What spiritual armor should Christians "take up" as seen in Jeremiah 46:4?

Jeremiah 46:4: “Harness the horses; mount the steeds; take your positions with helmets on! Polish the spears! Put on armor!”

Jeremiah’s military language points to decisive readiness. For believers in Christ, that readiness is spiritual rather than physical. Ephesians 6:11-17 draws the parallel, describing armor every Christian is called to “take up.”

Jeremiah’s call and the New-Testament fulfillment

• Helmet on in Jeremiah 46:4 … matched by “the helmet of salvation” (Ephesians 6:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:8).

• Spears polished … echoed in “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12).

• Armor worn … fulfilled in a full suit of spiritual protection: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the word.

Each piece of spiritual armor

• Belt of truth – Ephesians 6:14. Truth holds everything together; Christ Himself is truth (John 14:6).

• Breastplate of righteousness – Ephesians 6:14. His righteousness protects the heart (2 Corinthians 5:21).

• Shoes of the readiness of the gospel of peace – Ephesians 6:15; Isaiah 52:7. Ready feet carry good news into any battlefield.

• Shield of faith – Ephesians 6:16. Faith extinguishes flaming arrows of doubt and accusation (1 John 5:4).

• Helmet of salvation – Ephesians 6:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:8. Assurance of rescue guards the mind against despair.

• Sword of the Spirit, the word of God – Ephesians 6:17. God’s living word answers temptation and error (Matthew 4:1-11).

Putting the armor on

• Begin each day with Scripture, letting God’s word renew the mind (Romans 12:2).

• Confess sin quickly, keeping the breastplate secure (1 John 1:9).

• Preach the gospel to your own heart and let it shape conversations with others (Colossians 4:6).

• Trust God’s promises in every circumstance, lifting the shield of faith (Psalm 18:30).

• Keep salvation in view; remember whose you are and where you’re headed (Philippians 3:20-21).

• Speak and pray Scripture, wielding the sword accurately (Joshua 1:8; Hebrews 4:12).

• Pray “at all times in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18), breathing life into every other piece.

Living ready

• Jeremiah’s soldiers equipped themselves for battle they could see; Christians equip for a battle that rages unseen (2 Corinthians 10:3-4).

• The armor is God’s own provision. We do not forge it; we receive it by faith.

• Consistent use cultivates courage, steadiness, and victory in daily warfare against sin, the world, and the devil.

Key takeaway

Jeremiah 46:4’s vivid command to “put on armor” finds its deeper fulfillment in Christ. Believers answer the call by daily fastening truth, righteousness, gospel readiness, faith, salvation, and the word of God—standing firm until the final victory promised in Revelation 19:11-16.