The way I understand it, anytime that your Mage does something, it's your Mage who is doing it. Even if technically your Mage is activating a piece of equipment, and that equipment is the thing that is technically doing the action, the game see's it as your Mage doing it himself.
Equipment simply gives your Mage new powers/abilities/spells that your Mage does, the equipment doesn't do anything itself and serves as a visual of how your mage has improved himself, as far as the game play goes that is.