ArmorOfGod1of7

Armor of God
You know, one of my favorite passages of the bible is in Ephesians when Paul talks about the Armor of God. This is a passage that just resonates through me. The use of armor just conjures up in my mind a variety of pictures, scenes and images that span several hundred years of human history. When you talk about armor, maybe you immediately begin to get images of battle. Not only preparing offensively, but defensively. At least I start to get all kinds of pictures in my head, but they all are related to wars, to battles to combat and fighting. I think that Paul chose this analogy, not by chance, but very deliberate for he knows that as Christians, we are in a state of constant battle, constant warfare, a never ending fight.
Paul even says in Ephesians 6:12; “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil” (ESV). Paul is describing for us a battle, a spiritual battle. He then gives us the clues, the hint, the plan on how to be victorious in this battle. He instructs us to; “take unto you the whole armor of God” Eph 6:13 (KJ). This is when my mind starts to really take off!
The first image that comes to mind when I hear armor is that of the Middle Ages Knight. Sitting on a horse, covered in a polished full suite of armor. Head to toe, no skin exposed. What a site! Now understand that to the knight of the Middle Ages, his armor was probably his single most expensive asset. For most, it was probably more expensive than his home. This was it; this is what he invested everything he had into. It was what kept him alive. Being the most expensive thing that he owned, he made sure to take care of it. Also in the consideration of its care, again, it is what protected him; it is what kept him alive! If the knight was fortunate enough and wealthy enough to have a couple of servants, he may have 2 or three servants or “squires” whose full time job was the care of his armor.
Now really stop for a minute and gather the whole essence of this in your mind. A knight’s only way to make money was to fight wars or battles, sometimes for his king, sometimes just as a knight for hire. But his entire income, his livelihood was dependant on him fighting and surviving combat, surviving battles. His armor was everything to him. Without his armor intact, he would be vulnerable to injury or death. If his armor was not functioning properly and allowing him to move, he could not effectively move to defend attacks or move well enough to attack successfully. A knight made sure his armor was taken care of; he made sure it fit and he made sure it functioned flawlessly. As part of a knights armor was his shield and weapons. Again, these were the things that provided him a way to make a living, but most important to keep him alive! There were no cracks, crevices or dents in the shield. No holes or even weak spots that could leave him vulnerable. His weapons were also well maintained, no rust, always sharpened to a razor fine precision. Failure of a weapon in combat would leave him with the ability to only defend yourself or run……can’t see much running in a suit of armor, would be funny to watch though!
The next image that jumps into my head is that of the Japanese Samurai. Talk about an intimidating suit of armor. To the Japanese, the Samurai was the most feared of all warriors of the time. The word Samurai who’s root word means “those who serve in close attendance to nobility”, and in China and Japan, the Samurai was closely associated with the mid to upper echelons of the warrior class. The fancy full suits of armor would only be worn by the most elite and highest ranking. The suits would sometimes take a lifetime of additions and decorating. The suits were meant primarily for protection, but were also colorful, large, flashy and with masks all made to make the wearer appear more intimidating. These suits were also cherished by the owner and some believed that the suits had a spirit all its own. Some would be handed down from generation to generation. No greater honor than to dawn the suit of an ancestor.
The warrior of Paul’s time was no different. Everything that the Roman Legionnaire would have would be for maximum protection, maximum mobility, and maximum effectiveness. The armor and the weapons chosen and cared for could mean the difference between victory and defeat, between life and death. So when he uses the metaphor of putting on the Armor of God, it is not a passive euphemism, it is an accurate depiction of how we need to prepare for our spiritual combat, spiritual battles, for our spiritual survival; maximum protections, maximum survivability, maximum effectiveness against the enemy.
There is no doubt that to any warrior, it is vital to their survival that their armor is maintained. How much time, effort and care do you put into your armor?!