20261029 PUTTING ON THE ARMOUR OF GOD
29 October 2026, Thursday, 30th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Ephesians 6:10-20 |
Put on God's armour and resist the devil
Grow strong in the Lord, with the strength of his power. Put God’s armour on so as to be able to resist the devil’s tactics. For it is not against human enemies that we have to struggle, but against the Sovereignties and the Powers who originate the darkness in this world, the spiritual army of evil in the heavens. That is why you must rely on God’s armour, or you will not be able to put up any resistance when the worst happens, or have enough resources to hold your ground.
So stand your ground, with truth buckled round your waist, and integrity for a breastplate, wearing for shoes on your feet the eagerness to spread the gospel of peaceand always carrying the shield of faith so that you can use it to put out the burning arrows of the evil one. And then you must accept salvation from God to be your helmetand receive the word of God from the Spirit to use as a sword.
Pray all the time, asking for what you need, praying in the Spirit on every possible occasion. Never get tired of staying awake to pray for all the saints; and pray for me to be given an opportunity to open my mouth and speak without fear and give out the mystery of the gospel of which I am an ambassador in chains; pray that in proclaiming it I may speak as boldly as I ought to.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 143(144):1-2,9-10 |
Blessed be the Lord, my rock.
Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
who trains my arms for battle,
who prepares my hands for war.
Blessed be the Lord, my rock.
He is my love, my fortress;
he is my stronghold, my saviour
my shield, my place of refuge.
He brings peoples under my rule.
Blessed be the Lord, my rock.
To you, O God, will I sing a new song;
I will play on the ten-stringed lute
to you who give kings their victory,
who set David your servant free.
Blessed be the Lord, my rock.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps147:12,15 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
He sends out his word to the earth.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 13:31-35 |
It would not be right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem
Some Pharisees came up to Jesus. ‘Go away’ they said. ‘Leave this place, because Herod means to kill you.’ He replied, ‘You may go and give that fox this message: Learn that today and tomorrow I cast out devils and on the third day attain my end. But for today and tomorrow and the next day I must go on, since it would not be right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem.
‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often have I longed to gather your children, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you refused! So be it! Your house will be left to you. Yes, I promise you, you shall not see me till the time comes when you say:
‘Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!’
PUTTING ON THE ARMOUR OF GOD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [EPHESIANS 6:10-20; LUKE 13:31-35]
In the Gospel, we read of growing opposition against Jesus–not only from religious leaders, but even from political authorities. Jesus was warned by some Pharisees that Herod Antipas was plotting to kill Him, just as he had executed His cousin, John the Baptist. Yet Jesus remained defiant and unafraid of those who opposed His mission. He replied, “You may go and give that fox this message: Learn that today and tomorrow I cast out devils and on the third day attain my end. But for today and tomorrow and the next day I must go on, since it would not be right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem.” Jesus was fully conscious that He would join the long line of prophets martyred for their cause; He would not be deterred by threats from a king known to be shrewd and destructive.
Jesus was equally convinced that His Father’s plan for the salvation of humanity could not be derailed by the enemies of God’s Kingdom.He trusted completely that the Father would shield Him from harm until His mission was fulfilled. The Father protected Him when His townsfolk sought to throw Him off a cliff (Lk 4:29-30). His enemies tried to arrest Him, “but no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come” (Jn 7:30). When they attempted to stone Him for blasphemy, “he escaped from their hands” (Jn 10:39). Nevertheless, Jesus knew He would eventually be killed, yet remained certain of God’s ultimate triumph, making a veiled allusion to His resurrection on the third day.
In the first reading, St. Paul likewise faced severe opposition to his ministry. He suffered immensely, writing: “Five times I have received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked; for a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers and sisters; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, hungry and thirsty, often without food, cold and naked” (2 Cor 11:24-27). Writing his letter from Rome while bound in chains under home arrest, Paul–like Jesus–remained indefatigable, refusing to lose hope or give in to discouragement. Rather than seeking sympathy, he asked for prayers to be given “an opportunity to open my mouth and speak without fear and give out the mystery of the gospel of which I am an ambassador in chains; pray that in proclaiming it I may speak as boldly as I ought to.”
Paul recognised that his battle was not merely against human adversaries, warning that “we have to struggle against the Sovereignties and the Powers who originate the darkness of this world, the spiritual army of evil in the heavens.” Jesus Himself was tempted by Satan at the start of His public ministry (Mt 4:1-11). Human enemies are not as insidious as the malevolent spirits controlled by Satan, which influence world leaders–whether political, spiritual, or corporate–to enact policies that undermine human unity, holistic development, and environmental stewardship. As St. Peter writes, “Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour” (1 Pt 5:8). We see these negative forces shaping society across business, politics, entertainment, and even religion, which is why human rhetoric against materialistic and individualistic trends often falls on deaf ears and only invite greater opposition.
Indeed, if we are battling against principalities, powers, and rulers of the unseen world, we surely cannot fight them with our human strength. St. Paul urges us to “grow strong in the Lord, with the strength of his power. Put God’s armour on so as to be able to resist the devil’s tactics. You must rely on God’s armour, or you will not be able to put up any resistance when the worst happens, or have enough resources to hold your ground.”
Indeed, we must fight evil spirits with the Holy Spirit. We are facing a very powerful enemy that seeks to destroy the Church of Christ. Satan is insidious and malicious; evil spirits are not mere fantasies or myths as they would have us believe so that we leave ourselves undefended against them. The greatest deception evil spirits use today is persuading a scientific, technological, and secularised world that spirits do not exist–that dark forces are nothing more than a figment of our imagination.
Hence, we must put on the armour of God. St. Paul, who was guarded by a soldier day and night while in prison, must have seen in the soldier’s armour a graphic representation of what God’s army must put on to defend themselves against the onslaught of their enemies and to guard against the dark forces of evil.
This armour of God is primarily for defence. The images of the belt, breastplate, shield, helmet, and proper footwear represent the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of readiness, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation. In a nutshell, to put on the armour of God is to put on our Lord Jesus Christ. How, then, can we do this?
Indeed, unless a Christian lives by the truth of the Gospel, the Devil–who is the Father of Lies–will deceive us. Jesus said, “He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (Jn 8:44). For the Christian, Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jn 14:6). As He declared, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (Jn 8:31-32).
A Christian must also live a righteous life of integrity. Nothing can truly vindicate us against our enemies except a life of honesty and uprightness. Even if our enemies do not believe our words, our lives will prove to them that what we profess is true. This was how our Lord lived His life. Even His enemies recognised His integrity, acknowledging to Him: “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality.” (Mt 22:16).
To keep ourselves from falling into complacency–another deceptive snare of the Evil One–we must keep ourselves actively engaged in our mission. Wearing shoes on our feet symbolises being always ready “to spread the gospel of peace and always carrying the shield of faith so that you can use it to put out the burning arrows of the evil one.”
Most of all, we need to wear the shield of faith, because without faith, we will succumb to the temptations, opposition, and discouragement of the Evil One. This faith grows through reading the Word of God and engaging in prayer. Hence, St. Paul exhorts us: “You must accept salvation from God to be your helmet and receive the word of God from the Spirit to use as a sword.” (Eph 6:17).
The Word of God is the primary weapon that defends us against the wiles of the enemy by helping us discern what is true and good: “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Heb 4:12).
Reading the Word of God must be accompanied by fervent and expectant prayer: “Pray all the time, asking for what you need, praying in the Spirit on every possible occasion. Never get tired of staying awake to pray for all the saints.” (Eph 6:18). In the final analysis, the Word of God, the Eucharist, and unceasing prayer are the means by which we defend ourselves against the Evil One. We cannot do this alone, but only with Christ and His Church–together, under the headship of Christ, the Church conducts this spiritual warfare.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved
