What Paul has in mind is:

Here we have the purpose stated: The purpose for putting on and taking up, that we would have the ability, the capacity; followed by the infinitive of purpose to stand against, to oppose; to resist.

The question is who??

- "in the evil day" does not have an eschatological expectation;

It speaks of a particular day; [day has a definite article] A particular day within the present age;

What Paul is emphasizing here is that when the crisis comes, the temptation, the test, whatever form it takes; that believer who is prepared is the one who has accomplished or performed all the things related to putting on the armor and therefore has the spiritual assets (the provision) to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

1. 6:14a The Belt

The various items of the armor referred to are given to us in the general order in which the soldier would put them on when preparing for battle;

"having girded your loins with truth..."

So the believer is to be characterized by truth if we are to be equipped for the spiritual conflict.

Everything that we are as believers, hangs on the objective truth of God's word; and it is not to be just an academic or intellectual understanding of it but it must also have an impact on the life resulting in the characteristics of honesty and integrity being reflected in our daily life.

This suggests that successful spiritual warfare begins with a solid understanding of doctrine, the truth of God's word being fixed firmly in our minds.

One cannot hope to grow and mature spiritually so that he can thwart the evil one's attacks if he is unwilling to live out truthfulness and integrity.

2. 6:14b The breastplate

"and having put on the breastplate of righteousness."

Since Paul is instructing believers to put this righteousness on; the emphasis is not on the righteousness of Christ which is imputed to us at salvation by faith, which all believers possess from the moment we believed in Christ but on the experiential or practical righteousness of our lives as believers; the rightness of character and the action that should characterize the life of the child of God living out the truth.

There is also the aspect that we must not forget, that is the importance of the ministry of the Spirit in our life each day, non of this is possible if He is quenched or grieved and your no longer in fellowship.

Roman soldier's war boot was like a sandal that was bound by thongs over the instep and around the ankle; and the soles were thickly studded with nails.

"Having shod your feet"; the verb here is in the middle voice; as were the previous 2 [having girded your loins with truth; having put on the breastplate of righteousness]

What this middle voice does for us is to reinforce for us the importance of following through and making the choices necessary to ensure that these things are accomplished;

that you indeed have done everything; the point the middle voice makes is that it is in your personal interest/advantage to do so!

"Having shod your feet" with what? "the preparation of the gospel of peace" What then is the emphasis?