"Put on the Whole Armor of God" vs. "Take up the Whole Armor of God"

 

"Put on the Whole Armor of God" vs. "Take up the Whole Armor of God"

Eph 6:11  "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil"

Eph 6:13  "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"

 

Comparison Items	Put on the Whole Armor of God (Eph 6:11)	Take up the Whole Armor of God (Eph 6:13)
Greek Verb	ἐνδύω (enduo) - to put on, to clothe	ἀναλαμβάνω (analambano) - to take up, to assume
Nature of Action	Continuous state of being clothed	Active action of taking up
Primary Meaning	Daily spiritual equipment, establishing protective state	Active and proactive preparation for warfare, engaging in battle
Core Purpose	"That you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil"	"That you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand"
Warfare Focus	Defensive protection against schemes	Proactive resistance to complete warfare
Temporal Aspect	Daily continuous spiritual state	Specific moments of warfare action
Opposition Target	The devil's wiles (deceptive schemes)	The evil day (concrete attacks)
Warfare Nature	Preventive protection	Proactive counterattack
Spiritual State	Basic spiritual equipment	Warfare armament
Expected Result	Able to stand	Having done all, to stand
Belt of Truth Application	Daily constraining oneself with truth, living continuously in truth	Actively applying truth in warfare, resisting lies with truth
Breastplate of Righteousness Application	Continuously living in God's righteousness, protecting the mind	Actively resisting unrighteous attacks with righteousness, defending conscience
Gospel Shoes Application	Daily standing on gospel foundation, stable standing	Actively proclaiming the gospel of peace, advancing to gain ground
Shield of Faith Application	Continuous life of faith, daily trust	Actively quenching fiery darts with faith, resisting attacks
Helmet of Salvation Application	Daily assurance of salvation position, protecting thoughts	Actively receiving salvation's protection, resisting despair
Sword of the Spirit Application	Daily intimacy with God's word, letting the word dwell within	Actively using God's word in warfare, pulling down strongholds
Nature of Prayer	Daily prayer life, maintaining spiritual state	Urgent prayer in warfare, decisive means of applying armor
Method of Prayer	"With all prayer and supplication" - continuous	"Praying always in the Spirit" - urgent warfare
Function of Prayer	Medium for maintaining spiritual state	The only, decisive, indispensable means for applying armor
Personal Level Examples	Daily Bible reading and prayer, establishing spiritual habits; continuously treating others with honesty and integrity; daily loving others; continuously renewing the mind	Immediately praying when facing temptation; firmly refusing unrighteous demands; actively pursuing reconciliation in conflicts; resisting attacks of negative thoughts
Individual Church Role	Personal daily spiritual discipline	Personal response when facing attacks
Corporate Church Role	Building the church's overall spiritual state	Church's united action when facing warfare
Body Coordination Need	Daily building within Christ's body	"The Body of Christ is needed to take it up; individual believers cannot do it alone" - greater need for united warfare
Exercise of Will	Daily continuous use of will to choose spiritual things	"Must vigorously exercise our will" - forcefully using will in warfare
Related Scripture	Rom 13:12 "Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light" Rom 13:14 "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh" Gal 3:27 "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ" Col 3:10 "And have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge"	James 4:7 "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" 1 Pet 5:9 "Resist him, steadfast in the faith" 1 John 4:4 "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them" 2 Cor 10:4-5 "For the weapons of our warfare...are mighty...for pulling down strongholds"
Background Scripture	Eph 6:12 "For we do not wrestle 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 "For we do not wrestle 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"
Practical Life Application	Building solid spiritual foundation, daily spiritual discipline, continuous holy living, constant renewal and transformation	Victory in specific trials, immediate response when facing attacks, standing firm in evil days
Ultimate Goal	Building spiritual constitution able to resist the enemy	Victory in warfare, accomplishing God's will
Relationship with Other Actions	Based on sitting with Christ (Eph 2:6), preparing for walk (Eph 4-5)	Based on putting on, preparing for standing in warfare (Eph 6)
Spiritual Stage	Building period of spiritual life	Warfare period of spiritual life
Core Spirit	"Put on" - becoming part of Christian life	"Take up" - actively entering spiritual warfare

 

The core distinction between these two concepts lies in:

l   "Put on" (Eph 6:11) refers to the Christian's daily continuous state of spiritual equipment, with emphasis on establishing protection and resisting the devil's wiles. Just as soldiers must wear their uniforms in daily service, this is a continuous spiritual discipline.

l   "Take up" (Eph 6:13) is the active warfare action when facing specific attacks, with emphasis on actively resisting evil days, and having accomplished everything, still being able to stand firm. This is the concept of actively taking up weapons in warfare.

As the materials state, prayer is the "only way" and "decisive means" for applying God's armor. Whether putting on or taking up, both must be accomplished through prayer. Moreover, this requires the coordination of Christ's body - it cannot be accomplished by individual believers fighting alone.

These two concepts are complementary: daily putting on is the foundation, taking up in warfare is the application; without daily putting on there is no armor to take up, and without actively taking up, putting on loses its practical warfare significance.

 

Key Summary Points:

Complementary Relationship: "Putting on" is the foundation, "taking up" is the application. Without daily putting on, there is no armor to take up in warfare; without actively taking up, putting on loses its practical warfare significance. Both require prayer for realization and need the coordination of Christ's body - spiritual warfare cannot be accomplished by individuals alone.

 

*Please refer to the 2025 Memorial Day Blending Conference, the general topic: Preparation of the Bride, Chapter 6 The Bride as a Group Warrior