At all times translates the Greek prepositional phrase “in all”: Beare says that Revised Standard Version “above all” (so King James Version) is correct; he prefers Goodspeed “besides all these” (so Barth, New International Version “in addition to all”; New English Bible “with all these”). But “always, in all circumstances, at all times” seems preferable; the meaning “in addition to all” is more suitable as a translation of the Greek phrase “upon all” (as in Luke 3.20), which is the reading here of Textus Receptus (so King James Version “above all”), and “in addition to all” would be more appropriate if this item were the final one in the soldier’s equipment described by the writer.

Carry translates the same verb used in verse 13, there translated put on. In a number of languages there are various terms which could be translated “carry,” but these specify quite different ways of carrying, for example, carrying on the head, carrying on the back, carrying on the shoulder, carrying in the arms like a baby, carrying with two arms, or carrying with just one arm. It is important to choose a term which will indicate clearly that the shield was carried by one arm (normally the left arm) and that it was held in front of one. It may also be necessary to restructure the figurative expression carry faith as a shield to read “carry a shield which is faith” or “carry a shield called faith.”

Here faith is the confidence, the trust, the commitment which a Christian has toward God and Christ; it protects him from the enemy’s fiery missiles. Depending on the way in which one translates faith, it may be necessary to restructure the first part of verse 16, for example, “your always trusting God will be like a shield that you carry.”

The word translated shield occurs only here in the New Testament. There were shields of various sizes; in this context most commentators take it to be the large shield which, according to the ancient historian Polybius, gave protection to the whole body. It was made of two layers of wood, covered with canvas, and with a leather covering on the outside; this, when soaked with water before the battle, would effectively serve to extinguish the incendiary missiles of the enemy (Barth). The soldier carried it in his left hand (and the sword in his right hand).

Burning arrows: at the end of these arrows (or “darts,” Revised Standard Version) an inflammable material such as tow would be placed and then dipped in pitch and set on fire.

The statement with it you will be able to put out all the burning arrows may be expressed as “this shield will make it possible for you to extinguish the burning arrows” or “to put out the fire on the burning arrows.”

The Evil One is Satan, the Devil, the ruler of the forces of evil. In a number of languages the reference to the Evil One may be obscure, especially if no superlative form is used. Since the Devil is regarded as the one who is the most evil, it may be better to use “the most Evil One” instead of merely “the Evil One”; the latter might refer only to one single individual who might have attacked the believer. In some languages, however, it may be far better to use an expression such as “Satan” or “Devil,” since even the phrase “the most Evil One” could be seriously ambiguous. But the expression chosen should not suggest that this is a human being; so it may be necessary in some languages to say “that evil spirit” or “that most evil spirit.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1982. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .