How Many Pieces Are in the Armor of God?

In Ephesians 6:11, the Bible tells us to put on the whole armor of God. To ensure complete protection, we must know how many pieces are in the armor of God. Paul names six in Ephesians 6:14-17. They are:

• The belt of truth
• The breastplate of righteousness
• The shoes of readiness
• The shield of faith
• The helmet of salvation
• The sword of the Spirit

Like many, I did not realize there is a seventh piece. Ephesians 6:18 continues the armor passage, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…”

The Seventh Piece of the Armor of God

Rick Renner describes the seventh piece of armor in his excellent book, Dressed to Kill. (Teach All Nations, Tulsa, OK, p. 435) It was the spear or lance. Paul told us to put on the whole armor of God. Roman soldiers went everywhere carrying a spear called the pilum. Likewise, we are to carry prayer with us at all times.

The Roman spear was a wooden-shafted throwing spear with a long iron shaft terminated by a pyramidal tip. When a soldier threw or jabbed with it, the point stuck in the enemy’s shield or armor and was hard to remove.

Roman commanders often began battles with a mass spear throw, designed to disable the enemy’s shield wall. The enemy had a hard time removing a spear once it penetrated a shield. He could not deploy his shield effectively with a long spear stuck in it.

In Ephesians 6:18, Paul told us to pray always with all kinds of prayer and supplication in the Spirit. Prayer works at a distance, much like throwing a spear. Your prayers have a long reach; they can be hurled anywhere worldwide. Prayer, in addition to the sword, is an offensive weapon.

The Parallels Between Prayer and the Spear

There are several parallels between prayer and the spear:

• Your prayers can reach anywhere worldwide, like throwing a spear a long distance. They knock out the enemy’s defenses.
• A soldier with a long spear can disable an enemy before he comes into sword range. Likewise, preemptive prayer takes care of problems before they get to you. It’s better to resolve an issue at a distance without engaging in hand-to-hand combat.
• Roman soldiers carried various types of spears depending on their battle. Likewise, depending on the need, we are to pray with all kinds of prayer and supplication in the Spirit. Prayer is an offensive weapon.

The Seven Pieces of the Armor of Light

Paul named six pieces of the armor of God and implied the seventh. The whole armor includes these seven pieces:

• The belt of truth
• The breastplate of righteousness
• The shoes of readiness
• The shield of faith
• The helmet of salvation
• The sword of the Spirit
• The spear of prayer

So, now you know how many pieces are in the armor of God. There are five defensive pieces and two offensive weapons.