the Spirit” posted on July 17, 2021, at www.youtube.com.
[22] Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 2000 Kindle Edition, pg. 206.
[25] Evan’s sermon video entitled, “The Sword of the Spirit” posted on July 17, 2021, at www.youtube.com.
[26] Much of this section is adapted from Ibid unless otherwise noted.
[27] Much of this section is adapted from Ibid., unless otherwise noted.
[28] Much of this section is adapted from David R. Anderson, Position and Condition: An Exposition of the Book of Ephesians (Grace Theological Press, 2017 Kindle Edition), pp. 376-378, unless otherwise noted.
[29] Evan’s sermon video entitled, “The Sword of the Spirit” posted on July 17, 2021, at www.youtube.com.
[30] Much of this section is adapted from Evan’s sermon video entitled, “The Sword of the Spirit” posted on July 17, 2021, at www.youtube.com, unless otherwise noted.
[31] A. T. Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in Light of Historical Research (Originally published in 1914), 2014 Kindle Edition locations 1413-1414.
[32] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 1867.
We are living in a day when much hatred and division centers around the color of one’s skin or the political party with which one associates. The truth of the matter is that one’s skin color or political party is not what drives these conflicts. I believe the apostle Paul would want us to understand that behind these divisions and hate there is an unseen enemy who knows our histories and our weaknesses, and he is bent on getting us to fight one another instead of taking a stand against his kingdom of darkness. This foe would like nothing more than for people to think he does not exist.
But the apostle Paul would have us believe otherwise. In his letter to the Christians in the city of Ephesus he concludes with ways to protect themselves from spiritual attacks. He instructs his Christian readers (including you and me), to wear the whole armor of God so we may stand against the “wiles” or deceitful methods of the devil (Eph. 6:11). He wants us to understand that our battle is not with “flesh and blood” (i.e., human beings regardless of their skin color or political differences, etc.), but with the kingdom of darkness (Eph. 6:12). Therefore, we are to take up the whole armor of God so we may stand against the enemy “in the evil day” when all of hell attacks us (Eph. 6:13).
Just as a soldier needs to know the strategies of his enemy, so Christians need to understand the schemes or “wiles” of the devil (Eph. 6:11). Some of the “wiles” of Satan may include the following: [1]
Deception: Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44) and he deceived Eve with bad doctrine (1 Tim. 2:14). Hence, Christians are to wear the belt of truth to expose Satan’s lies and replace them with God’s life-giving truth (Eph. 6:14a).
Deviation: The devil wants to conform us to his world system and cause us to deviate from God’s will (Eph. 2:1-3; I John 2:16; 5:19b). He wants us to lower our standards of righteousness by tempting us to open our lives to a little sinfulness or worldliness. He may whisper in our ears, “It won’t hurt you to try that. Everyone else is doing it. Go ahead and do it. It’s fun.” This is why we need the protection of the breastplate of righteousness (Eph. 6:14b).
Division: The book of James informs us that the kind of wisdom that causes strife, envy, and self-seeking (power struggles) in our homes, churches, and workplaces originates from hell, and it is earthly, sensual, and demonic (Jas. 3:14-16). Therefore, we need to wear the sandals of the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15).
Doubt: Satan caused Eve to doubt God’s Word (Gen. 3:1). This is one of his primary attacks against Christianity as a whole and the individual Christian in particular. Anderson writes, “When the Age of Reason rose up, European scholars discounted anything supernatural, which included a written revelation (the Bible) from a supernatural being (God). Thomas Jefferson swallowed the poison of doubt and decided to create his own New Testament by pulling the miracles of Christ out of the Gospels. If we doubt whether the Bible is God’s Word, why should we live by it or obey it?”[2] Hence, we need to take up the shield of faith to renew and strengthen our faith in the Lord and His Word (Eph. 6:16).
Disillusionment: Satan tries to put thoughts in our minds to make us think that his thoughts are our thoughts. When Job encountered severe trials, Satan used Job’s wife and friends to encourage Job to give up on God. They reasoned that any God-fearing believer assumes God will bless him for his obedience, not realizing that is the essence of legalism. We can never put God in our debt (cf. Rom. 4:4; 11:6). The other misunderstanding is to look at our trials as curses instead of blessings. God’s plan for our Christian growth is to mold us and sculpt us into the likeness of His Son. Often trials are the best ways to get us there. But the devil will try to give us thoughts that are contrary to God’s thoughts. And so, we are to wear the helmet of salvation (Eph. 6:17a).
Discouragement: One of the “devices” (noēmata) of Satan is extreme sorrow or discouragement over our failures (cf. 2 Cor. 7:7-11). When the Christian community treats a repentant Christians like a leper, his discouragement may cause him to give up completely. Satan will use discouragement to keep a believer from reading or memorizing the Bible. Hence, we are to take up the sword of the Spirit, the word of God (Eph. 6:17b).
Paul addresses six pieces of armor in the order that a Roman soldier would put them on (Eph. 6:14-17). The first three pieces of armor are introduced with the verb “to be.” The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the shoes of peace we have with us all of the time [3] (“having girded… put on… shod…” – Eph. 6:14-15). [4] This is the state we are always to be in. But the last three pieces of armor – the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit – we are called to take and use as needed [5] (“taking … take…” Eph. 6:16-17). [6] Today, we will look at the second of these last three pieces of armor, “the helmet of salvation” (Eph. 6:17a).
The Location of the Helmet
The placement of the fifth piece of armor is very significant. After putting on his belt, breastplate, sandals, and taking up his shield, the Roman soldier would put on his helmet to protect his head, especially his brain, because injury to one’s head can be lethal.
And the world recognizes this. Whenever we are in a situation that could be dangerous to our heads and brains, we are often required to wear a protective helmet. For example, construction workers wear a hard hat to protect their heads from falling debris in a construction area. Motorcyclists wear a helmet to shield their brains from serious injury in case they are in an accident. Those who refuse to wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle are flirting with tragedy because the likelihood of being killed in an accident increases significantly when a motorcyclist does not wear a helmet. [7]
In American football,[8] a player wears a helmet to absorb the impact of colliding with another player so that the brain is not injured. Because the understanding is, if the brain is injured, bodily function is impeded. When you have players, whose heads are constantly absorbing violent collisions on the playing field, experiencing concussion after concussion, the brain can be severely damaged. And if the brain gets damaged, bodily function is impaired.
The apostle Paul is saying in Ephesians 6:17a that the mind must be protected to absorb the shocks of being hit in the spiritual realm by the enemy. If our minds are not protected from these blows, our spiritual lives can be greatly impaired.
Some of us know people who have contracted a debilitating disease known as Alzheimer’s whereby the brain is not able to function as it once did. And it progressively deteriorates over time so that the person is not able to care for themselves. The worse the brain problem gets, the less the person with Alzheimer’s can control.
The less control you and I have in our Christian lives is because spiritual Alzheimer’s has set in. The mind is no longer functioning as God wants it to, impeding the soul from doing what it should, which results in the physical body being out of control.
The apostle Paul is saying that Christians are to have a helmet on in this spiritual battle which takes place in the invisible realm if we are to have victory. Paul is dealing with a context of us being under attack.
In an American football game, the quarterback is the leader on the football field. He is calling the play and setting the agenda, and he is always under attack. The defense is always trying to get to him, sack him, knock him down, move him out of the pocket, confuse him, and intimidate him so they can make him ineffective and inefficient.
Sitting high above the quarterback in a booth is an offensive coordinator(OC). The OC’s job is to assess the schemes of the opposing team and speak to the quarterback about what he ought to be doing in light of those defensive schemes. In view of the attacks of the opposing team, the OC gives plays to the quarterback through a technological wonder called a one-way radio system in the quarterback’s helmet. So, with his helmet on, the quarterback receives instruction about how he is to function in light of the attack he is facing.
The reason why the OC is the one who gives instructions to the quarterback is because he is sitting high and looking low. He has a bird’s eye view up there in the booth of how the enemy is attacking down there on the football field. He can analyze the enemy’s movements so he can inform the quarterback through his helmet, what the deliverance ought to be for the pressure he is now under.
The apostle Paul says we are to put on the helmet which means our minds are to be properly programmed. If the mind is improperly programmed, then it will function improperly. That is, if we are thinking wrong, then we will act wrong, and experience spiritual defeat amid the spiritual battle (cf. Prov. 23:7).
Our spiritual enemy is attacking us on the field of life. God wants us to put on the helmet of salvation so He can speak to us in our minds because He is seated high above everyone and everything else (cf. Eph. 1:20-21). God can see the field of life better than we can see it. He can examine it better than we can. God knows the enemy’s schemes and He knows how to overcome them.
But we must wear this helmet of salvation so God can protect and direct our thoughts.[9] Our thoughts are a very important part of our whole person and being. Satan wants to control our minds. He wants to put his thoughts into our minds and deceive us into thinking that his thoughts are really ours so we will live life his way, rather than in the way God has prescribed in His Word. The Devil engages in mind control. Once he is successful in doing this, he wants to torment us with these thoughts, causing us to experience defeat instead of victory.
This part of a Christian’s person comes under severe attack in spiritual warfare. Satan wants to control our thoughts. He wants to put his thoughts within our minds as he did with Peter (cf. Matt. 16:21-23). [10] Many times, these can be hideous thoughts. Thoughts that are totally foreign to what we would normally think.
For example, a Christian may have intrusive thoughts about murder. He or she may suddenly think about murdering their own family, their loved ones, members of God’s family, or even themselves. Should this surprise us that he who “was a murderer from the beginning” would give us these kinds of thoughts (John 8:44)?
One Christian man shared with a Christian counselor that he suddenly had thoughts crowding into his mind that he was going to molest a little child. Thoughts that were totally foreign to this man. These thoughts caused the man to initially think he was going crazy until he understood that Satan is eager to put his thoughts into this man’s mind.
The Devil delights in giving us thoughts to curse God, to tear up our Bibles, to engage in uninhibited sexual activities that are repugnant to God. He may introduce nagging thoughts to us that tell us what a terrible person we must be. Thoughts that say, “I’m dumb, I’m ugly, nobody loves me,or I can’t do anything right.” There is no limit to the kinds of wicked thoughts that our enemy will introduce to us.
What do we do with thoughts like this? First, we need to understand that these thoughts may come from the kingdom of darkness. Secondly, we need to take up our helmet of salvation to resist these thoughts. All of us need a resistance prayer to respond to Satanic, intrusive thoughts. A prayer that goes something like this: “In the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the power of His blood, I come against the power of darkness that just put that wicked thought in my mind. And I command you to leave me and go where the Lord Jesus Christ sends you.”
We are not to accept these intrusive thoughts as our own. Especially if they are foreign to our common way of thinking. Some power of darkness is trying to convince us that we are a terrible person. If Satan tells us we are a terrible person, we must confront such an accusation with the truth. For if we are a child of God through faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ alone (John 1:12), we are not in any sense a terrible person. We are a “saint” in Christ (I Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 1:1b; Eph. 1:1b), forever “sanctified” or set apart positionally from our sin and shame through the “once for all” sacrifice of Jesus Christ (cf. I Cor. 6:11b; Heb. 10:10, 14), so there are no grounds for accusation or condemnation (Rom. 8:31-34). Hence, those wicked thoughts do not belong to us. And we are privileged to wear our helmet of salvation.
We must be tenacious in resisting these thoughts from the kingdom of darkness. Satan will not give up easily. So, we must persist in resisting these wicked thoughts. Don’t stop with one resistance. Each time a wicked thought comes into your mind, continue to pray, “In the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the power of His blood, I come against the power of darkness that just put that wicked thought in my mind. And I command you to leave me and go where the Lord Jesus Christ sends you.”
The first way Satan tries to control our minds is through what James calls being double-minded: “6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (Jas. 1:6-8). Satan will do his best to make a Christian a spiritual schizophrenic with two minds. With our mind we want to love and serve the Lord, but also with our mind many times we want to toy with the things that are not of God. Instead of relying solely on God’s wisdom (Jas. 1:5), the double-minded believer wants to rely on human wisdom. He wants to act independently of God. James warns us that this is an “unstable” existence.
A divided mind is a very serious emotional state; but it is even more serious spiritually. We need to pray like King David prayed, “Unite my heart to fear Your name.” (Psa. 86:11b). David wanted God to bring a unity or single-mindedness to his heart, so the Lord was the center of everything in his life.
A second way the Devil attempts to control our minds is through a carnal mind. A carnal mind is an enemy of God. The apostle Paul tells us this in Romans 8. “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” (Rom. 8:5). When Paul speaks of the carnally minded here (“set their minds on the things of the flesh”), he is referring to a believer who places himself under the law to try to become holy as Paul had tried to do only to experience spiritual defeat (cf. Rom. 7:4-25).
“While striving for holiness under the law, Paul had focused on the commands (e.g., ‘lust’) so that his mind-set was fleshly: ‘I must steer clear of all lust.’ This fleshly orientation doomed him to commit the very sin he sought to avoid.
“Simply put, if one lives with a fleshly orientation—even if it is the result of a vigorous effort to keep the law—he is going to fail because he has the wrong mind-set.” [12] [emphasis added]
“6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.” (Rom. 8:6-7). These two mind-sets, “to be carnally minded,” or “to be spiritually minded,” are polar opposites. The first mind-set is in the sphere of “death” and results in “death.” But the “spiritually minded” believer experiences “life and peace.”
“The trap into which a Christian falls when he is principally concerned with the law itself is that he cannot escape a preoccupation with the spiritual deadness within and around him. The mind-set of the Spirit, however, lifts his preoccupations to the level of supernatural life and peace.” [13][emphasis added]
Carnal mindedness is described in Galatians by Paul when he writes, “19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like…” (Gal. 5:19-21). Carnal mindedness focuses on the fleshly desires of our sinful nature. The longer a Christian sets his mind on his sinful flesh, the more likely his fleshly mind becomes a demonically dictated thought process. Satan uses this carnal mindedness to control a believer’s thoughts.
The third way Satan will attempt to control our thoughts is through his version of “God-is-our-enemy–thoughts.” The Devil enjoys putting thoughts in our mind that say, “God is your enemy.” “God is not playing fair with you.” “He could make it different, but He is not.” “You ought to get angry with God.“ “If God truly loved you, He wouldn’t let you go through so much pain and suffering.” When we have thoughts like that, do we know where they are coming from?
God cannot be anything but good (Psa. 106:1), gracious (Psa. 111:4), holy (Isa. 6:3), just (Isa. 45:21), kind (Joel 2:13), loving (I John 4:8b), merciful (Ps. 103:8), and righteous (Psa. 11:7). Regardless of what we are experiencing, God is Who He is because He cannot be anything but that.
But Satan will come along when life is not what we hoped it would be, and he tries to rule our mind with wicked thoughts about God being our enemy. And these thoughts can easily make us angry toward the Lord.
Fourth, the Devil can also try to rule our minds through deceiving, lying thoughts. Such was the case with Ananias and Sapphira. Satan filled their hearts to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land they sold for themselves (Acts 5:4, 8-9). It cost both of them their lives.
Whenever we are tempted to lie, we can be assured that Satan is involved in that temptation. Jesus said the devil “is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44).
Fifth, Satan will also try to control our minds through fearful thoughts. The Bible tells us the that our “adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (I Pet. 5:8b).
“Do you know how a lion uses his fearsome roar to frighten his prey? I’m told that the old male in a lion pride goes upwind of a herd of gazelles or whatever and lets out a roar. The terrified animals take off in the opposite direction, where the rest of the pride is waiting to gobble them up.
“If we were to hear a lion roar, most of us would run. If he roared again, we would run again. Pretty soon we’re being directed by fear.” [14] [emphasis added]
In the verse prior to I Peter 5:8, Peter writes, “…casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (I Pet. 5:7). We can cast all our cares or concerns upon God because “He cares for you.” This phrase can be translated, “You are a matter of concern to God.” [15]
Christians who are engaged in intense spiritual warfare, especially those who facing Satanic frontal attacks, may conclude, “God doesn’t really care about me. If He did, He wouldn’t let me languish in this terrible bondage.”[16] [emphasis added]
If we believe God doesn’t care about us, we will be plagued by all kinds of fear. Satan loves to put us in bondage to fear. He will even use violent fear and panic to immobilize us.
But at the moment we feel that panic and fear, is the moment to use our helmet of salvation and pray, “In the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the power of His blood, I command the wicked power of fear to leave my presence and go where the Lord Jesus Christ sends you.” God does not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7). The helmet of salvation enables our thoughts to be our own and to be like those of Christ.
Thoughts that are projected into our minds by the enemy need to be recognized quickly and decisively! We need to understand this. We don’t have to accept those thoughts from Satan as our own.
For example, one Christian young man was deeply troubled. Every time he began to pray to God, thoughts would enter his mind that said, “Pray to Satan…Pray to Satan… Pray to Satan.” He was tormented by these thoughts so much so that he became convinced he was going crazy. But once he understood where these thoughts were coming from, and resisted them, he was totally set free from those intruding thoughts. [17]
The Person of Salvation
This fifth piece of armor is called “the helmet of salvation.” What is salvation? The Bible informs us that salvation is a Person. David wrote, “The Lord is my light and my salvation.” (Psa. 27:1). The Hebrew word translated “salvation” is yeshu’ah. Yeshu’ah is the Old Testament word for “salvation,” and its basic meaning is “deliverance.” The English word Jesus, which means “God is salvation,” is also derived from this Hebrew word. Hence, David is saying, “The Lord [Yahweh] is my light and my Jesus [Yeshu’ah].” (Psa. 27:1). Salvation is a Person.
This is why Simeon prayed in the temple as he held the Baby Jesus in his hands, “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation…” (Luke 2:29-30). Christ is our salvation. He is a Person.
Thus, when we put on our helmet of salvation, we are putting on the Lord Jesus Christ to protect our mindsfrom the intruding thoughts of Satan and also to fill our minds with His thoughts. [18]
The Lord Jesus is much greater than the Devil. Christ is seated at the right hand of God the Father in the heavenly places, “far above all principality and power and might and dominion,” including Satan and his demonic armies (Eph. 1:20-21). Jesus sits in a position of authority and power that is far greater than the kingdom of darkness and we are seated next to Him (Eph. 2:5-6).
The apostle John tells us that this same Jesus indwells us: “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you [Jesus through the indwelling Holy Spirit] is greater than he who is in the world [Satan].” (I John 4:4; cf. Gal. 2:20). Hence, we do not need to fear nor succumb to Satan’s attacks because Jesus in us is far greater than the Devil and his demonic armies who are in the world.
The Greek word translated “salvation” (sōtēria) in the New Testament basically means “deliverance.”[19] The apostle Paul refers to this helmet as “the hope of salvation,” that is, the hope of deliverance (I Thess. 5:8b). Why? Because Satan wants to convince us that our situation is hopeless. If we conclude that our situation is hopeless, that we are trapped in our bondage and there is nothing we can do, then we only have two choices: We can either abandon ourselves to the sin or get ready to check out of this life. [20]
The type of deliverance Jesus provides is determined by the context. As our “Salvation” (Psa. 27:1), the Lord Jesus provides three types of deliverances as they relate to our spirit, soul, and body (I Thess. 5:23).
Our Past Salvation
The first type of salvation is our past salvation (a.k.a. justification) whereby our spirit is delivered from the penalty of sin forever when we believed in Jesus for His gift of salvation (Acts 16:31; Eph. 2:8-9). When we were born again by believing in Jesus (John 3:3-18), we received “a new spirit” (Ezek. 36:26) that “was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:23-24) and was “perfected forever” (Heb. 10:14). Our spirit “cannot sin because” it “has been born of God” (I John 3:9).
Satan wants to steal the assurance of our past salvation. Since he knows we cannot lose eternal life (John 3:16; 5:24; 6:35-40; 10:28-29; 11:25-26; et al.), he tries to rob us of our assurance that we are God’s child. He may put hideous thoughts in our minds and then accuse us, saying, “No true Christian would never entertain such wicked thoughts.”
Satan will use false teachers to try to steal our assurance of eternal life. The apostle John addresses this in his first epistle. John’s readers were being told by the antichrists (false teachers) that Jesus was not the Christ Who guarantees a future resurrection and never-ending life to all who believe in Him. But John refutes this by saying, “And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.” (I John 2:25). Instead of listening to the falsehoods of the antichrists, John redirects his readers to the unchanging “promise” of God which guarantees “eternal life” to all who believe in Jesus (cf. I John 5:1, 13; John 3:15-16, 36; 5:24; 6:35-40, 47; 11:25-27; 20:31). This is the message they heard from the beginning of their Christian experience. This is how they began a personal relationship with God. Assurance of eternal life is found in God’s promises, not in the lies of false teachers which denied that eternal life is through simple faith in Jesus.
There is much confusion today about assurance of salvation. Some insist that assurance of going to heaven is based on our performance and whether we measure up to certain tests concerning the quality of our Christian experience. [21] But if we look to our performance or experience, we will never be certain we have eternal life because we always fall short of God’s glory (Rom. 3:23; I John 1:8, 10). Whenever we take our focus off Christ and His finished work on the cross (John 19:30), we are more likely to doubt our salvation. Even on our best day, we still fall short of God’s glory.
John wants his readers to look to the unchanging promises of God for the assurance of their salvation.“God’s promises don’t change. That’s why the promises of God are the foundation for our assurance of salvation. People who want to teach that 1 John is a book of tests to determine whether you are a Christian or not have gone completely against what John himself uses as his source of assurance: the promises of God.”[22]
Why does John remind his readers of their secure relationship with Jesus? “These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.” (I John 2:26). John did not want his readers to be deceived by the false teachers who tried to undermine their assurance of salvation. Knowing they have eternal life simply be believing in Jesus for it would enable them to effectively resist these antichrists who taught John’s readers they were not genuinely saved because they lacked a secret knowledge which only the false teachers could give them to have eternal life. John understood if a Christian doubts his or her salvation they are more vulnerable to losing their fellowship with God and the apostles. Hence, I believe John would agree with the apostle Paul, that Christians must take up the helmet of salvation, so they do not lose the hope of their past salvation.
Our Present Salvation
The second type of salvation is our present salvation (a.k.a. sanctification) whereby our soul is being delivered from the power of sin as we hear the word and do what it says (Phil. 2:12; Jas. 1:21-22). Just as we were justified and reconciled to God through faith in Jesus’ death, so now we are to be saved from the power of sin (God’s present-day wrath – Rom. 1:18-32) through faith in Jesus’ resurrection life (Rom. 5:9-10). This is a lifelong process called discipleship which begins at conversion and ends when we go to be with Jesus in His heaven (John 8:31-32; 13:34-35; 14:1-3; 15:1-8).
Reimer writes, “To really understand your identity, you have to properly divide soul and spirit. Your spirit has been made new. You are a new creation in Christ. You have received a new spirit and a new heart (Ezek. 36:26). Your spirit has been perfected in Christ. You have received every spiritual blessing you need in the heavenly realms (Eph. 1:3). You are adopted into the family of God (Eph. 1:5; Rom. 8:15). You are heirs of God…
“These are all the claims of Scripture for who you are in Christ. Your spirit has been purified, purged, renewed, born again, and transformed. But your soul… well, that can still be a bit of a mess.
“Your soul can have hurts and bitterness. Your soul can still have sin and demonic strongholds. Your soul can have fears and faulty beliefs about who you are. Your soul can still feel condemnation and shame.
”Sanctification, or the process of becoming like Jesus is simply becoming who you already are. You have to work out in the realm of the soul what has already taken place in the heavenly realms through the work of Christ in your spirit.
“Your soul is where your mind, your will, and your emotions still hold sway over the reality of your daily existence. For example, you may know cognitively that you are loved, but because you grew up in an abusive home, or because of your own sinful behaviors, you don’t feel loved. You don’t act as if you are deeply loved. Your soul still feels shame, you may even feel unlovable, and you feel distant from God. Until you deal with the issues of your soul, you will not experience the fullness of God nor the intimacy with Him for which your heart longs.
“Working out your identity is learning to become who you already are. This battle for your identity is a critical part to your spiritual maturity.”[23] [emphasis added]
Satan wants to deceive us into thinking that the power of sin has not been broken in our lives. That we are still slaves to sin. He loves to whisper lies that say, “You can never change.” “This isn’t that bad.” “God gave you this desire, so use it.” “Everyone else is doing it.” “You deserve to feel pleasure.” “You cannot cope with your pain without doing this.” “God doesn’t want you to experience this because He knows you will become more like Him knowing good and evil, etc.”
The Bible describes the victory Jesus has already won for us, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” (Col. 2:15).
“It is more natural to view the principalities and powers here as the defeated foes, driven in front of the triumphal chariot as involuntary and impotent witnesses to their conqueror’s superior might.” [24][emphasis added]
“The picture, quite familiar in the Roman world, is that of a triumphant general leading a parade of victory…. To the casual observer the cross appears to be only an instrument of death, the symbol of Christ’s defeat; Paul represents it as Christ’s chariot of victory.” [25] [emphasis added]
The death of Jesus did three things to the spiritual rulers of darkness. It disarmed them, displayed them, and dethroned them.
How did Jesus do this? [26] Jesus “wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” (Col. 2:14). When a person was executed under Roman law, the sentence was attached to the accused’s cross (see John 19:19). But Jesus took our sentence away, effectively nailing our certificates of debt to His cross. He paid our penalty in full (John 19:30); He died for our guilt and shame. God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Cor. 5:21).
Satan now has no legitimate grounds to accuse us of wrongdoing before God because Jesus already paid our sin debt to God in full. That is why Paul writes, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” (Col. 2:15). A fallen angel is no match for the Son of God, Who took away Satan’s power. Satan is the accuser of Christian brothers and sisters (Rev. 12:10). He accused Job (cf. Job 1:9-11; 2:4-5) and Joshua the high priest (Zech. 3:1). But in light of the all-sufficient sacrifice of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice, Satan’s accusations are empty now.
If somebody has a gun pointed at you, whether or not it’s loaded is a huge deal. The devil doesn’t want us to know that his gun has been emptied by the cross of Christ. Now, if we don’t know that, we are still going to cower and run, living in fear and shame. But we don’t have to listen to the devil any longer. Though he is right about our sin, our sin debt has been paid by Christ in full. We are free to live for God now. Satan still has power, but he no longer possesses final authority in our Christian lives.
Thus, when the devil tempts us to sin, we can respond by saying,“Jesus has already broken the power of that sin through His death and resurrection (Rom. 6:10-11). Therefore, it has no power over me.”
Our Future Salvation
Our third type of salvation is our future salvation (a.k.a. glorification) whereby our physical body is delivered from the presence of sin when Jesus comes back for His church (I Thess. 1:10; 4:13-18; 5:8b-10; I John 3:2-3). The apostle Paul writes, “And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” (I Thess. 1:10). The Greek verb translated “delivers” [ruomenon] means to “rescue from danger.”[27] This deliverance or rescue is from the Tribulation “wrath to come” on earth (cf. Rev. 6:1-18:24) which is the theme of this epistle [28] (cf. I Thess. 2:19; 3:13; 4:13-5:11, 23). How does Jesus deliver Christians from this coming Tribulation wrath on earth?
Paul explains in First Thessalonians 4:13-18. The apostle does not want his readers, including us, to be ignorant concerning believers who have died lest we “sorrow as others who have no hope.” (I Thess. 4:13). Paul understands that an ignorant believer can easily become a hopeless believer. [29] He then provides the order of events in the Rapture or sudden removal of the church from the earth.
First, we see the return of Christ in the air with Christians who have died. “For if [or since] we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.” (I Thess. 4:14). The rapture of the church is just as certain as the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. At one point in time the death and resurrection of Christ were prophecy. But now they are history. We can believe the Rapture with equal certainty.
When Paul refers to “those who sleep in Jesus,” he is talking about Christians who have died (cf. John 11:11-12). What happens when a Christian dies (see pic)? His spirit goes immediately to heaven, but his body “sleeps” in the grave. “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Cor. 5:8). To be absent from the body in death is to be present with the Lord Jesus in heaven.
The second event is the resurrection of the bodies of Christians who have died. “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.” (I Thess. 4:15). The bodies of Christians who have died will be resurrected first by Jesus, so that their spirits, which are now with Christ, can re-enter their bodies permanently in resurrection. Notice that Paul included himself in these verses – “we who are alive and remain…” He expected to be “alive” when Jesus returned. He believed the Rapture could take place at any time and so should we.
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” (I Thess. 4:16). In the Rapture, it is the Lord Jesus Himself that is coming, not the Holy Spirit or God’s angels. There will be a magnificent sound much like a shout, like the voice of an archangel and like the sound of a trumpet all in one, and only those who have placed their trust in Christ as their Savior will hear it. For the Bible says, “The dead in Christ will rise first.” Only those who are “in Christ” through believing in Jesus, will respond to this sound. Those who have not believed in Jesus Christ will be left behind.
Notice that Christians who have died will return with Jesus (I Thess. 4:14b) and receive a glorified resurrection body (“the dead in Christ will rise first” – I Thess. 4:16b) that is incorruptible (sinless) and imperishable (eternal), like the resurrection body of the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. I Cor. 15:35-51; Phil 3:20).
Next is the removal of living Christians. “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord.” (I Thess. 4:17a). The words “caught up” are from the Greek word haparzō which means “to snatch up or take away suddenly.” [30] Paul describes it like this: “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet… the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (I Cor. 15:52). In the time it takes you to blink your eye, the Lord will snatch all believers in Jesus off the earth to meet Him in the air – not one will remain behind.
Finally, we see the reunion of both living and dead believers with the Lord in the air. “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord.” (I Thess. 4:17). This sudden removal of all Christians from the earth is intended to comfort believers in Jesus. That’s why Paul writes, “Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (I Thess. 4:18.) If the rapture is at the middle or end of the seven-year Tribulation period of intense and unusual suffering on earth, there would be little comfort and encouragement in this. But the prospect of Christ coming at any moment is a much greater comfort.
Paul alludes to putting on “as a helmet the hope of salvation” (I Thess. 5:8c). The Greek word translated “salvation” (sōtērias) in First Thessalonians is not deliverance from everlasting punishment in hell, but deliverance from the Tribulation wrath on earth. “9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.” (I Thess. 5:9-10). Christians will not go through the Tribulation because “God did not appoint us to wrath.” Thus, this “salvation” is deliverance from God’s Tribulation wrath on the earth via the Rapture of the church “through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Our precious Lord’s death (“Christ, who died for us”) guarantees that all Christians will be caught up to be with Jesus, “whether we wake or sleep,” spiritually (I Thess. 5:10; cf. I Thess. 5:4-7). Knowing and believing this truth acts as a protective helmet against Satan’s attacks. The Devil wants us to doubt that we will be delivered from God’s coming wrath through the Rapture of the Church. He has convinced many Christians that they will go through the Tribulation period. Some believers think we are now in the Tribulation.
Satan wants us to conclude that Jesus is not coming back in our lifetime because he understands that we will then be more likely to live his way instead of God’s way. Jesus warned of this faulty conclusion when He told the parable of the faithful servant who became an evil servant (Matt. 24:45-51). Christ spoke of “a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household” (Matt. 24:45). If that servant remains faithful in light of his master’s soon return, his master “will make him ruler over all his goods” when he comes back (Matt. 24:46-47).
But Jesus warns, “If that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’” he will be in danger of mistreating “his fellow servants” and living a self-indulgent life (“eat and drink with the drunkards”), resulting in a severe rebuke (“the master of that servant… will cut him in two,” cf. Heb. 4:12-13) and intense grief (“weeping and gnashing of teeth”) over the loss of eternal rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ (Matt. 24:48-51; cf. Matt. 25:30; I Cor. 3:15; I John 2:28). [31]
Even though it has been nearly twenty centuries since Jesus ascended to heaven, no Christian should dare to conclude that Jesus “is delaying His coming” for His church. That is what Satan wants us to do. He knows that if we lose sight of the nearness of Christ’s return, we will also lose hope.
The helmet of salvation provides hope for the believer. The hope that one day all the projected thoughts from the powers of darkness will be removed forever when the Christian is given a new resurrection body which will no longer be subject to sin and death.
The promise that Jesus Christ could return for His church at any moment is one of the greatest reasons for us to live for Jesus now. Focusing on Christ’s any-time-return “purifies” us inwardly so we can have confidence and not be ashamed before Him when He appears (I John 2:28; 3:2-3).
Conclusion
Satan does not want us to put on the helmet of salvation because…
He wants us to live in the past filled with our sin and shame. But when we put on the helmet of salvation, the Lord Jesus instructs us to learn from the past, not live in the past because He has delivered our spirit from the penalty of sin forever the moment we believed in Him for His gift of salvation (Acts 16:31; Eph. 2:8-9; 4:23-24; cf. Ezek. 36:26).
He wants us to believe that we are still slaves to sin who can never change. But when we put on the helmet of salvation, Christ tells us that we can change because our soul is being saved from the power of sin which was broken through Jesus’ death and resurrection (Rom. 6:10-11). We must simply hear and do what Christ tells us (Jas. 1:21-22).
He wants us to doubt Jesus will return for His church in our lifetime so we will lose hope and live under his control instead of God’s. However, when the helmet of salvation is put on, we become watchful for Jesus’ soon return for His church when our physical bodies will be saved from the presence of sin forever (I Thess. 1:10; 4:13-5:11; I John 3:2-3). Focusing on Christ’s any-time-return “purifies” us inwardly so we can have confidence and not be ashamed before Him when He appears (I John 2:28; 3:2-3).
As with the other pieces of armor, we put on the helmet of salvation through prayer (Eph. 6:18).
Prayer: Father God, I recognize that my mind is a particular target of Satan’s deceiving ways. Thus, I cover my mind with the powerful helmet of salvation which protects and directs my thoughts, so my life is filled with hope. Thank You for the assurance that my spirit is saved from the penalty of sin forever when I put my faith in the Lord Jesus alone for His gift of salvation. I praise you for Jesus’ death and resurrection which broke the power of sin. By Your grace I pray for my soul to be saved from the power of sin as I yield to the Holy Spirit’s power to obey what Your Word says. And thank You Lord for the hope that my physical body will be saved from the presence of sin when Jesus gives me a new glorified resurrection body when He comes back for His church. Please show me any thoughts I am entertaining right now that are from the enemy. In the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the power of His blood, I come against the power of darkness that just put that wicked thought in my mind. And I command you to leave me and go where the Lord Jesus Christ sends you.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Adapted from David R. Anderson, Position and Condition: An Exposition of the Book of Ephesians (Grace Theological Press, 2017 Kindle Edition), pp. 369-370.
[3] Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2665.
[4] The first three verbs in Greek (perizōsamenoi… endysamenoi… hypodēsamenoi… ) are aorist middle participles which means they have already been put on by the soldier or Christian.
[5] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2665.
[6] The Greek verb translated “taking…” (analabontes) is an aorist active participle, meaning the Christian is taking the shield of faith as needed and the last Greek verb translated “take…” (dexasthe) is an aorist middle imperative which is used of the last two pieces of armor and means for oneself to take them up as needed.
[7] Retrieved on March 5, 2025, from an article entitled, “Motorcycle Helmet Laws and Safety Statistics 2024,” at lawtigers.com. The article states that “in states with universal helmet laws, 55 percent of motorcyclists killed in 2021 were not wearing helmets, compared to 9 percent in states with universal helmet laws.”
[8] The following lengthy discussion about the use of a helmet in American football is adapted from Tony Evan’s video message entitled, “The Helmet of Salvation,” on youtube.com.
[9] Many of the following paragraphs are adapted from Mark Bubeck’s video message entitled “9. Head First Into Battle… Ephesians 6 Series,” on BRMinistry app, unless otherwise noted.
[10] For a more detailed treatment of Matthew 16:21-23, see “Spiritual Warfare – Part 2” in Ropp Update & Reflections (July 2024).
[11] Much of this section is adapted from Mark Bubeck’s video message entitled “9. Head First Into Battle… Ephesians 6 Series,” on BRMinistry app, unless otherwise noted.
[12] Zane C. Hodges, “Romans,” The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 1045.
[17] Adapted from Mark Bubeck’s video message entitled “9. Head First Into Battle… Ephesians 6 Series,” on BRMinistry app.
[18] The first three paragraphs of this section are adapted from Mark Bubeck’s video message entitled “9. Head First Into Battle… Ephesians 6 Series,” on the BRMinistry app.
[19] Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature: Third Edition, 2000 Kindle Edition, pp. 985-986.
[21] Anderson, Maximum Joy: I John – Relationship or Fellowship? 2013 Kindle Edition, pg. 15 cites John MacArthur, Jr., Saved without a Doubt (Colorado Springs: Cook Communications, 1992), pp. 67-91; Tom Constable, Notes on I John, 2022 Edition, pg. 46 cites James Montgomery Boice, The Epistles of John (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1979); John F. MacArthur Jr., The Gospel according to Jesus (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1988); John R. W. Stott, Basic Introduction to the New Testament, 1st American ed. (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1964); and Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, 2 vols. (Wheaton: Scripture Press Publications, Victor Books, 1989).
[22] Anderson, Maximum Joy: I John – Relationship or Fellowship? 2013 Kindle Edition, pg. 128.
[23] Dr. Rob Reimer, Soul Care: Seven Transformational Principles For A Healthy Soul (Carpenter’s Son Publishing, 2016), pp. 37-38.
[24] Tom Constable, Dr. Constable’s Notes on Colossians, 2023 Edition, pg. 61 cites F. F. Bruce, “Colossians Problems,” Bibliotheca Sacra 563 (July- September 1984):198-199.
[25] Ibid., cites Curtis Vaughan, In Ephesians-Philemon. Vol. 11 of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, 12 vols. Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein and J. D. Douglas (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1978), pg. 202.
[26] The following three paragraphs are adapted from Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pp. 2701-2702.
[27] Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature: Third Edition, 2000 Kindle Edition, pg. 907.
[28] Robert Wilkin, “I Thessalonians,” The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 1463.
[29] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2727.
[30] Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature: Third Edition, 2000 Kindle Edition, pg. 134.
[31] Hal Haller Jr., “Matthew,” The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition, 2019 Kindle Edition, pp. 179-182.
We have been looking at the whole armor of God in Ephesians 6 that protects us from the attacks of the kingdom of darkness. The apostle Paul instructs his Christian readers (including you and me) to “put on the whole armor of God” so we may stand against the “wiles” or trickery of the Devil (Eph. 6:11).
The apostle Paul presents six pieces of armor that are divided into two categories of three. He introduces each of these two categories with different verbs. The first three are introduced with the verb “to be.” The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the shoes of peace we have with us all of the time [1] (“having girded… put on… shod…” – Eph. 6:14-15). [2] This is the state we are always to be in. But the last three pieces of armor we are called to take and use as needed [3] (“taking … take…” Eph. 6:16-17).[4] Today, we will begin to look at the first of these last three pieces of armor.
Paul describes the armor that Roman infantrymen wore in the order they would put it on. The soldier first puts on his belt which represents the Christian’s belt of truth (Eph. 6:14a). Since Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44), this first piece of armor is essential to protecting us from Satan’s deceptions and lies. We learned that truth is God’s viewpoint on a subject. It is the absolute standard by which reality is measured in its original form.Truth points us in the direction that God wants to lead us.
After putting on his belt, the soldier then puts on his breastplate which protects his vital organs in his chest region. “The breastplate” we are to put on is “righteousness” (dikaiosunē) which refers to the quality of “being right.” [5] Satan wants us to compromise God’s righteousness. He will use deception to accomplish this. Hence, we must begin with God’s truth which is the informational base that tells us the right thing to do. When God’s truth is operative in our lives, it points our heart in the direction of God’s righteousness. The breastplate of righteousness is our response to God’s truth or viewpoint on a matter. We are often faced with a myriad of choices and decisions in life, but how do we know we have made the right choices or decisions? How do we know we are moving in the right direction? How do we know we have the right perspective on a matter? This leads to the third piece of armor.
After putting on his belt and breastplate, the soldier then puts on his sandals which has spikes on the bottom of them to give him sure footing and mobility in the heat of battle. The sandals we are to put on are “the gospel of peace.” God’s peace is found in the “gospel” or good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection (I Cor. 15:1-8). This peace is not found in a pill, in entertainment, in the accumulation of wealth, in a favorite television program, in a movie, in a better job, in a vacation or in an image on the computer screen. That’s the world’s kind of peace which is momentary. God’s peace is found in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
God’s peace will confirm that we are making the right decisions, moving in the right direction, and having the right perspective in our Christian lives. The Devil wants to rob us of God’s peace so we will live a life driven by fear and anxiety. He knows that whatever we fear, we give control to. Satan does not want us to let God control our lives, so he seeks to rob us of God’s peace. But the Lord wants to give us a deep-seeded calmness to move forward (“feet” suggest movement) with a decision even though hell may be breaking loose in our lives.
What is “the evil day”?
A man walks with his Bible for a spiritual battle, represented by the verse Ephesians 6:12
Paul writes, “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.” (Eph. 6:13). Notice that Paul uses the same Greek word “take up” (analambanō) that he uses to address the fourth piece of armor: “Above all, taking (analambanō) the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” (Eph. 6:16). It is extremely important that we take up “the whole armor of God” to withstand intense spiritual attacks, especially “in the evil day” (Eph. 6:13).
To what does “the evil day” refer? It is not referring to a twenty-four-hour period. [6] It refers to a full-frontal Satanic attack [7] from the pit of hell (Eph. 6:12) that seeks to steal, kill, and destroy us or our faith (John 10:10a). In Luke 4 after Satan finished tempting Jesus in the wilderness, Luke tells us the Devil “departed from Him until an opportune time” when he would unleash his worst attacks (Luke 4:13). So, “the evil day” refers to the time when great spiritual attacks take place in a Christian’s life, when all hell breaks loose. [8]
For example, Logan illustrates what this may look like when he talks about a client named Bill who found freedom from terrible sexual bondage during his counseling with Biblical Restoration Ministries. Logan told the client that an evil day would come for him.
Logan writes, “Nothing particular happened for about three months. Then one day Bill called me and said he had been asked to go to the local high school to take measurements for some architectural renovations the school wanted to make. For some reason, he told me, he had a bad feeling about the assignment, although there was nothing especially significant about it.
“When Bill went to the school to do the measurements, the students were putting on a play in the school theater, which meant he was not able to measure that part of the school. He would have to go back a second time to measure the theater. He called me again and asked me to pray for him.
“Bill arrived at the school theater and began his work. As he made his way along, he noticed some rooms off to the side of the theater, which also needed measuring. He turned the external light switch to one room, stepped inside, and quickly discovered a room filled with the very items he used when he practiced his sexual bondage. The items themselves were harmless, and I don’t want to leave the wrong impression about the school. But seeing all the clothing and miscellaneous items before him, Bill was suddenly confronted with his ‘evil day.’
“He told me later that the temptation was so strong he could almost hear a voice saying, ‘Go ahead, just this one time. It won’t hurt you just to touch them.’ But praise the Lord, Bill resisted the tempter in the name of Christ and walked out.
“Everything was fine until the next Valentine’s Day, which was near Bill’s one-year anniversary of freedom. He came under sustained attacks at home, at work, at church, and everywhere else he went that day.
“He called me and said, ‘Jim, it’s bad. I don’t know if I can make it.’ But the Lord gave him more grace, and Bill stood firm… Bill’s experience reinforces the nature of the evil day, which Bible scholar Clinton Arnold describes as specific times when the enemy’s attack comes with extraordinary power and the temptation to yield is exceptionally strong.” [9]
The “evil day” doesn’t come just once and then never reoccur. It can happen repeatedly in a Christian’s life. Satan and his demonic armies do not take vacations. They are constantly seeking to steal, kill, and destroy. Thus, we must constantly wear the whole armor of God.
The Importance of the Shield
Paul introduces the fourth piece of armor with the words, “Above all” (Epi pasin), [10] to draw our attention to the criticalness of this piece of armor. The “shield of faith” is “above all” the other pieces of armor in its importance. It is as though the Holy Spirit, through the apostle Paul, wants us to know how vitally important the shield of faith is in our battle with the kingdom of darkness.
Many of us may take for grantedthe important shields that are in our lives. We can easily forget how much a shield means to us. For example, when we are in our homes enjoying an evening meal with family, we don’t notice what is happening outside until all of a sudden there is a violent thunderstorm. Suddenly, we find ourselves in the midst of dark clouds swirling above us that are filled with rain. Out of nowhere, we feel our house shudder as the thunder crashes and the lightning flashes all around us. We see the wind blowing intensely, causing the trees in our yard to bend over and then huge raindrops begin to pound against the siding and windows of our home. But none of these elements touch us. The shield of our homes protects us. Our clothes remained dry, and we remain safe from the raging storm outside.
During the summer months, when we drive at night in the Midwest, we can get annoyed by all the bugs that make a mess on our windshields. But do we ever stop to think what would happen if that windshield was not there? Were it not for our windshields, we would have those messy bugs all over our clothing and even on our glasses. Some of us may need to dig those bugs out of our mouths or extract them from a delicate eye. Do we ever stop to appreciate how our windshields protect us from those missiles of flying bugs that assault us at whatever speed we are driving. Instead of smashing against our faces, they smash against our windshields. They don’t touch us because the shield is in front of us.
This is the imagery that we have in Ephesians 6:16. Satan’s flaming missiles are coming at us all of the time, but they don’t touch us because the shield is in front of us. Were it not for the shield of faith, those flaming missiles would hurt us or worse, they would destroy us.
Why is the Shield of Faith of Such Great Importance?[11]
The fourth piece of armor addresses unbelief. Hence, we are to take up the shield of faith (Eph. 6:16) which extinguishes all the fiery darts or arrows of the enemy. What is that talking about? It involves Satan’s temptation to get you to question God or to act independently of God. That is the way he approached Eve in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:1-5). Satan got Eve to question God and what He had said and what would happen if she were to partake of the forbidden fruit. Why is the shield of faith of such great importance?
First, the shield of faith is critical to our protection because of its extensiveness. Paul says, “Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” (Eph. 6:16). The “shield of faith” is able to “quench” (sbennumi) or “extinguish / put out”[12]“all” the fiery “darts” (belē – pl. / belos – singular) or “arrows”[13] of the Devil. The Greek word belos is often used to describe something that is swift, piercing, or potentially harmful. It conveys the idea of a projectile that is launched with intent and precision. These “darts” or arrows were “fiery” or “ablaze in order to set fire to the enemies’ clothing or camp or homes.” [14]
Roman soldiers used two kinds of shields – a round one used in marching (aspis) and a larger rectangular one used in battle (thureos). The term Paul uses here refers to the larger battle shield [15] which was made of wood and was 2 ½ feet wide by 4 feet long. It was overlaid with leather. [16]“Before a battle in which flaming arrows might be shot at them, the soldiers wet the leather covering with water to extinguish the arrows.”[17]
Such a large shield could protect a soldier’s entire body when he was positioned properly behind it. A soldier that was advancing against a fierce enemy would want the large shield because it was capable of deflecting the most incoming arrows that were intended to pierce the armor and body of the soldier.
God has provided a shield of faith for the Christian which protects us from “all,” not just some, but from “all” of Satan’s flaming arrows that he shoots at us. God provides protection for us in every direction – in front of us, behind us, above us, beside us, and beneath us. His protection is comprehensive and complete so we can approach the battlefield with confidence in our God to protect us.
Second, the shield of faith is critical in its objectiveness. The shield is the object of our faith. The shield is not our faith. We can put our faith in the wrong thing which will not protect us at all. For example, we have heard reports of soldiers wearing good luck charms such as a rabbit’s foot to protect them from the bullets of the enemy. Those soldiers’ bodies, however, were riddled with bullet holes because their faith was in the wrong object. Putting our faith in the wrong object will not protect us at all. I will talk more about the object of our faith in the next section.
Third, the shield of faith is critical in its subjectiveness. As we wear the shield of faith, there is a confidence in our hearts that we will be protected. This does not mean that the enemy will not come close to destroying God’s people. Such was the case of Job when God told Satan that he could touch Job’s children, his livestock and servants, and even Job’s own health, but God would not let the Devil take Job’s life (Job 1:12- 2:8). I am convinced that Satan would destroy all of us were it not for God’s protection.
When any of Satan’s fiery arrows pass through the shield of faith, no longer are they the destroying missiles that the Devil intended. Instead, when those arrows pass through the shield of faith they become a refining, purifying influence in our Christian lives that God uses for our good and our spiritual growth (cf. I Pet. 1:6-8; 4:12-16). This is why it is so important to have the shield of faith in its proper place. God can bring good out of what Satan intends for evil (cf. Luke 22:31-32; I Tim. 19-20).
Fourth, the shield of faith is critical in its intensiveness. The imagery in Ephesians 6:16 is one of “fiery darts” or blazing missiles coming toward us. This emphasizes the intense, deadly nature of this spiritual battle. This is a strategic method that Satan utilizes to attack God’s people.
One of the ways that armies in ancient warfare would successfully advance against an enemy city with fortified walls protecting them, was to have a row of soldiers with flaming arrows in the front. They would shoot their flaming pitch pointed arrows over the walls onto the roofs of structures inside the walls of the city. As these structures would begin to burn, the soldiers standing guard on the walls and the gates to the city, ready to protect the city, would be drawn away from their positions to fight the fires that were spreading all over the city. These fires would distract them and take them away from their guarding position so that invading soldiers could climb the city walls or break through the city gates with their battering rams to conquer the city.
These flaming arrows that Satan sends our way are intended to distract us and lead us away from our position in Christ so our families will be destroyed as well as our Christian testimony and lives. The adversary wants to get us so busy putting out the fires in our lives that we forget the victory that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ.
A man is chained to computer late at night.
Two of the most destructive fiery darts that Satan uses today to get a Christian to doubt his or her faith is pornography and the written word. Pornography is just as common among Christians as it is non-Christians.[18]Research has shown that the longer a Christian views porn, the less will be their spiritual disciplines and the more doubts they will have about their faith. They are less likely to read their Bibles, attend church, pray, and participate in Christian service. [19]
While the written word can be used to build up and encourage, Satan uses it to destroy a Christian’s faith. For example, Samuel Clemens (i.e., Mark Twain) grew up in a religious home and deeply studied the Bible at a young age. After his marriage he and his wife read the Bible and prayed together daily. But just eight years later he told a minister, “I don’t believe a word of your Bible was inspired by God any more than any other book?”[20]
What changed Mark Twain from a devoted believer to a cynic?“Part of it was his revulsion over the God of strict Calvinism who would select some for heaven and others for hell before they were born. But another book on origins was published in 1859 – Charles Darwin’s Origin of the Species. After reading this work Twain’s faith fell victim to the destructive power of the written word.” [21]
Anderson also cites Dan Brown’s book, The Da Vinci Code, which looks at the world of religious history with a goal of trying to show that Christianity diminished the rights of women. Anderson demonstrates how Brown twisted the truth in his attempt to discredit Christianity.[22] I wonder how many of the millions of Brown’s readers have become skeptical, or worse, opposed to the Christian faith because of his written word.
As mentioned above, the shield is not our faith. The phrase, “of faith” (tēs pisteōs), is a subjective genitive in the original language, meaning our faith is directed toward the shield. The shield is the object of our faith. Since the shield is the object of our faith, then what is the shield? When we take up the shield of faith to protect us, what is it we are taking up?
First, we are taking up the omnipresence of God. Throughout the Old Testament, the word “shield” is often used of God. About ten years after Abram had moved his family out of his homeland toward Canaan, the Lord said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield…” (Gen. 15:1b). God reassured Abram that He would be his shield of protection so no one could thwart God’s promises to Abram of great blessing, his own land, and many descendants (Gen. 12:1-4; cf. 15:5-21).
King David wrote, “For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.” (Psa. 5:12). God protected David from every direction with His favor. Again, David writes, “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.” (Psa. 18:30; cf. 2 Sam. 22:31; Psa. 144:2). Notice how “trust” (faith) is directed toward God Who acts as “a shield” of protection.
In the New Testament during Paul’s second missionary journey, he came to the city of Corinth where he encountered resistance from the Jews when he preached to them that Jesus is the Christ (Acts 18:5-6). No doubt Paul was discouraged and fearful of what might happen to him at Corinth. “9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.’” (Acts 18:9-10). The Lord assured Paul that His presence would protect Paul from being hurt. Strengthened by God’s protective presence, Paul ministered in Corinth for another 18 months (Acts 18:11).
Second, we are taking up the substitutionary death and life of the Lord Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus Christ acts as a shield to us the moment we believe in Christ to save us from the penalty of all our sins. The apostle Paul writes, “9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Rom. 5:9-10). Just as we have “been justified” (past tense) “by His blood” and “reconciled” (past tense) “to God through the death of His Son” so “we shall be saved” (future tense) “from wrath through Him… by His life.” We were saved (past tense) from the penalty of sin forever the moment we believed in Jesus’ substitutionary “death” on the cross for our sins (Rom. 5:9a, 10a; cf. Acts 16:31), so Satan cannot successfully oppose us (Rom. 8:31-32), accuse us (Rom. 8:33), or condemn us (Rom. 8:34) in God’s courtroom. But what many Christians do not understand is that we shall be saved (future tense) from the power of sin as we believe in Jesus’ substitutionary “life” (Rom. 5:9b, 10b; cf. Jas. 1:21-22; Gal. 2:20).
Anderson writes, “We gained eternal life as He became our substitute in death, but we shall enjoy an abundant life as He becomes our substitute in life… The hardest thing for a non-Christian to believe in is the substitutionary death of Christ, but the hardest thing for a Christian to believe in is the substitutionary life of Christ. Romans 5:10 is about His substitutionary life. In this ‘swing section’ of Romans the author is turning away from his focus on justification from the penalty of sin to salvation from the power of sin. And being saved in this section is to be delivered from the tyranny of the sin nature in one’s life (the wrath of Rom. 1:18).” [24] [emphasis added]
The apostle Paul also writes, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Gal. 2:20). When we come to faith in Christ, we are united with Him spiritually in His death (“I have been crucified with Christ”) and resurrection (cf. Rom. 6:1-11). Therefore, “it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” This is the substitutionary life of Christ which is absolutely necessary for us to live the victorious Christian life (cf. Rom. 5:10). Our identity in Christ is the most important thing about us. [25]“Everything else is secondary. We must die to any identity we have that is independent of Christ.” [26]
But there is a sense in which the believer lives: “… And the life which I now live in the flesh (sarx),” does not refer to the Christian’s sinful “flesh,” but to his physical body. [27] Living a substitutionary life requires “faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20b). In essence Paul affirmed, “If He loved me enough to give Himself for me, then He loves me enough to live out His life in me.”[28]
Hence, just as we put our faith alone in Jesus’ substitutionary death to be justified (declared totally righteous) before God (Rom. 5:8-9a, 10a), so we must now put our faith alone in Christ’s substitutionary life to deliver us from the power of sin in our Christian lives (Rom. 5:9b, 10b; cf. Rom. 6:1-8:39). We can no more save ourselves from the power of sin in our Christian lives than we could save ourselves from the penalty of sin when we were non-Christians.
“Christ died a substitutionary death for us. We all believe that, if we are born again. But what we fail to realize is that Christ wants to live a substitutionary life in us as well. The victorious Christ life is a substitutionary life. We must substitute the Christ-life for the self-life. ’When sin knocks on your door, send Christ to answer.’ When I am obedient to an evil lust, it is usually because I choose to be so. It is because I chose to do it eagerly because I love it so much, or it is because I am trying to battle it with the self-life rather than the Christ-life.” [29][emphasis added]
So, taking up the shield of faith means that when an evil lust comes knocking on our door to tempt us to sin or doubt our Christian faith, we can choose to send Jesus to answer it and send that evil lust or temptation where He wants it to go. We don’t have to try harder or punish ourselves. We simply transfer our trust onto Christ living in us to say “No” to our fleshly lusts.
Third, we are taking up the protective presence of God’s holy angels. Our shield of protection includes the ministry of God’s holy angels to Christians on their journey of faith. “Are they [God’s angels – cf. Heb. 1:13] not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation.” (Heb. 1:14). God sends His holy angels “to minister” to Christians “who will inherit salvation.”
To “inherit salvation” refers to sharing in Christ’s future victory over His enemies as the previous Old Testament quotes established (Heb. 1:5a; Psa. 2:7). The context of Psalm 2:7 contains the idea of Christ’s enemies being defeated (Psa. 2:1-3, 10-12). “Salvation” in Psalms was often used to refer to the deliverance of God’s people from the oppression of their enemies and the resulting enjoyment of God’s blessings (Psa. 3:2, 8; 18:2; 35:3; 37:39; 71:15; 118:14-15, 21; 132:16; et al.). [30] The quote in Hebrews 1:9 from Psalm 45:6-7 refers to Christ’s reign during the Millennial Kingdom with His “companions,” who like King Jesus, “loved righteousness and hated lawlessness” and “endured” affliction until the end of their lives on earth (Heb. 1:9; cf. Heb. 3:1, 14; 12:1-2). [31]
Hebrews 1:13a quotes from Psalm 110:1 which also alludes to the defeat of Christ’s enemies “after the millennium, with all physical and spiritual foes defeated (1 Cor. 15:24-26; Rev. 20:14), the Son will sit beside the Father and rule the new universe forever (Rev. 22:1-5).”[32] For believers to share in Jesus’ victory over His enemies and reign with Him over all the earth in the future, they must persevere by faith in their faithfulness to Christ to the end of their Christians lives on earth (cf. Matt. 25:21b, 23b; Luke 22:28-30; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 2:26-27; 3:21). They will need the assistance and protection of God’s holy angels ministering to them on this journey of faith (Heb. 1:14).
“We can draw comfort and confidence that our walk to the kingdom has unseen aides. The visible world is a beautiful but fearful, fallen place while the invisible realm is occupied with those hostile to Christ and His own. Thankfully, God wants to give us to His Son as companions, so He assigns angels to assist us.
“They protect us physically, wrestle enemy spirits who attack us, and it is possible angels may visit and encourage us from time to time. They are our unknown assistants who labor at the King’s word to see that we have needed help to faithfully persevere. We are not alone in our struggles at any time or in any circumstance.” [33] [emphasis added]
An example of God’s angels protecting God’s people is recorded in 2 Kings 6. When surrounded by the great Syrian army, Elisha encouraged his servant not to be afraid because “those who are with” Elisha and his servant “are more than those who are with” the Syrian army (2 Kings 6:16). Then Elisha prayed for the Lord to “open” the eyes of his servant so he could “see” what Elisha knew to be there by faith – the angelic armies of God surrounding and protecting them (2 Kings 6:17a). Then the servant saw that “the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:17b).
John Paton was a missionary in the New Hebrides Islands. One night, hostile natives surrounded the mission station, intent on burning out the Patons and killing them. Paton and his wife prayed during that terror-filled night that God would deliver them. When daylight came, they were amazed to see their attackers leave. A year later, the chief of the tribe was converted to Christ. Remembering what had happened, Paton asked the chief what had kept him from burning down the house and killing them. The chief replied in surprise, ‘Who were all those men with you there?’ Paton knew no men were present – but the chief said he was afraid to attack because he had seen hundreds of big men in shining garments with drawn swords circling the mission station. It was then that Paton realized God sent His angels to protect them. [34]
When we are under intense Satanic attack, it is important to see with the eyes of faith that God is always with us and His angels outnumber our enemies (Psa. 91:11). God has a security system that is far greater than any military or technology today. Let’s look to the Lord to deliver us from all our fears, whether real or imagined (cf. Psalm 34:4, 6-7).
What is faith?
Evans writes with regard to Ephesians 6:16, “What is faith? It’s acting like God’s telling the truth – being obedient to God’s view on a matter. Whatever temptations the devil fires at you, you can overcome him by believing God’s Word and acting on it. Acting in faith is like activating a divine fire extinguisher.”[35]
To understand what faith is, let’s look at a chapter in the book of Hebrews. The book of Hebrews was written to encourage believers to persevere in a life of faith. The readers of Hebrews were tempted to defect from Christianity in the midst of suffering. To counter this discouragement, the writer gives many examples in the Old Testament of people who persevered by faith in the face of great difficulties in Hebrews 11.
To begin this chapter, the author of Hebrews gives us a definition of faith: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1). The word translated “substance” (hupostasis) in this context means “the confidence or assurance that one has in something,” especially in what God has said, and then act accordingly. [36]
The word translated “evidence” (elegchos) refers to a “a conviction about” something.[37]“In light of the examples cited, the author has in mind an assurance about things God has revealed or called a person to do (not things one wishes to happen).”[38]
When we combine these two words, we see that faith is the assurance and conviction of unseen things. Faith brings unseen future things into the present. However, faith can differ in its objects and outcomes. [39]
For example, saving faith is when a non-Christian believes or is persuaded that Jesus gives everlasting life to those who believe in Him (John 3:15-16; 11:25-26; I Tim. 1:16). So, the object of saving faith is Christ and His promise of eternal life, and the outcome is he receives everlasting life in the present and a kingdom entrance in the future (John 3:3-16). So, saving faith determines our entrance into Christ’s future kingdom on earth (John 3:5-18; cf. Matt. 18:3; 21:31-32; Mark 10:15; Luke 18:17; Rev. 20:4-6; et al.).
The first hero of the faith mentioned in Hebrews 11 illustrates saving faith. “Abel” was acknowledged by God to be “righteous” through his faith which offered “a more excellent sacrifice than Cain” (Heb. 11:4). Like Abel, the readers of Hebrews found acceptance before God through the “more excellent sacrifice” of the Lord Jesus Christ (Heb. 9:11-10:18).
Enduring faith is described in Hebrews 11:5ff and it is when believers are persuaded that God “is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6). Therefore, they endure in pursuing God and His future rewards. Such faith pleases God and makes one a companion (“partaker”) of Christ so they will rule with Him in His future kingdom on earth (Heb. 1:8-9; 2:5-8; 3:1, 14; cf. Matt. 25:21b, 23b; Luke 22:28-30; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 2:26-27; 3:21). Thus, our enduring faith determines our kingdom experience. [40]
Many examples of enduring faith are given by the author, beginning with “Enoch” who walked with God three hundred years, and thus “pleased” Him, so he was taken to be with God and “did not see death.” (Heb. 11:5; cf. Gen. 5:21-24). By faith, “Noah” saved his “household” from God’s world judgment by building the ark and inherited the cleansed earth after the Flood (“became heir of the righteousness”) which parallels the readers potential inheritance of the “world to come” (Heb. 11:7; cf. Heb. 2:5; Gen. 6:13-9:19). “Abraham,” also became an heir by faith when he ”obeyed” the Lord and went to live like a foreigner “in the land of promise” that would later become his inheritance because he looked forward to the heavenly “city” of the New Jerusalem (Heb. 11:8-10; cf. Gen. 12:1ff; Rev. 21:2, 9-27).
“Sarah” trusted in God’s promise to overcome her barrenness and provide “a child” (Heb. 11:11-12). These Old Testament believers saw the promised rewards from a distance and persevered in life looking for “a heavenly country” of their own, refusing to return to the previous one (Heb. 11:13-15).
The author of Hebrews also alludes to Abraham’s faith which endured the trial of offering up “Isaac,” as he believed God “was able to raise him up … from the dead” (Heb. 11:17-19). By faith, “Isaac” and “Jacob” looked to God to fulfill His promises to Abraham in the future by pronouncing blessings on their descendants (Heb. 11:20-21). By faith, “Joseph” was confident God would deliver “the children of Israel” in the future from Egypt so “his bones” could be buried in the land of promise (Heb. 11:22).
By faith baby “Moses” was “hidden… by his parents” and his life was preserved (Heb. 11:23). By faith “Moses” overcame the enticements of the world looking to his and Israel’s future “reward” (Heb. 11:24-26). He also triumphed over Pharoah’s “wrath” by faith and avoided God’s judgment by faith as he kept “the Passover” (Heb. 11:27-28).
By faith Israel “passed through the Red Sea” on dry land but their enemies drowned trying to do so (Heb. 11:29). By faith “the walls of Jericho fell down” after the Israelites encircled them seven days (Heb. 11:30). By faith “Rahab” the prostitute escaped physical destruction “when she received the spies with peace” (Heb. 11:31).
The writer of Hebrews refers to Old Testament believers during the times of the judges (“Gideon… Barak … Samson… Jephthah”) and kings (“Samuel… David”) whose faith was triumphant during difficult and dark times (Heb. 11:32-35a). Others endured extreme suffering (“tortured… mockings… scourgings… chains… imprisonments… stoned… sawn in two… slain with the sword… destitute… tormented… wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves…” because they were convinced they would “obtain a better resurrection” with special reward (Heb. 11:35b-38).
The writer of Hebrews concludes this chapter by noting that these Old Testament heroes of faith had not yet received the “promise” of their inheritance which was “something better for us” because only then could Christians in this current church age endure their current experiences of becoming “partners” (metachoi) of Christ Who will share those hopes with all of us (Old and New Testament believers) in the future (Heb. 11:39-40).
In relation to Hebrews 11, Evans writes, “To exercise faith is to have confidence about an expectation without visible proof that it will happen. What makes this confidence possible? The trustworthiness of the object of faith. The question we must answer is this: Is God trustworthy? And as I like to say, faith is acting like God is telling the truth. If you want to increase your faith, grow in your understanding of God. Believers of the past trusted Him by faith and won God’s approval (Heb. 11:2). Notice that each of the heroes of the faith mentioned in this chapter acted on what they believed.” [41]
It is important to understand thatthese heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11 were not perfect, but they were persevering. The examples of these Old Testament believers testify (“witnesses” – Heb. 12:1) to us about God’s faithfulness and care as they lived a life of faith. These believers had weaknesses just like you and me, but they kept going in faith.
Remember Noah (Heb. 11:7)? He got drunk and his son saw his nakedness. Noah says to us: “I know how it feels to fail as a parent but keep on going.” What about Abraham? He didn’t know where he was going (Heb. 11:8-10), and his life tells us: “I know what it’s like to be uncertain about where God is taking you but keep going.” And Sarah (Heb. 11:11-12)? She had a physical handicap, and her life says to us: “I know what it feels like to be disadvantaged but keep on going.”Jacob was a liar (Heb. 11:21), and his life says to us: “I know how guilty you sometimes feel after lying to yourself and others but keep on going.” Moses kept making up excuses to avoid going back to Pharaoh (Heb. 11:23-29) and his life says: “I know what’ it’s like to feel inadequate for what God asks you to do – you don’t have the words or the energy but keep going.”Rahab had a problem with her past (Heb. 11:30-31), and her life testifies: “I know what it’s like to have regrets about your past but keep on going.”Samson and David had a problem with lust (Heb. 11:32), and yet their lives tell us to keep going by faith.
How can we prepare our shield of faith for battle?
As mentioned above, before a battle involving flaming arrows being shot at them by their enemies, soldiers poured water on the leather covering of their shields to extinguish flaming arrows.[42] One of the ways we can anoint our faith and keep it from becoming rigid and brittle, is to worship God individually and corporately. Focusing on God’s greatness can renew and strengthen our faith. So, when we are alone, sing (or shout if you can’t sing) out loud to Jesus. As we adore and praise the Lord, the water of the Holy Spirit can pour over us and “quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”
It is also worth noting that Roman soldiers “could close ranks with these shields, the first row holding theirs edge to edge in front, and the rows behind holding the shields above their heads. In this formation they were practically invulnerable to arrows, rocks, and even spears.”[43] This is a beautiful picture of corporate worship whereby Christians are interlocking their shields of faith to worship God. Through corporate adoration and praise toward our Great God and Savior, the water of the Holy Spirit can pour over us and renew and strengthen our faith in God as our shield.
King David wrote, “He has put a new song in my mouth – praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.” (Psa. 40:3). New songs to God that reflect the new manifestations of His grace toward us, will increase our “praise” and “many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.” Being sensitive to the new manifestations of God’s grace to us in our songs to Him as a corporate body (“many”) will increase our “fear” or admiration of Him and lead us to “trust in the Lord” more in our daily lives.
Satan wants to keep us from worshiping the Lord and gathering with other brothers and sisters in Christ because he knows that an isolated believer is much more vulnerable to his attacks. But believers who are vitally connected to the Lord and fellow Christians through worship, will enjoy a renewed and strengthened faith that is eager to trust God for protection, especially when the battle gets intense.
Conclusion
Satan would like nothing more than to “steal… kill… and destroy” (John 10:10a) our faith in God. But God has given us “the shield of faith” (Eph. 6:16) to take up “in the evil day” (Eph. 6:13) to overcome the flaming arrows of the powers of darkness.
I remember the 1996 Olympic games well in Atlanta because of a little American gymnast named Kerri Strug.[44] In the team competition, the United States women’s gymnastics team was in the lead over the Russian team going into the final rotation, with the Russians on the floor exercise and the USA on the vault. Kerri had to get a high enough score to defeat the Russian gymnasts’ scores on the floor exercise. So, all the pressure is on little Kerri to sprint down the runway, push off the springboard, propel herself over the vaulting horse, flip, and land standing up on the mat so she could get a high enough score to win.
So, Kerri takes off running, she hits the springboard and flips over the vaulting horse and comes down wrong, severely injuring her ankle. She falls down in pain and gets a low score. You could hear the hush over the crowd, particularly among the Americans, as it seemed as though all hope of winning a gold medal was now in jeopardy. Kerri began to weep because this whole thing is riding on her.
But she gets one more attempt on the vault. Kerri can hardly walk, let alone run down the runway, push off the springboard, flip over the vaulting horse, and land standing up to get a high enough score to win. She is weeping as she tries to stand up on one leg.
But over in the corner was her famous gymnastic coach, Béla Károly. He looks over at Kerri crying and he shouts at her, “Kerri, look at me! Don’t take your eyes off me. I know you are hurting. I know you are in pain. I know you can’t walk, but you keep your focus on me because I want to tell you that you can do this! I know you don’t think you can do it. I know you are hurting. You can barely walk. But don’t look at your foot, you look at me! Don’t look at your circumstances because if you look down there all you will see is more defeat. Kerri, I want you to keep your eyes on me. Now you go back there, Girl, and do this thing one more time. But when you go back there, your full attention is to be on me!”
Little Kerri limps around to the starting place, casting her eyes over to her coach. She keeps looking at him because she must piggyback on his faith because her circumstances don’t give her the power to piggyback off of her own faith. But in her anguish and pain, she looks down, half running and half limping down the runway to the springboard, where she pushes off and flips over the vaulting horse, and comes down on both feet, and immediately she lifts up her injured ankle so she can stand in place on one leg. The crowd goes crazy, because she landed on two legs even though she could only stand on one.
And the USA’s gymnastic team won the gold medal because little Kerri looked at someone in her corner who said, “Don’t look at your situation. Don’t look at your circumstance. I know you feel it. I know it’s real but keep your eyes on me!”
I believe the author of Hebrews would say to us to keep our eyes on “Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:2). Christ would say to us, “Don’t look at your situation. You can’t ignore it because it hurts. But if you keep your eyes on Me, even if you have to limp, you are going to land right, and you will be able to stand your ground in the evil day.”
As with the other pieces of armor, we put on the shield of faith through prayer (Eph. 6:18).
Prayer: Father God, what a wonderful joy it is for us to know that You have provided for Your people to overcome the flaming arrows of the powers of darkness by giving us the shield of faith. Eagerly, we take up the shield of faith against all the blazing arrows that Satan fires at us. We know that You are our shield, O Lord. As we rely on Your presence, the substitutionary death and life of Jesus, and Your holy angels to protect us, we can stand our ground when all hell breaks loose against us. Help us to keep our shield of faith renewed and strengthened by worshipping You individually and corporately with other believers. Please grant us the grace to keep looking to Jesus no matter what we face or what we feel on our journey of faith. In the matchless name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2665.
[2] The first three verbs in Greek (perizōsamenoi… endysamenoi… hypodēsamenoi…) are aorist middle participles which means they have already been put on by the soldier or Christian.
[3] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2665.
[4] The Greek verb translated “taking…” (analabontes) is an aorist active participle, meaning the Christian is taking the shield of faith as needed and the last Greek verb translated “take…” (dexasthe) is an aorist middle imperative which is used of the last two pieces of armor and means for oneself to take them up as needed.
[5] Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 2000 Kindle Edition, pp. 247-248.
[10] The Greek Majority Text has the preposition epi (above) instead of en (in addition, besides)found in the older Greek manuscripts.
[11] Much of this section is adapted from Mark Bubeck’s video message entitled “8. The Shield of Faith: Ephesians 6 Series,” on BRMinistry app, unless otherwise noted.
[12] Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 2000 Kindle Edition, pg. 917.
[14] Archibald Thomas Robertson, A. T. Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament, 2014 Kindle Locations 155026 to 155047.
[15] J. B. Bond, “Ephesians,” The Grace New Testament Commentary: Revised Edition, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 1399.
[16] Harold Hoehner, “Ephesians,” The Bible Knowledge Commentary Acts and Epistles, 2018 Kindle Edition, pg. 436.
[17] Tom Constable, Dr. Constable’s Notes on Ephesians, 2024 Edition, pg. 148 cites The NET2 Bible note on 6:18.
[18] Shimer writes, “There is virtually no difference in monthly porn use among non-Christian men (65%) versus Christian men (64%).”See Ted Shimer, The Freedom Fight: The New Drug and the Truths that Set Us Free (Houston: High Bridge Books, 2020), pg. 20 cites Proven Men Porn Survey (conducted by Barna Group), located at https://provenmen.org/2014PornSurvey/
[23] Much of this section is adapted from Mark Bubeck’s video message entitled “8. The Shield of Faith: Ephesians 6 Series,” on the BRMinistry app, unless otherwise noted.
[24] David R. Anderson, Free Grace Soteriology: Third Edition (Grace Theology Press, 2018 Kindle Edition), pg. 358.
[25] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2602.
[27] Tom Constable, Dr. Constable’s Notes on Galatians, 2024 Edition, pg. 48; cf. Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 2000 Kindle Edition, pg. 915.
[28] Donald Campbell, The Bible Knowledge Commentary Acts and Epistles, 2018 Kindle Edition, pg. 436.
[29] Anderson, Free Grace Soteriology: Third Edition, 2018 Kindle Edition, pp. 279-280.
[30] Zane C. Hodges, The Bible Knowledge Commentary Epistles and Prophecy, 2018 Kindle Locations 220 to 225.
[31] Rick Oglesby, Among the King’s Companions: Position Yourself Today to Be Among Those Who Rule With Christ (Rick Oglesby, 2018 Kindle Edition), pg. 29.
As the celebration of Jesus’ birth approaches, I am reminded of that first Christmas which is recorded from a human perspective in Matthew’s and Luke’s gospels (Matt. 1:21-2:12; Luke 2:1-20). It is presented as a very peaceful event involving Mary and Joseph, some angels, shepherds, wise men, and the baby Jesus. The angels praised God saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14). Hence, most Christmas celebrations today focus on the peace that surrounded the birth of Jesus, assuming He would bring peace “on earth” during His First Coming.
But at the beginning of the week before Jesus’ crucifixion when Christ triumphantly entered Jerusalem, a multitude of His followers praised God, saying: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38). Notice they say, “Peace in heaven,” not “peace on earth.” The first coming of Christ would establish spiritual peace “in heaven” between God and humankind (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:16-18). But it won’t be until Jesus’ Second Coming to earth that universal peace “on earth” will be established by King Jesus during His thousand-year reign on earth (Rev 20:4-6; Isa. 2:1-4; 9:6b-7; Mic. 4:1-5).
In Revelation 12:1-5, the apostle John shares a version of the Christmas story that is from heaven’s perspective, and it is the opposite of peace (see above picture). This version of the Christmas story involves three main characters: the woman, representing the nation of Israel who endured much pain in bringing the Messiah into the world (Rev. 12:1-2; cf. Gen. 37:9-11); the Child, representing the Lord Jesus Christ (Rev. 12:2, 5); and the dragon, representing the Devil (Rev. 12:3-4a, 9).
When Jesus is born into the world, Satan is there with his army of demons represented by “a third of the stars of heaven” (Rev. 12:4a), waiting to destroy Him: “And the dragon (Satan) stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child (Jesus) as soon as it was born” (Rev. 12:4b – parenthesis added). While shepherds are watching, angels are singing, and wise men are worshipping, Satan is waiting to make his move. The attempt to kill the Child John sees in this vision is probably a reference to king Herod’s brutal attempt to kill Jesus (cf. Matt. 2:16).
The next verse says, “She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.” (Rev. 12:5). In this version of the Christmas story Jesus goes from being born at Bethlehem, to ruling on the throne of the universe. John uses this one verse to summarize the birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension, and future reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. Satan not only used Herod in an attempt to kill the baby Jesus, but He would later use Judas to betray Him, Pilate to condemn Him, and the Roman soldiers to crucify Him. All the fury of hell would be released against the Child born on that silent night.
The rest of Revelation 12 talks about the last half of the Tribulation period when Satan and his fallen angels are cast down from heaven and persecute the people of God – the nation of Israel (cf. 12:7-17). Since Satan could not destroy the Christ Child Who is now on His throne in heaven, he is going to go after what is dearest to the Child – His own people. This is why there is so much opposition against God’s people today, especially His Jewish people, and it will only intensify as the Second Coming of Christ to earth draws near. If the Devil can destroy Israel before Jesus returns to earth with His Bride, the Church (Rev. 19:7-21), then there can be no triumphant return of Christ and Satan will rule the earth.
John’s version of the Christmas story reminds us we are in a struggle with a dragon. It is a struggle we can’t win; it is a struggle Jesus already won. You see, if you are a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, Satan is going to attack you. “Satan” means adversary. During this Christmas season (and all our lives), he wants to rob us of the joy and peace of Christmas by reminding us of our sins and shortcomings. He will accuse us of the times we have lied and been unfaithful, of the times we’ve lost our temper and broken our promises.
The Armor of God
How can we deal with this intense spiritual battle whereby the enemy seeks to rob us of God’s peace? The apostle Paul instructs his Christian readers (including you and me) to “put on the whole armor of God” so we may stand against the “wiles” or trickery of the Devil (Eph. 6:11). Paul describes the armor that Roman infantrymen wore in the order they would put it on.
The soldier first puts on his belt which represents the Christian’s belt of truth (Eph. 6:14a). Since Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44), this first piece of armor is essential to protecting us from Satan’s deceptions and lies. We learned that truth is God’s viewpoint on a subject. It is the absolute standard by which reality is measured in its original form.Truth points us in the direction that God wants to lead us.
After putting on his belt, the soldier then puts on his breastplate which protects his vital organs in his chest region. “The breastplate” we are to put on is “righteousness” (dikaiosunē) which refers to the quality of “being right.” [1] God’s truth is the informational base that tells us the right thing to do. The truth points our heart in the direction of God’s righteousness. The breastplate of righteousness is our response to God’s truth or viewpoint on a matter.
When God’s truth and righteousness are operative in our lives, it will lead to the next piece of armor which has to with our feet or shoes (Eph. 6:15). Why is this so important?
The Importance of Our Feet
In the 21st century, we have shoes for every occasion. There are dress shoes, casual shoes, work shoes, and many kinds of athletic shoes. There are shoes for cold weather, warm weather, and rainy weather. We have indoor shoes and outdoor shoes. There are specialty shoes like dance shoes (ballet, tap, etc.), work boots (steel-toe, waterproof, etc.), and orthopedic shoes. Some of you may have a closet full of shoes that are designed to adorn your feet. The fact that we have so many varieties of shoes today demonstrates the importance of our feet. [2]
It is also a very serious thing to have feet that hurt. Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to focus on an objective when your feet are hurting? When your feet hurt, you hurt are over. When our feet hurt, we do not make a good soldier. This is why our military places great emphasis on examining the feet of a soldier. They understand that a person’s feet need to be comfortable to be a good soldier. God understands this more than anyone. [3]
The Soldier’s Sandals
God wants His people to wear a certain kind of shoes all the time because they will address an important issue regarding spiritual warfare in our lives. After a Roman soldier put on his belt and breastplate (Eph. 6:14), he then puts on his sandals: “And having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” (Eph. 6:15). The Greek word translated “shod” (hupodeō) is a compound word meaning “under” (hupo) plus “to bind/tie” (deō)or “to bind/tie under or beneath”[4](sandals). [5] It refers here to what you are wearing on your feet at all times. [6]
The word translated “preparation” (hetoimasia) refers to the state of “readiness.”[7] If we are wearing these shoes, we will be ready for the Devil’s attacks against us. We will be prepared to deal with our enemy’s methods of deception.
To properly understand this piece of armor, we need to realize that the Roman soldier had what modern-day American football players have. They had cleats or spikes coming out of the bottom of their shoes. “Roman soldiers wore sandals with cleats built in to help them have firm footing and to stand their ground under attack.”[8] These spikes on the bottom of a soldier’s sandals gave him stability and mobility on the battlefield. They kept him from slipping and sliding when he was under attack.
If we were in a battle in Paul’s day, we had better be well-shod. There would be nothing worse than losing our footing with an enemy standing over us with a sword in his hand. [9]
Paul has already emphasized the need to be stationary in battle by using the word “stand” (stēnai) or a form of this word (antistēnai/stēte) four times (Eph. 6:11, 13-14). Why? Because the Devil wants to knock us off our feet. He wants to knock us to the ground and keep us there. He desires to remove us from our place of stability.
When Paul says to have our feet “shod,” he is talking about placing ourselves in a stationary position so that when all hell breaks loose “in the evil day” (Eph. 6:13), Satan cannot knock us down or knock us out. Why? Because what we are wearing on our feet gives us stability and sure-footedness.
If you are like me, you know what it is like to be knocked over by the evil one. Our circumstances have knocked us over. Our finances have knocked us over. Our relationships with certain people have knocked us over. Our jobs have knocked us over. Our feet have slipped, and we are going down.
So, what this third piece of armor teaches us is that God wants to create stability or sure-footedness for us so that when we face a Satanic full-frontal attack, we can stand firm. Evans explains, “Through the cross and resurrection of Christ, victory is already won. The devil has lost. The only power he has is the power you give him. We are to stand firm in Christ’s victory. Paul tells the Ephesians over and over: stand (6:11, 13-14). In other words, stay in the area where victory has been achieved under the cover of God’s armor. When you stand under an umbrella, it doesn’t stop the rain. But it does stop you from getting wet. You have to dress for success in this thing called the Christian life.” [10][emphasis added]
The Purpose of Satan’s Attack
Remember that the Devil is a thief (John 10:10a). He knows he cannot take away our salvation because we are secure forever in Christ after we believe in Him for His free gift of eternal life which can never be lost (cf. John 3:16; 6:35-40; 10:28-29; Rom. 8:38-39; Eph. 1:13-14; I John 5:13). Since the evil one cannot keep us out of heaven, he wants to make us experience hell on earth.[11] How does he do this?
This third piece of armor teaches us that Satan wants to rob us of God’s “peace.” The opposite of “peace” is anxiety. The Devil wants God’s children to live with anxiety and fear. He knows that whatever we fear, we give control to. Hence, the purpose of the enemy’s attacks is to keep God from controlling our lives, so our salvation is not manifested through us. He wants to keep us defeated and discouraged.
But God wants His people to have feet that are not hurting in the area of “peace.” The Lord understands that one of the Devil’s strategies is to rob God’s people of His peace. Satan wants to promise us peace through his “wiles” or trickery. He will promise us peace through counterfeit religions, drugs, education, entertainment, materialism, the occult, and sex outside of marriage. Often times we discover that we have less peace than we did before we pursued the enemy’s counterfeit peace. It is that way with everything Satan promises to use to give us peace. Instead of giving us peace, Satan’s ways lead us into bondage and death.
What is Peace?
But God’s “peace” is real, and it protects us from the activities of the kingdom of darkness. But what is this “peace” God wants us to wear all the time? The Greek word for “peace” (eirēnē) in Ephesian 6:15 refers to a “state of concord, harmony, or well-being”[12] between Jews and Gentiles (Eph. 2:14-15) and between God and humankind (Eph. 2:16-18).
Jesus used this word for “peace” (eirēnē) twice in John 14:27 when He referred to two types of peace. The first kind refers to His work on the cross. “Peace I leave with you.” (John 14:27a). The word “leave” (aphiēmi) implies something that Jesus does. Christ’s death on the cross would provide eternal “peace with God” (Rom. 5:1) for us because all our sins would be forgiven (Acts 10:43; Col. 2:13-14). The meaning of “peace” in this case “is the spiritual well-being that results from being rightly related to God through Jesus Christ.” [13]
The second type of peace in verse 27 is the kind that Jesus enjoyed on earth. He says, “My peace I give to you” (John 14:27b). In the context (cf. John 14:21, 23), this peace of Christ’s is given to obedient believers. It arises from a life of faith in God. It refers to a calmness “that would come to their hearts from trusting God and from knowing that He was in control of all events that touched their lives.”[14]
Christ distinguishes His peace from the kind of peace the world can give – “not as the world gives do I give to you.” (John 14:27c). The world cannot offer eternal peace with God. The world denies that people need to be reconciled to God. The world says that people are inherently good because they are created in the image of God. “Because God loves everyone,” the world says, “There is no need for reconciliation with God.” The world offers a false peace to people. Sin has distorted God’s image in people. Some churches deny this because the world has influenced them to believe that people are inherently good and do not need a Savior.
The peace the world offers depends on one’s circumstances and is temporary. Itis deceptive and misleading. But the peace Jesus offers is the calm and tranquility of the soul that is independent of our external situation. [15]
This peace is much like the painting above.[16] The sky is black with storm clouds. The waves are violently billowing up and down against the rocky shore. There is turmoil and chaos all around.
But on the right side of this portrait about halfway up the rocky cliff at the edge of this horrific circumstance of life, was a mother bird sitting on her nest protecting her young. One little light piercing the darkness of the clouds was shining down on the bird as it sat peacefully on its nest.
This picture portrays biblical peace. Biblical peace is not the absence of problems. It is not “when nothing is wrong, I am calm.”Biblical peace is when everything is wrong, and we are still calm. It is when circumstances or situations are not conducive to rest, but we are able to chill. Biblical peace is when there is calm on the inside while there is nothing but chaos on the outside. We do not know we have biblical peace until circumstances are not peaceful.
When Jesus spoke of His peace in John 14:27, it was the night before His crucifixion. There was nothing peaceful about Jesus’ situation. He knew it would involve terrible darkness when all hell would break loose against Him and He would experience separation from His heavenly Father for the first and last time when the sin of the world would be placed upon Christ as our Substitute for sin (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21; I Pet. 3:18). Yet Jesus could speak with confidence about giving His peace to His disciples the night before His brutal death on a cross. Christ lived this peace, and He wants to empower us to do the same.
Where Do We Find this Peace?
This third piece of armor speaks of standing in “the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Eph. 6:15). The “peace” that Jesus gives us is found in “the gospel.” This peace is not found in a pill or an injection or in entertainment or in the accumulation of wealth. It is not found in our favorite television program or movie. Nor is it found on a vacation or in an image on the computer screen. This peace is not found in a better job or in a counseling session. That’s the world’s kind of peace which is momentary.
The peace that God wants us to continually wear on our feet is found in “thegospel.” To understand the “peace” that the apostle Paul is talking about, we need to understand the gospel. The Greek word for “gospel” is euangelion, which means “good news.”[17] So, what is the good news?
The apostle Paul defines the “gospel” or good news by which we are saved today when he writes, “3 that Christ died for our sin according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once…” (I Cor. 15:3-6). The gospel is that Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead. We are saved from an eternity in hell when we believe in the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection as our Substitute for our sins (Acts 16:31). At that moment of faith in Christ, we receive both the complete forgiveness of all our sins (Acts 10:43; Col. 2:13-14) and the gift of eternal life (John 3:14-16). Jesus says we are born again (John 3:3). But you may say, “I am born again but I still have anxiety and worry – the opposite of peace.”
One reason we may still have worry after we are born again is because we do not understand or believe the gospel. Most Christians apply the gospel only to what it takes to get to heaven. But that is just part of the gospel. The gospel also has a lot to do with living a victorious life on earth. [18]
The apostle Paul writes, “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Rom. 5:10). Notice that “the death of” Jesus “reconciled” (past tense) us to God so we could go to heaven (justification), but Jesus’ “life” “shall” (future tense) save us from the power of sin and its consequences (sanctification) on earth (cf. Rom. 1:18-32; 5:9). [19] Most of us know the gospel because of Jesus’ death, but we have missed the gospel of His life which progressively gives us victory over the power of sin as we learn to walk in the Spirit (cf. Rom. 6:1-8:39).
Evans writes, “The death of Jesus reconciled us to God, but Jesus didn’t stay dead. He’s alive right now. And He’s interceding for us (see Heb. 7:25) in order to give us victory over the power of sin and its consequences. Think about it. If Jesus could take you from hell to heaven by dying, what He can do for you by living is even more exciting. Many believers who have accepted the saving death of Christ have yet to understand and access the saving life of Christ, which gives us victory in history.”[20] [emphasis added]
Let’s look now at what our sandals of peace include. [21]
Our Position that Protects our Mental Peace
These sandals of peace include our POSITION THAT PROTECTS OUR MENTAL PEACE: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 5:1). The Greek word translated “justified” (diakaioō) means to be declared totally righteous [22] by our holy God [23] in heaven’s courtroom. The perfect righteousness of Christ in us has been imputed or credited to our account in heaven by virtue of our position in Jesus.[24]
“Justification is a legal concept meaning that in God’s courtroom, He pronounced us innocent of all charges. He does this through what theologians call ‘imputation’—taking Jesus’s perfect record and crediting it to our accounts.” [25] [emphasis added]
Notice in Romans 5:1 that we are “justified” not by our good life, prayers, or religion, but “by faith.” Peace with God is “through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The moment we believe in Jesus Christ and His death on the cross for all our sins, we are “justified” or declared totally righteous before God as if we had never sinned.
The preposition “with” (pros) in the phrase “peace with God” (pros ton Theon) is very important (Rom. 5:1). This preposition used with the accusative case (ton Theon) refers to being “friendly with” God. [26] It is the promise that through justification by faith in Jesus, the enmity and hostility that existed between a holy God and a sinful people is totally removed. The war has ended between the Christian and his or her God! And we have peace “with God.”
How does the Christian know he has peace “with” God? There is only one way to know this, and it is through faith in God’s promise. Justification before God is not a feeling or experience. It is a judicial, legal declaration from a holy God.
“The nature of this peace is of course judicial, since justification is the act of God as our Judge. We should avoid understanding the idea as inner tranquility. The peace involved here is like that which results when two warring nations are no longer in a hostile relationship to each other.”[27] [emphasis added]
That is why Romans 5:1 begins with the word “Therefore…” It is as though God is pointing His finger back to the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross (cf. Rom. 4:24-25). “Therefore,” because of what Jesus has done, you have “been justified by faith” and you “have peace with God.” The war with God is over! The battle has ended!
But Satan will try to rob Christians of this peace. He will attempt to make us think that God is angry with us. That God could never forgive us. That God is against us. He may whisper in our ears, “The reason you have so many troubles is because God is mad at you. Hekeeps punishing you because He is against you.”
While it is true that God disciplines His wayward children (Heb. 12:5-11), His discipline of us is not evidence that He hates us or is mad at us. It is evidence that He loves us: “5 My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 for whom the Lord loves He chastens.” (Heb. 12:5-6).
Thus, putting on the sandals of peace means we have an intellectual understanding of what God’s Word says – that the believer in Jesus has “peace with God.” If we are to “stand” against the wiles of the devil (Eph. 6:11), we must know this positional truth, review it, and abide in it daily, never turning aside from it even during Satan’s most vicious or subtle attacks.
The Possession of Peace
But our sandals of peace also include our POSSESSION OF PEACE. This can be seen in Philippians 4. “6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:6-7). This aspect of our sandals of peace protects our emotional peace (“anxious”). God wants the Christian to not only have legal or mental peace (“peace with God”), but to also have emotional peace (“peace of God”).
How do we gain this relationship of peace? It comes through the practice of prayer. When Paul writes in Philippians 4:6, “Be anxious for nothing…” (Phil. 4:6a), he is saying not to lose your emotional peace even though you may be facing a worrisome situation. Don’t try to resolve your anxiety by worrying about the situation. Instead, he says to resolve this worrisome situation with “prayer” (Phil. 4:6b). Talk to God about what makes you anxious. When was the last time we got alone with God and talked to Him about what we are worried about? Talking about it helps to diffuse the power of worry. But it does not stop there.
Then God says, “in everything by… supplication” (Phil. 4:6c). The word “supplication” means to tell God what you need. Few people ever identify what they need because they are so busy worrying.
For example, some of us may be worried about our health. So, we talk to the Lord about that. And as we do that, ask God to help us identify the underlying need. Perhaps we need protection from illness especially during the aftermath of COVID. Or perhaps we are afraid of death because we are not prepared for it. So, we need assurance of life after death. Ask God to give you the assurance that there is everlasting life both now and after death through believing in Jesus (cf. John 11:25-26). Thus, talk to the Lord about what you need from Him.
Next, God says, “with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6d). One of my mentors taught me that the word “requests” refers to our heart’s desires which align with God’s will. Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” The Hebrew word for “delight” (anog) can mean “to be soft” [28] or lean toward God. Just as a house plant leans in toward the sunlight coming through a window to get nutrients from the sun, so we need to lean into God during these challenging times to nourish our souls, and He promises to give us the desires or dreams of our hearts. So, talk to God about your desires or dreams. Ask God what He wants to do in your life.
Notice that God wants us to pray with “thanksgiving.” He wants us to have a thankful heart. Why? Because when we trust God to supply our needs and wants in advance during difficult times, we can accept those circumstances and respond more appropriately. Also, gratitude stimulates the release of dopamine (happy chemical) in our brain which decreases our stress and enhances our sleep.
As we talk to God about our anxiety, needs, and desires with thanksgiving, He promises that “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7). The “peace of God” is like a deep calmness in the midst of life’s storms. For example, the water underneath the surface of the ocean remains calm during a storm (see above pic). We can experience a deep-seeded calmness in our souls when we surrender to God in prayer as we face these challenging times.
The phrase “will guard,” pictures an armed soldier walking back and forth in front of the city gate, protecting the occupants inside the city from intruders. God’s peace constantly protects those who choose to talk to Him about their worries and ask Him for what they need and want.
Do we know this experientially? Are we practicing this kind of prayer? We live in a day of cell phones. If someone wants to get a hold of us, they send us a text or call us on our phones. Our phones alert us through vibration or a distinct sound that someone wants to talk to us.
This illustrates how God sometimes wants us to talk to Him in prayer. One of the ways God may alert us to His desire for us to talk to Him is by allowing us to feel uneasy or anxious about something. This may be His way of inviting us to spend time alone with Him in prayer. Putting on the sandals of peace includes practicing this kind of prayer.
The Protection of Peace
Our sandals of peace also include THE PROTECTION OF PEACE. The apostle Paul writes, “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Phil. 4:9). Paul is not talking about the “peace of God” in this verse, but “the God of peace.” This aspect of peace results when believers walk in obedience to God (“The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do…”). Paul says that when we follow the godly example of another believer, we can experience “the God of peace” being with us.
Bubeck suggests that “the God of peace” refers to the protection of our will. The strong powerful nearness of God to us (“the God of peace will be with you”) will protect our will. It is that “peace” which God brings to us when our enemies greatly outnumber us and are about to destroy us, and the God of peace says, “No more! You cannot touch him! He is mine!”[29]
There are many examples of this in the Old Testament when God’s people, Israel, are surrounded by their enemies who greatly outnumbered them and were about to destroy them with no apparent way of escape. And God’s people cried out to Him, and “the God of peace” showed up and put their enemies to flight or destroyed them. Sometimes He did this with hornets or sounds in the treetops (or heavens) which frightened them and caused confusion or fear, so they fled and were defeated (cf. Exod. 23:22-28; Deut. 7:17-22; Josh. 24:11-12; I Sam. 7:10-11; 2 Sam. 5:22-25; 2 Kgs. 6:8-23; 18:1-19:37; I Chron. 14:13-17; 2 Chron. 31:1-22). And at other times God caused Israel’s enemies to turn against each other so they could be defeated (cf. 2 Chron. 20:1-24).
God is so powerful that “when a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” (Prov. 16:7). God is able to make our enemies be at peace with us quickly when we live in a way that pleases Him. They will have to flee simply because of Who God is.
It is not surprising that the phrase “the God of peace” is used in the New Testament in the context of obedience and Christian growth (cf. Rom. 15:33; 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:11; Phil. 4:9; I Thess. 5:23; Heb. 13:20-21). If we are hurting in our peace, it is important to examine our obedience to God. Are we trying to walk our own way instead of God’s way? Are we seeking our own pleasure instead of God’s?
The Lord may let us walk our own way, but please know that “the God of peace will be with” us. He wants us to be near to Him but that cannot be our experience if we are walking our own way instead of His way.
The Person of Peace
These sandals of peace also include THE PERSON OF PEACE. “13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation.” (Eph. 2:13-14). Our sin not only separates us from God, but it also separates us from the people of God. The Ephesians were Gentiles who were called “Uncircumcision” by the Jews who are referred to as “the Circumcision” (Eph. 2:11).
In their unsaved condition before the Cross, Ephesians 2:12 tells us that Gentiles “were without Christ,” having no corporate national hope centered on the promise of a coming Messiah, as the Jews did. They were “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel” in that God excluded them in having a part in what He planned to do in and through the nation of Israel. The Gentiles were “aliens” from Israel in this sense. [30] Nor did Gentiles have a direct part in the “promises” of God to Israel contained in the biblical covenants (e.g., Abrahamic – Gen. 12:1-3; 13:15-17; 15:17-21; 17:1-22; Mosaic – Exod. 19:1-24:8; and Davidic – 2 Sam. 7:12-17; I Chron. 17:3-14; 2 Chron. 7:17-18; 13:5; 21:7; Psa. 89:1-4; et al.). As a race of people, the Gentiles had “no hope” of a corporate future promised by God to which they could look and in which they could hope, as Israel did. [31] And worst of all, they were “without God in the world.” The Greek word translated “without God” (atheos) is where we get our English word “atheist” from. Before the cross, Gentile unbelievers may have worshiped many gods, but they were without the one and only true God. [32]
“But… the blood of Christ” not only brought us “near” to God, but it also brings Jews and Gentiles (“you who once were far off”) near to one another (Eph. 2:13). How did this take place? “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation.” (Eph. 2:14). Jesus is “our peace” Whose atoning sacrifice on the cross has made Jew and Gentile “both one,” having “broken down the middle wall of separation.”
What is this “middle wall of separation”? The next verse tells us: “…Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace.” (Eph. 2:15). Jesus “abolished in His flesh” by dying on the cross “the enmity” or hostility that was created by the Jewish “law of commandments contained in ordinances.”
The Mosaic Law had been the cause of the hostility between Jews and Gentiles. It was the “barrier” that separated Jews and Gentiles. Its dietary distinctions, and laws requiring separation in particular, created hostility between Jews and Gentiles. Jesus Christ broke down the barrier and the hostility that resulted from it by terminating the Mosaic Law. When Jesus Christ died, He fulfilled all the demands of the Mosaic Law (cf. Col. 2:14). When He did that, God ended the Mosaic Law as His rule of life for the Jews. The word “abolished” (katargeō) means to “cause something to come to an end or to be no longer in existence, wipe out.”[33] The Mosaic Law ceased to be God’s standard for regulating the life of His people when Christ died (Rom. 10:4; Gal. 3:24-25; et al.). [34]
God did this through His shed blood on the cross to “create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace.” Christ died in our place “to make one body out of the two very distant groups. When a Jew or Gentile trusts in Christ for eternal life, he is placed in union with other believers in the Body of Christ. Jesus Christ by His death removed the barrier that separated Jews and Gentiles. By faith they become one new man, the Body of Christ, the Church. Christ is the end of the Law to all who believe (Rom. 10:4).
“God reconciled both Jews and Gentiles to Himself in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity (between Gentiles and Jews who believe in Christ). The Law that divided is removed, and Jews and Gentiles are in one body together.” [35] [emphasis added]
Christ, Who is “our peace,” died “that He might reconcile” Jews and Gentiles “to God in one body,” the church, “through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity” created by the Jewish Law (Eph. 2:16).
This Person of peace protects our spirit. It has to do with our spiritual relationship with Jesus. [36] Our Christian faith is not primarily a system of dogmas and doctrines. It is primarily a relationship with a Person – Jesus Christ. This is a relationship that we enter into through faith alone in Christ alone (Eph. 1:13-14; 2:8-9). As we grow closer to Jesus, the more we can experience Him as “our peace” and the more we can live peaceably with other Christians. Satan seeks to divide Christians, so they do not express the image of God by living peacefully in unity with one another. But Jesus Christ is “our peace” and He is the source of reconciliation and restoration of peace within His body, the church.
God wants His peace to be the norm for His children on the battlefield. When God’s truth is operative in our lives, it will point us in the direction of His righteousness. We are faced with a myriad of choices and decisions in life, but how do we know we have made the right choices or decisions? How do we know we are moving in the right direction? How do we know we have the right perspective on a matter? God’s peace will confirm it. The Lord will give us a deep-seeded calm to move forward (“feet” suggest movement) with a decision even though hell may be breaking loose in our lives.
But if anxiety or worry is our normal way of operating, then we are not wearing the shoes God has given us. Please note that I am not talking about certain times of worry because we all battle that in our flesh. But if worry is normative for us then these shoes or sandals of peace are not being worn on our feet.
Are we wearing our sandals of peace every day? Do we take time to put them on? Are we taking time to remember and review that we have “peace with God” now because God has declared us (not made us) to be totally righteous (“justified”) the moment we believed in Jesus (Rom. 5:1)? Are we experiencing the emotional “peace of God” through prayer and the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives (Phil. 4:6-7)? Through obedience, are we experiencing “the God of peace” (Phil. 4:9) Who makes even our enemies to be at peace with us (Prov. 16:7)? And are we getting to know the Person of “our peace” (Eph. 2:13-17) more intimately, so we can live more peaceably with our brothers and sisters in Christ? In the midst of war, God wants us to stand victoriously in “the gospel of peace.”
Submarine crewmen do not get nervous when there is a storm at sea because they can go deep down where the waters are calm. Fish do not have anxiety attacks when it is storming because they know that severe storms will only reach approximately three hundred feet below sea level, [38] so they go down three hundred and one feet where it is peaceful.
When our world gets chaotic, it is time for us to go deep into the spiritual realm where God says there is peace and calm. God will give us “perfect peace” when our mind is focused on Him (Isa. 26:3). Instead of retreating to the world for its false sense of peace, we need to redirect our attention to the mind of God. When our thoughts agree with God’s, we will experience His peace.
For example, [39] when the three Hebrew young men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who had been promoted “over the affairs of the province of Babylon where they were captives” (Dan. 3:49), refused to serve the gods of Babylon and worship the ninety-foot-tall gold statue (Dan. 3:1) of king Nebuchadnezzar, they were told by the king they would be “cast immediatelyinto the midst of a burning fiery furnace” (Dan. 3:15). When these three young men heard this news that they were about to be burned alive – which, by the way, would normally obliterate anyone’s sense of peace – they responded to Nebuchadnezzar saying, “16 O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 If not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” (Dan. 3:16b-18).
Their response infuriated Nebuchadnezzar, so he commanded his servants to “heat the furnace seven time more than it was usually heated” (Dan. 3:19b). The king was extremely upset that these Hebrew men feared their God more than the king’s death threat, so he had them tied up and thrown “into the midst of the burning fiery furnace” (Dan. 3:20-21). The flames of the furnace were so intense that the mighty men carrying them were “killed” (Dan. 3:22). Keep in mind that these three men were wearing several layers of clothing (Dan. 3:21) which were most likely flammable, so there appeared to be no hope of their survival.
After a while, the king looked into the furnace and he was shocked to “see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire” (Dan. 3:25a)because they had only thrown three men into the furnace. And now he sees four of them, and the three men were no longer tied up. They were “walking” around in the midst of these intense flames full of peace and calm, “and they are not hurt” (Dan. 3:25b). How was this possible? Because there was a fourth Person with them in the fire and the kings says He had “the form… like the Son of God.” (Dan. 3:25c). This was the pre-incarnate Lord Jesus Christ Who joined them in this terrible circumstance. God’s presence protected them from the fire (cf. Isa. 43:2).
It is important to understand that God is not going to join the world to help us out if we retreat to the world to find peace. If we are conforming to the world’s values and allurements and get into a bad situation as a result, and then cry out to God, He is not going to join the world because then He would be compromising His peace to join the world’s peace. These men did not bow to the king of Babylon. They remained faithful to God even though they did not know for sure if He would deliver them from this terrible situation.
Instead of looking to the world for peace, God wants us to take a stand in this pagan world with our minds focused on the God of peace. When we do this, the God of peace will show up in the fiery trials of life and give us His peacewhich surpasses human understanding. His presence will remove the chains or ropes that bind us so we can move freely. His presence will deliver us from the intense fires of life.
Some of us may be facing some very significant fiery trials right now. Maybe we have lost our job or lost our health. Perhaps we have lost a relationship with a loved one. God wants us to go deep into the spiritual realm to connect with His mind so His peace can be ours. He wants us to wear these shoes of peace at all times.
How do we do this? As with the other pieces of armor, we can put on our shoes of peace through prayer (Eph. 6:18).
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we are living in an increasingly chaotic world that lacks Your peace. We praise You because You not only brought us peace, but You are also our peace. Protect us from anything that would rob us of Your peace. Please help us to wear our sandals of peace every day so we may stand victoriously against the trickery of the Devil. We claim the peace with God that is ours through justification by faith alone in Jesus alone (Rom. 5:1). We desire the peace of God that touches our emotions and feelings through prayer (Phil. 4:6-7). Through our obedience, we seek the God of peace (Phil 4:9) Who makes even our enemies to live at peace with us. And we want to grow closer to You Jesus, because You are our peace. Satan and his kingdom of darkness are relentless in their efforts to keep believers divisive toward one another. As the accuser of believers, the Devil continually plants suspicions in our hearts. In the authority and name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pull down that work of darkness and bind our enemy that he might not succeed. We ask the Holy Spirit to bring to a stop all divisive works active in our lives and in all the lives of other believers. The diversity of Your body, Lord Jesus, is part of its beauty and appeal to the lost. It adds to Your glory. Help us to love one another in our diversity. In Your precious and mighty name, we pray, Lord Jesus. Amen. [40]
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 2000 Kindle Edition, pp. 247-248.
[2] Adapted from Tony Evans’ video message entitled “The Shoes of Peace” on youtube.com.
[3] Adapted from Mark Bubeck’s video message, “7. Peace in the Midst of War: Ephesians 6 Series,” on the BRMinistry app.
[4] Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 2000 Kindle Edition, pg. 1037.
[5] Archibald Thomas Robertson, A. T. Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament, 2014 Kindle Location 154992.
[6] The Greek verb hupodēsamenoi is in the aorist or past tense, meaning “having shod.” As with the first two pieces of armor, this refers to the state we should always be in.
[7] Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 2000 Kindle Edition, pg. 401.
[8] Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2666.
[10] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2665.
[11] Evans’ video message entitled “The Shoes of Peace” on youtube.com.
[12] Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 2000 Kindle Edition, pp. 287-288.
[13] J. Carl Laney, Moody Gospel John Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1992), pg. 265.
[14] J. Dwight Pentecost, The Words and Works of Jesus Christ (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981), pg. 440.
[15] Evans’ video message entitled “The Shoes of Peace” on youtube.com.
[16] This portrait is used with permission from the artist, Katrina Case (see katrinacaseart.com).
[17] Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 2000 Kindle Edition, pg. 402.
[18] Adapted from Evans’ video message entitled “The Shoes of Peace” on youtube.com.
[19] The theme of the book of Romans is the “salvation” or deliverance from God’s present-day wrath introduced in Romans 1:16-32. This deliverance includes justification through faith in Christ’s death (Rom. 2:1-5:9a, 10a) and sanctification through faith in Christ’s life (Rom. 5:9b, 10b-8:39). See Zane C. Hodges, “Romans,” The Grace New Testament Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 966ff; Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2416ff; Joseph Dillow, Final Destiny: The Future Reign of The Servant Kings: Fourth Revised Edition (Grace Theology Press. 2018 Kindle Edition), pp. 198-199.
[20] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2430.
[21] Much of these next four sections are adapted from Bubeck’s video message, “7. Peace in the Midst of War: Ephesians 6 Series,” on the BRMinistry app, unless otherwise noted.
[22] Tom Constable, Dr. Constable’s Notes on Romans, 2023 Edition, pg. 77.
[23] The Greek word translated “justified” (dikaiōthentes) is in the passive voice, indicating that God is the One Who justifies the believing sinner.
[24] David R. Anderson, Free Grace Soteriology: Third Edition (Grace Theology Press, 2018 Kindle Edition), pp. 115-116.
[25] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pp. 2424-2425.
[26] Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 2000 Kindle Edition, pg. 874.
[27] Hodges, The Grace New Testament Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 1012.
[28] Francis Brown, Samuel R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (Omaha, NE: Patristic Publishing, 2020 Kindle Edition), pg. 2564.
[29] Bubeck’s video message, “7. Peace in the Midst of War: Ephesians 6 Series,” on the BRMinistry app.
[30] Tom Constable, Dr. Constable’s Notes on Ephesians, 2024 Edition, pg. 59.
[39] Adapted from Evans’ video message entitled “The Shoes of Peace” on youtube.com.
[40] Adapted from Mark Bubeck’s prayers entitled, “Prayer for Christian Unity” and “Prayer to Wear the Armor of God,” from Spiritual Warfare Prayers pamphlet (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1997).
In our spiritual warfare series, we are now looking at each piece of armor that a Christian is to wear to successfully stand against “the wiles” or deceptions of the devil (Eph. 6:10-13). The six pieces of armor that Paul presents to us are in the order that a Roman soldier would put them on. They are divided into two categories of three.
He introduces each of these two categories with different verbs. The first three are introduced with the verb “to be.” The last three are introduced with the verb “to take.” Why does Paul switch verbs halfway through the armament? He wants us to understand two specific, distinct orientations to the six pieces of armor. The first three relate to a state we should always be in. The last three are what we use on an as needed basis. [1]
The first three pieces of armor we have with us all of the time [2] (“having girded… put on… shod…” – Eph. 6:14-15). [3] This is the state we are always in. But the last three pieces of armor we are called to take and use as needed [4] (“taking … take…” Eph. 6:16-17), [5] especially “in the evil day” (Eph. 6:13b) when all hell breaks loose and seeks to steal, kill, and destroy us (John 10:10a).
Last time we looked closely at the first piece of armor, the belt of truth (Eph. 6:14a), which teaches us that Satan wants to deceive us or trick us to do what is contrary to God’s will. This piece of armor enables us to overcome the lies and deceptions of the devil.
Truth is the absolute standard by which reality is measured.[6] It is God’s viewpoint on any subject. We can defeat Satan by reaching out and putting on each citadel of truth God has given us through prayer: The Person of Truth (John 1:14; 14:6; Rom. 13:14), The Spirit of Truth (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13-14; I John 2:20-27), the Word of Truth (John 17:17; 8:31-32; Psa. 119:9, 11, 28-29, 43, 160; 2 Tim. 2:15; 3:16-17; and the Church, the Pillar and Foundation of Truth (I Tim. 3:15). [7]
The Breastplate
After a Roman soldier puts his belt on over his tunic (a loose, sleeveless shirt that reaches to his knees) to provide mobility in battle and serve as a place on which he could hang his armor, he then puts on his “breastplate” (thōraka). The breastplate was usually made of bronze or chain mail and covered the soldier’s body from his neck to his thighs, [8] protecting the vital organs in the chest area and below, [9] including his heart, lungs, liver, spleen, stomach, and intestines. And it also covered his back so that from the top of his spine to below his kidneys, he was protected from the thrust of the enemy’s spear or sword. [10] This is a vital piece of armor designed to protect a Roman soldier. Knowing this about the soldier’s breastplate ought to help us realize how vitally important this piece of armor is to the Christian.
The Bible instructs us, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” (Prov. 4:23). Just as the physical heart is central to our physical well-being, pumping life-giving blood and giving us functionality in every part of our being, so God has given us a spiritual heart that pumps His life throughout all our spiritual relationships. And since our battle with the kingdom of darkness is spiritual, our spiritual heart becomes the pump that gives us spiritual victory. [11]
Therefore, God has given us a special piece of armor called the “breastplate of righteousness.” This righteousness stands as our position with God which cannot be touched or altered by the enemy. It has been eternally settled in heaven’s courtroom. However, to be victorious on earth, our position in heaven must be matched with our practice on earth. Thus, once we learn what our position with God is, we can then align our practice with that position. And when we do that, God is free through the Holy Spirit to pump His life through our life, so we live life as God intended it to be lived, overriding Satan’s attempts and attacks to bring defeat into our Christian lives. [12]
Last time we discovered that we begin dressing for success in spiritual warfare by putting on the belt of truth (Eph. 6:14a). Truth is God’s viewpoint on a matter. So, in spiritual warfare, we start with truth by finding out what God thinks about a certain subject.
Then we are to put on “the breastplate of righteousness” (Eph. 6:14b). The breastplate Christians are to put on is “righteousness.” The word “righteousness” (dikaiosunē) refers to the quality of “being right”[14] as God defines it.
“Righteousness”is not “better than others,” or “good enough,” but right, as in, “right with God.”[15]
“Righteousness is the standard God requires for people to become acceptable to Him.”[16] This standard is based upon the truth. The truth is the informational base that tells me the right thing to do.
The opposite of righteousness is wrongness. Wrongness is functioning or operating in opposition to the truth. But truth is whatever God says about a subject regardless of how many people agree or disagree with Him. Righteousness is my response to God’s truth.
In basketball, the basketball hoop is ten feet high. That is the standard of the basketball goal if you are playing basketball. If we lower the basketball hoop, we have lowered the standard.
What a lot of people do in relation to God, is lower the standard and shoot, and make the shot, and think they did something that is acceptable to the Lord. They adjusted God’s standard of righteousness to a level they could attain, and concluded they are okay to God, when in reality they were not. They had lowered the divine standard to a human standard.
Until we operate on God-based truth that gives us the standard of God’s righteousness, we are not going to align with God’s standard of righteousness. Why is this so important?
How Satan Attacks Us in the Area of Righteousness[17]
Since the opposite of God’s righteousness is wrongness, when we do not align with God’s righteousness in our Christian lives, we are going to be very vulnerable to spiritual attack. Because Paul is talking about spiritual warfare and “wickedness in heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12), we need to understand that demons function on wrongness. Wrong is not just wrong. It is also an invitation to demons to join the wrongness.
Evans illustrates this by saying that when we leave trash laying around our house for too long of a time, we don’t just have trash to deal with. The unaddressed trash invites roaches, ants, mice, and rats to join the party. When food has been left out for too long of a time, one roach tells another roach that they have been invited into the house. So, in addition to the trash in the house, we now have unwanted guests.
God wants us to understand that unrighteousness (trash) is an invitation to demons (roaches) to join our “trashiness,” so we are not just dealing with unrighteousness (trash), we are also having to deal with demons who have made their home in our unrighteousness. And just as trash invites a variety of unwanted guests (e.g., ants, roaches, mice, rats, etc.,), so our unrighteousness invites a variety of demons of all sizes, shapes, and dispositions.
Our unrighteousness invites the demonic flow and blocks the movement of God. Hence, two things happen with our unrighteousness. Demons are invited into our wrongness, which makes a bad place worse. And God is blocked out. Thus, God’s movement in our lives is limited because we are not wearing the breastplate of righteousness.
Our unrighteousness gives Satan a legal right to occupy a place in our lives (cf. Eph. 4:25-27). We have invited the enemy to take up ground in our Christian lives. We have given him control over that part of our Christian lives. We can pray all we want about the roaches in the house, but until we remove the trash in the house, we are still going to have those unwanted guests. Why? Because those roaches (demons) have a legal right to be there because we are saying to them, “I am feeding you today.” As long as we continue in unrighteousness, no amount of praying is going to remove the demonic presence in our lives. They will not listen to our prayers because we are still feeding them with our trash.
As Christians, we often settle for trash management. We know we should not have the trash (unrighteousness), and we don’t want the roaches (demons), so we try to manage the trash.
For example, when we invite people to our house, we want our house to appear to be clean. So, we grab the trash and all the mess laying around, and we throw it in the closet. We want to keep our trash (unrighteousness) hidden so people will not know just how trashy (unrighteous) we truly are.
So, we present an appearance of godliness. We try to think, speak, and act righteously, but inwardly our trash (unrighteousness) is producing a stench. It’s like having a trash compactor in the house. We keep putting trash in it and it reduces the size of our garbage. But the problem is, if we don’t take that trash out, eventually it will fill the house with its unwanted stench. And our spouse will get a whiff of that trash scent, and she will know it is there even if it is not visible, because there is a standard that has a scent to it.
God can detect the scent for unrighteousness. So even if we are good at managing our trash, packing it down, hiding it in the closet, the garage, or in the attic so people cannot see it, God still knows it is in our lives. All demons have done is go to the garage, the closet, or garage – wherever we are hiding the trash. They have not left the premises because they know that the trash (unrighteousness) is still occupying the space.
One does not have to be a Christian for long to understand how tenacious the Devil is with regard to his attacks against righteousness. We mentioned last time how each piece of armor teaches us how Satan can come against us. The Devil wants to devour us and destroy us in this area of righteousness (I Pet. 5:8). He primarily does this in two ways. [18]
The first way Satan attacks us in the area of righteousness is to accuse us of our lack of righteousness. From his book, Overcoming the Adversary, Mark Bubeck shares four contrasts between the way the Holy Spirit comes to us and the way the Devil approaches us.
The first contrast shows us that when the Holy Spirit comes to us, He seeks to show us that our infinite worth and value to God makes God desire our fellowship (Gen. 1:26-27; Psa. 139:1-23; Matt. 13:44-46; I Cor. 6:20-21). He delights in spending time with us (Psa. 17:8; 18:19; 149:4; Isa. 62:5; Zeph. 3:17). But Satan wants to convince us that we are so bad and so flawed that God would not want anything to do with us.
The second contrast teaches us that when the Holy Spirit comes to us, He seeks to show us that there is forgiveness and restoration available to us no matter how often or badly we have sinned (Psa. 23:3; 32:1-11; 51:1-13; 103:3, 10-14; Micah 7:19; John 21:15-17; Acts 10:43; Col. 2:13-14; I John 1:7, 9). But when the Devil comes to us, he seeks to persuade us that there is no forgiveness nor restoration available to us. He tells us we have committed the unpardonable sin [19] and that we are so bad that Satan deserves to have us forever!
The third contrast instructs us that when the Holy Spirit comes to us, He uses God’s Word to give us hope and assurance of God’s love and forgiveness (cf. Rom. 5:1-8; 8:1, 5-6, 31-39). But when Satan approaches us, he takes God’s Word out of context to try to convince us that there is no hope for us; that God could not possibly ever forgive us.
The fourth and final contrast shows that when the Holy Spirit comes to us, He builds faith, hope, and love in our hearts and increases our confidence in the assurance of our salvation (John 6:35-40; 10:28-29; I Cor. 13:13; I Thess. 5:8; I John 2:25-26; 5:1, 13). On the other hand, when Satan comes to us, he creates doubt, despair, and resentment toward God and toward His Word and His people. He wants to convince us that no one as bad as us could ever be saved and get into heaven.
The second way Satan attacks us is to tempt us to compromise God’s righteousness. Satan seeks to convince us that it is not important to live according to the righteous standards God has given us in the Bible and even in our own conscience which many times has been made sensitive by the Holy Spirit and God’s Word.
The Devil seeks to get us to compromise the difference between right and wrong. He may say things to us like, “It won’t hurt you to try that especially if it helps you get what you want.” “Everyone else is doing it, so it must be okay.” “Go ahead and do it. It’s fun.” “No one else has to know.” “It doesn’t matter if you participate in a little worldliness. God understands your needs.” “It is only a weakness.” “This is the only way you can endure stress or face pain.” “You cannot change.”
On the other hand, when we do fail, Satan will come and try to persuade us that we have no righteousness; that we are not worthy before God at all. When we yield to sin repeatedly, without confessing or forsaking it, Satan has a right to claim that area we have compromised (Eph. 4:25-27).
Putting on the breastplate of righteousness means we combat these two ways that Satan attacks us in this area of God’s righteousness. It is at the very heart of the battle against the enemy.
But what does it mean to put on the breastplate of righteousness? What is required to put on this piece of armor? First, we need a doctrinal understanding of the three types of God’s righteousness.
Imputed Righteousness
The word “impute” is not a common word that we use today, but the apostle Paul uses it in Romans 4 when he refers to Old Testament examples of justification by faith. For example, when he refers to David and Abraham’s examples of faith alone for justification, he writes, “5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works… 21 And [Abraham] being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore ‘it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, 24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead… ” (Rom. 4:5-6, 21-24). [brackets added] The word “impute” (logizomai) in these verses means the perfect “righteousness” of God is “credited” or “placed to one’s account.”[20]
We may not be as familiar with the word “impute,” but the word “credit” probably speaks volumes to us. Anderson writes, “We have credit cards, we have a credit score, or we may have credit at the bank. If the bank were to ‘credit something to our account,’ we know what that means. And that is exactly what ‘impute’ means. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, His perfect life of righteousness is credited to our account in heaven.
“Philippians 4:17 says that we have an account in heaven. This account has a debit column and a credit column. As unbelievers we had an account full of debits and no credits. Isaiah 64:6 says all of our righteous deeds were like dirty rags. This doesn’t mean I had no righteous deeds. I did. That’s why they were called righteous deeds. The problem is these righteous deeds don’t go into the credit column of our account in heaven. They’re called rags by Isaiah because they‘re not acceptable to God. Why? Because they were produced by my own human energy and strength. They were deeds of human righteousness and not divine righteousness.”[21] [emphasis added]
All our righteous deeds are stained with sin according to Isaiah 64:6. Hence, all our righteous deeds cannot open the gates of heaven. For example, “When Bill Gates claims he does not believe in God, let alone Christ, and gives a billion dollars to help theproblem of AIDS in Africa, that is most certainly a righteous deed. But that righteous deed wouldnot open the gates of heaven for him. It does not go into the credit column of his account. Why? Because to get into heaven we have to be perfect.”[22] [emphasis added]
This is what Jesus taught in His Sermon on the Mount. He said, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 5:20). The scribes and Pharisees were considered by Jesus’ Jewish audience to be the most righteous people of that day. But Jesus says the “righteousness” of His audience must exceed the righteousness of these religious leaders to enter the kingdom of heaven. Whose righteousness would surpass these devoted religious leaders’ righteousness? Later, in the same chapter, Christ says, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48). Only the righteousness of God is “perfect.”[23]
It is important to understand that Jesus was speaking to both believers (“His disciples” – Matt. 5:1) and the unbelieving “multitudes” who had followed Him (Matt. 4:24-5:1). He was using His Sermon on the Mount to provide a standard of conduct for His believing disciples as they anticipate living in the coming Kingdom of God on earth. But Christ also uses His Sermon on the Mount to convict His unsaved audience of their need for God’s imputed righteousness through faith alone in Christ alone (cf. Rom. 3:21-4:24). [24]
Anderson adds, “Anything short of perfection will not do. There’s not a great scale in the sky on which God will put our debits on one side and our credits on the other side and accept us if our credits outweigh our debits. No, just one sin is one too many. That’s why when Satan committed one sin in heaven, he had to go. He was cast out of heaven.
“So that leaves us with a big problem. The Bible says that all men fall short of the glory of God, which includes His perfect holiness. These sins go into our debit column. In order for us to go to heaven we need two things: we need to have the debits swept away, and we need to have a life of perfect righteousness. Since none of us can live the life of perfect righteousness, we must look to another.
“Only Jesus Christ lived a perfect life, and when we trust in His work for us on the cross, our sins are wiped away because He took our sins upon Himself. But, secondly, His perfect life is credited to our account. That’s divine righteousness. When this is credited to our account, we have a new standing before God. Our new position is in Christ. And since we are in Christ, we are seated at the right hand of God the Father in heavenly places (Col. 3:1-3) [see also Eph. 1:19-21; 2:5-6]. And nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:39).”[25] [emphasis and brackets added]
Notice in Romans 4:5 that God “justifies” or declares righteous the “ungodly” person who “believes,” not behaves (“work”). It is the believing person’s “faith” that “is accounted for righteousness.” The moment we believe in Jesus Christ and His death on the cross for all our sins, God “justifies” or declares us totally righteous before Him as if we had never sinned.
Hence, when a sinner believes in Jesus, he or she is declared by our holy God to be the opposite of what they are. So, if we were deceitful before our conversion, God declares us to be truthful. If we were greedy, God declares us to be generous. If we were hateful, God announces us to be loving. If we were impatient, God says we are patient. If we were promiscuous, God declares us to be pure at the moment of faith in Christ. If we were proud, God declares us to be humble. If we were selfish, God declares us to be selfless.
However, there is a great deal of confusion today regarding the relationship between faith and works. Much of this confusion originates from a theologian and philosopher named Augustine (A.D. 354-430), who greatly influenced the soteriology (study of salvation) of Roman Catholics, the Reformers, and even Calvinists and Arminians today.
Augustine had a scant knowledge of New Testament Greek which “caused him to misunderstand diakaioō (δικαιόω), translating it in its present infinitive form, ‘to make righteous,’”[26]“as opposed to the defining truth of the Reformers that this word meant ‘to declare righteous.’ The distinction was enough to cause a schism in Western Christianity. Whereas the former meaning signified a change of character, the latter meaning referred to a change of standing. ‘To make righteous’ looked to one’s experience in life, but ‘to declare righteous’ looked to the courtroom of heaven. The temporal significance of the distinction in meanings was monumental. Augustine saw justification (the making of righteous character) as a life-long effort, whereas Luther understood that one could be ‘declared righteous’ in God’s court at a moment of time.”[27] [emphasis added]
This is extremely significant to understand. Martin Luther understood “court room” justification to mean “that one could be declared righteous (justified) in his position or standing before God, but still be sinful in his character and condition in his temporal body”[28] [emphasis added] – a truth that Augustine never understood.
Augustine was persuaded “that the character of Christ needed to be infused into the character of the sinner from regeneration at water baptism (usually of infants) until death in order for the person to be made righteous (justified) enough to enter God’s heaven. Even the vast majority of God’s elect would not pass muster, so they would be consigned to Purgatory until the final vestiges of sin could be eliminated from their character. Only then could they march confidently through heaven’s gates. So, for Augustine justification was a life-long process. In fact, Purgatory was a provision of God for those in whom the process had not been completed.”[29] [emphasis added]
What Augustine did was erroneously wed justification with sanctification. He confused entering the Christian life (justification) with living the Christian life (sanctification). This has led some teachers today to mistakenly front-load the gospel by requiring good works in order to get saved (Romanism & Traditional Protestantism). It has led other teachers to backload the gospel by requiring good works to stay saved (Arminianism) or good works as a necessary proof of genuine salvation (Calvinism), so that in each case you MUST HAVE GOOD WORKS to ultimately go to heaven. Consider these options which are taught today:
Scenario
Faith in Jesus Christ +good works = maybe heaven
Faith in Jesus Christ =maybe heaven if you maintain good works, confess your sins, remain faithful, etc.
Faith in Jesus Christ = salvation + good works to ultimately arrive at heaven
Proponents
Romanism & TraditionalProtestantism
Arminianism
Calvinism
Each of these scenarios requires good works in order to ultimately arrive in God’s heaven. This is NOT God’s grace. “But if it is of works, it is no longer grace.” (Rom. 11:6). Good works are not the means of obtaining or maintaining salvation but are designed to be the result of receiving God’s free gift of salvation (Eph. 2:8-10). When good works are required to enter heaven, how will you ever know when you have done enough? You won’t until after you die.
Wiersbe correctly states, “Do not confuse justification and sanctification. Sanctification is the process whereby God makes the believer more and more like Christ. Sanctification may change from day to day. Justification never changes. When the sinner trusts Christ, God declares him righteous, and that declaration will never be repealed. God looks on us and deals with us as though we had never sinned at all!”[30] [emphasis added]
In case you doubt that we need to be “justified” or declared totally righteous before a holy God, it is important to understand our condition before we come to faith in Christ. The Bible tells us, “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works…” (Col. 1:21). Before we became Christians, “we were enemies” of God and needed to be “reconciled to” Him “through the death of His Son” (Rom. 5:10). The prophet Isaiah tells us, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6). We need to be reconciled to God because of our sin. God does not need reconciling to us, we need reconciling to God. We turned away from God. He never moved. We moved. The people God created rebelled against their Creator and sinned so that death spread to all people because all sinned (Gen. 3:1-7; cf. Rom. 3:23; 5:12-14, 18a).
The non-Christian is described in Ephesians when Paul writes, “we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” (Eph. 2:3). Because we were driven by our sinful lusts and desires, we were the objects of God’s “wrath” or displeasure before we became Christians. That is not a very likeable thought, is it?
The apostle John writes, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36). The person who refuses to believe in Christ remains under God’s “wrath.” The non-believer remains God’s enemy.
How does the Christian know he or she is justified or declared totally righteous before God? There is only one way to know this, and it is through faith in God’s promise. Justification before God is not a feeling or experience. It is a judicial, legal declaration from a holy God.
Logan explains why he believes the breastplate of righteousness refers to the imputed righteousness of God: “The reason for this is that when it comes to standing against the accuser, Christ is the only Person Who is totally blameless. Satan could point at no sin in Christ’s life (John 14:30), whereas you and I have plenty of things in our lives Satan can accuse us of, even things we have been forgiven of by Christ.
“That’s why we need to stand with Christ’s righteousness around us like a breastplate. When we stand in Christ, Satan has nothing to touch in us, nothing to accuse us of. The enemy and his underlings aren’t afraid of us, but they’re afraid of Christ.”[31] [emphasis added]
Imparted Righteousness
The second type of righteousness we need to understand from the Scripture is the imparted righteousness of God. When we believed in Christ, the perfect righteousness of God was imputed or credited to our account in heaven. We were declared totally righteous in our standing before God.
But when we believed in Jesus, God also imparted to us a new nature consisting of His righteousness and holiness. The apostle Paul writes, “20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph. 4:20-24). Paul is telling us that we are not to live the way we used to live before we became Christians (Eph. 4:17-19) because we are not the people we used to be (Eph. 4:20-24).
We “have not so learned Christ” by engaging in the activities that characterized our lives before we became Christians (Eph. 4:20). To learn Christ, we must be in a relationship with Him whereby we “heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus” (Eph. 4:21). Remember, “truth” is God’s viewpoint on a matter and that is where we need to start.
The clothes of the “old man” (who we were before Christ) need to be “put off” before we can put on our new wardrobe. These old clothes refer to our “former conduct” as unsaved people who grew “corrupt according to the deceitful lusts” (Eph. 4:22). Lusts or sinful desires are “deceitful.” “They promise satisfaction but bring only an aftertaste of emptiness.”[32] Christians can permit their lusts or sinful desires to direct their decisions, leaving them defeated and discouraged.
Paul is saying to take off those dirty clothes and put on the new clothes of the “new man” (our new nature) which include “true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24). This new nature “was created according to God.” When we were born again through faith in Jesus, God deposited a righteous seed (new nature) within us called the “spirit” (Eph. 4:23). [33]
The apostle John speaks of this new nature in his first epistle: “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” (I John 3:9). John had just stated that “the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (I John 3:8). The primary way that Christ destroys the work of the devil is to give believers (“whoever has been born of God”) a new sinless self (“His seed”) which “cannot sin” (I John 3:9). Since God cannot sin (I John 1:5), the divine nature He places inside His children cannot sin either. A sinless Parent cannot beget a sinful child. So, sin is never an act of the born-again nature inside us because it is incapable of sinning (I John 3:9) and because all sin is sourced in the devil (I John 3:8).
Anderson writes, “His divine nature is passed down through His divine seed. The new birth places His seed in us. Just as my physical seed cannot produce something outside its genetic code, so God’s seed cannot produce something contrary to His nature, that is, sin. God’s nature cannot produce sin. God’s nature in us (His seed) cannot produce sin.”[34] [emphasis added]
Many have wondered how this understanding can harmonize with John’s statement in I John 1:8 that Christians who say they have no sin are self-deceived. Hodges explains: “In 1:8 John warns, ‘If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves.’ But in 3:9 he says, ‘whoever has been born of God does not sin.’ As total persons, believers do sin and can never claim to be free of it, but their ‘inward self’ that is regenerated does not sin.
“In describing his struggle with sin Paul notes that two diverse impulses are at work. So he can say, ‘For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members’ (Rom 7:22-23; italics added). Previous to this he had concluded, ‘Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells in me’ (v 20; italics added). His conclusion is simple; ‘So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin’ (v 24). At the core of his being (in his inward man) he does not and cannot sin. The inward man (the ‘regenerate self’) is absolutely impervious to sin, fully enslaved to God’s will. If sin occurs, it is not the inward man who performs it.
“Sin does exist in the Christian, but it is foreign and extraneous to his regenerated inner self, where Christ dwells in perfect holiness. Since Christ is eternal life (1 John 5:20), the one who possesses that life cannot sin because he is born of God. The divine seed (sperma) of that life remains (menō, ‘abides,’ ‘stays’) in him who is born again, making sin an impossibility at the level of his regenerate inward self.”[35] [emphasis added]
How we see ourselves determines how we live. The apostle Paul wants his Christian readers, including you and me, to see themselves as a “new man” who possesses a new nature at the core of their being which is “created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness”(Eph. 4:24) so they will manifest this righteous nature by living righteously. This type of Christian is represented by the above image on the left. He or she is visibly manifesting God’s righteous nature inside them by doing what is right. However, this is not what gets them to heaven. We will only go to heaven by receiving God’s gift of salvation by grace through faith alone in Christ alone (Eph. 1:13-14; 2:8-9). But manifesting our true identity by practicing Christ’s righteous behavior will glorify God now on earth (Matt. 5:16) and reap eternal rewards in the future at the Judgment Seat of Christ (cf. I Cor. 3:8-15; 2 Cor. 5:10).
On the other hand, a Christian who is yielding to his or her sinful flesh (“deceitful lusts”) is hiding his or her new righteous and holy nature inside them. This type of believer is represented by the image on the right. He or she is concealing his or her righteous and holy born-again nature by not living righteously. Failure to manifest their new nature through their actions does not jeopardize their salvation, but it does disrupt their fellowship with God and other believers (I John 1:3-10; 2:9-11; et al.) and forfeit eternal rewards in the future (I Cor. 3:8-15).
So how does a Christian move from putting off the old man that is corrupted by deceitful lusts (Eph. 4:22) to putting on the new man that is characterized by God’s “righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24)? This leads to the third type of righteousness.
When God makes our inside righteous at the moment of faith in Christ (imparted righteousness), He wants our outside to match (implemented righteousness). The way for a Christian to implement the righteous seed God has given him is to put off the clothes of the old man (Eph. 4:22) and put on the clothes of the new man (Eph. 4:24). How does he or she make that happen? The verse in between these two verses tells us how: “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” (Eph. 4:23).
When speaking of unbelievers, Paul uses words like “mind,” “understanding,” and “ignorance” (Eph. 4:17-18). The common denominator is their thinking. Our lifestyle too is controlled by our thoughts. So, the key to taking off the old and putting on the new is to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” (Eph. 4:23). Instead of going back to the mindset we had before Christ, we must “put on the new man,” which requires a new way of thinking, a “renewed… mind.”[37]
The more we make our home in God’s Word (Psa. 119:9, 11; John 15:7; I John 2:14b), the more the Holy Spirit brings our thoughts in line with His own so that we think thoughts after Christ (I Cor. 2:10-16). The renewing of our minds involves God’s thoughts merging with ours so we can know and do His will (Rom. 12:1-2).
What we are talking about here is the sanctification process which begins with our perfected and redeemed “spirit.” The Bible tells us, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Thess. 5:23). Notice the word order: “spirit, soul, and body.” God’s truth informs us that He has deposited a righteous and holy seed in our “spirit” (Eph. 4:23-24; cf. I John 3:9). This is our new nature.
Our “spirit” cannot receive any contaminated information because it has been sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14). Our “spirit” wants to lay hold of God’s truth. That is why Paul says, “I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.” (Rom. 7:22). The “inward man” (Rom. 7:22) is the “new man” or new nature that is righteous and holy (Eph. 4:24). It craves the Word of God.
Hence, when God’s truth says at the core of our being we were “created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24), our “spirit” snatches that truth up. As we continue to meditate on this truth from God, and our “spirit” takes it in, a release valve opens up. This release valve sends “righteousness” that is within our “spirit” out to our “soul.” Now our “soul” is becoming transformed into “righteousness,” not because our “body” has changed it, but because our “spirit” released “righteousness” into the “soul.” When the “soul” takes hold of this “righteousness” released by the “spirit,” it then tells the “body” it needs to think, speak, and act righteously. Since the “body” listens to the “soul,” and the “soul” now listens to the “spirit,” and the “spirit” listens to the truth of God’s Word, we end up being transformed into the “righteousness” of God.
Too many Christians are trying to manage “righteousness” by starting with the “body” instead of the “spirit.” They focus on behavior instead of belief. They work from the outside inward. This is backwards. We cannot fix ourselves.
How many addicts have said,“I am not going to do that anymore”? That is not a bad thing to say, but it does not work because the addict does not have the power to stop his unwanted behavior. If he did have the power, he would not be addicted.
God wants us to start with the innermost part of our being, the “spirit.” God starts with the inside and works outward. Released righteousness makes us righteous in the heart and mind first, and then in our actions. That is how the breastplate of righteousness functions.
If I told you I buried $1 million that is yours for the taking in your backyard, you would probably drop what you are doing right now and grab a shovel and run out into your backyard to start tearing it up. You are not going to answer your phone or check social media or change your clothes. You are going to streak out into your backyard and dig as deep and wide and for as long a time as it takes to uncover something of great value that has been buried deep down in your backyard. Every effort that you make to get to that $1 million will be worth it because it is so valuable. Once you dig it up, you can use it for so much more. [38]
When we trusted Christ for His gift of salvation, God deposited deep down within our spirit all the righteousness that belongs to Jesus Christ. But we cannot benefit from that righteousness unless we are willing to go down there with God’s truth and dig it up. Then God can release His righteousness within our “spirit” and send it out into our “soul” which will send it to our “body,” transforming our “spirit, soul, and body” into the likeness of Jesus Christ. That is the breastplate of righteousness. It will guard our spiritual heart so it can pump God’s life throughout our “spirit, soul, and body.”
Conclusion
How do we put on the breastplate of righteousness? The same way we are to put on all the pieces of God’s spiritual armor – by means of prayer. Paul concluded his teaching on the armor of God by inviting his readers to pray: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” (Eph. 6:18).
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for providing the breastplate of righteousness to guard my spiritual heart so it can pump Your life throughout my spirit, soul, and body. I praise You for declaring me to be totally righteous in Your sight apart from any good works I do when I believe in Jesus Christ. I praise You for freely crediting Jesus’ perfect righteousness to my account in heaven so Satan cannot successfully accuse me or condemn me of wrongdoing in Your courtroom. Thank You that my salvation does not rely on my good works, nor my ability to keep rules and regulations, but on Jesus alone Who died in my place on the cross and rose from the dead. I praise You for depositing deep down in my spirit all the righteousness that belongs to Jesus Christ. Help me to appropriate that righteousness by faith as I dig deep with Your Word of truth so my spirit can release Your righteousness to my soul, and my soul can release that righteousness to my body, transforming my spirit, soul and body into Jesus’ likeness. Please help me, I pray, to manifest Your righteous and holy nature by doing what is right in Your eyes so my heart is protected from the assaults of the Devil. I beg You to strengthen and protect the most vulnerable places in my life with Your righteousness. In the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Tony Evan’s video message at Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) entitled, “The Armor of God,” on youtube.com.
[2] Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2665.
[3] The first three verbs in Greek (perizōsamenoi… endysamenoi… hypodēsamenoi… ) are aorist middle participles which means they have already been put on by the soldier or Christian.
[4] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2665.
[5] The Greek verb translated “taking…” (analabontes) is an aorist active participle, meaning the Christian is taking the shield of faith as needed and the last Greek verb translated “take…” (dexasthe) is an aorist middle imperative which is used of the last two pieces of armor and means for oneself to take them up as needed.
[6] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pp. 1820-1821.
[7] Adapted from Mark Bubeck’s video, “5. Belted Against Satan’s Belt: Ephesians 6 Series,” on the BRMinistry app.
[8] Tom Constable, Dr. Constable’s Notes on Ephesians, 2024 Edition, pg. 147 cites A. Skevington Wood, “Ephesians,” in Ephesians-Philemon Vol. 11 of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary 12 vols., Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein and J. D. Douglas (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1978), pg. 87.
[9] Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature: Third Edition revised and edited by Frederick William Danker (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000 Kindle Edition), pp. 463-464.
[10] Mark Bubeck’s video, “5. Belted Against Satan’s Belt: Ephesians 6 Series,” on the BRMinistry app.
[11] Adapted from Tony Evan’s video message entitled, “Breastplate of Righteousness,” on youtube.com
[13] Much of this section is adapted from Ibid., unless otherwise noted.
[14] Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 2000 Kindle Edition, pp. 247-248.
[15] Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, 2019 Kindle Edition, pg. 2417.
[16] Evans, video message entitled, “Breastplate of Righteousness,” on youtube.com.
[17] Much of this section is adapted from Ibid., unless otherwise noted.
[18] The following eleven paragraphs in this section are adapted from Bubeck, “5. Belted Against Satan’s Belt: Ephesians 6 Series,” on the BRMinistry app., unless otherwise noted
[19] See article entitled, “Can a Christian Commit Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?” at this LINK
[20] Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 2000 Kindle Edition, pg. 597.
[21] David R. Anderson, Position and Condition: An Exposition of the Book of Ephesians (Grace Theological Press, 2017 Kindle Edition), pp. 435-436.
