God's Body Armor

Sermon for August 30, 2009 Proper 17 Text:  Ephesians 6:10-20 Title:  God's Body Armor A.  Have you ever noticed that when you are a parent of boys your museum fare goes from art and sculpture to something bigger and more hard-hitting?  You know what I mean; now the museum tour consists of dinosaurs, of huge tombs and temples, of mummies and caskets of ancient Egypt.  And of course, one has to meander through the mists of the medieval ages. This means rooms and rooms of ancient, awful-looking weaponry, as well as "awesome" armor.  We have all seen the complete coats of heavy iron armor.  We have looked in amazement at huge armored warhorses with metal encased soldiers mounted on their backs are holding up hundreds and hundreds of pounds of "protection."  Medieval armory gradually grew to be a source of artistic expression. Metal workers took pride in the precision of their pieces and in the intricacy of their designs. Kings and noblemen commissioned fantastic suits of armor that were designed more for parade days than for the battlefields.   The Roman armor described in this week's epistle text was far different. It was lightweight, utilitarian, proved and improved on thousands of battlefields. The function of the Roman soldier's armor was defensive. It was designed to keep the soldier from dying so that he could go on fighting for the Empire.  The function of the Christian's "armor" described in today's Ephesians text is quite different. The function of the "armor of God" is to keep the faithful alive — alive in Christ.   B.  Paul had an insight into the Christian lifestyle that we sometimes forget about today, namely, that our ultimate struggle is against the forces of evil in the world.  Now I'm not talking about a boogey-man, and I'm certainly not talking about some guy dressed in red and sporting horns, a tail, and a pick-fork!!  Neither am I trying to minimize the reality of human sin and temptation, nor the reality of tragedy in the world in which we live as well as in our own lives.  The Devil isn't behind every bad thing that happens to us, at least not directly.  We can't slough off our own sinful nature by saying "The Devil Made Me Do It."  Rather, the truth that Paul asserts and which we must keep in mind is that there is evil in the world.  And that evil is intent upon thwarting the advancement of the Kingdom of God and is the enemy of every individual who calls himself or herself a disciple of Jesus Christ.  Paul states the matter bluntly: "Our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly places."   There is both a positive and a negative here.  The positive note being sounded here is that ultimately, there isn't a thing persecution, or illness, or tragedy, or anything else bad can do to us in this life.  When I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, I have eternal life; my joy is in the now as well as in the hereafter.  God is with us, and there isn't a thing in the entire world, not even death, that can change that.   But the negative note that is sounded here is ominous.  Paul is also saying here that what we see with our eyes and experience with our senses is not all there is to reality.  We also have a supernatural foe, and this foe is arrayed against the church.  The language Paul uses reflects the mythology of the day.  Our own culture might better envision what he is talking about by calling these supernatural forces "demonic."  Now we don't like to talk about demonic forces; to most of us they conjure up images of the movie The Exorcist.  But we can't throw the baby out with the bathwater either.  I have seen a number of evil things over the years whose cause seems to go beyond the explainable.  I remember shortly after arriving at my church in Leesburg, being told by a person who was sensitive in the realm of the spiritual that she sensed "dark figures" hovering over the sanctuary.  There is no question that the hate and anger that permeated many of the congregants went far beyond normal behavior by civil people.  We need to join with Paul to acknowledge, if not fully understand, that evil exists, and it resists God's people at every turn.   But the Good News is that Jesus is in charge.  It's not even a fair fight!!  Although the Devil has been given freedom to stir up things here on earth for a time, God has won the victory!!  And the Lord has given His people all that they will ever need to resist the attack of the Evil One.  The Biblical student should notice that in these few verses Paul uses power verbs over and over again; many of these words are rarely used elsewhere in the NT.  Paul calls the disciple into action – "Resist", "Watch," "Pray," "Be Alert."  We are obviously meant to be engaged in the battle against the Devil because the Devil will not hesitate to battle us!  Also, we should notice that the word "stand" or "withstand" appears four times in these eleven verses, suggesting that we are to stand at the ready and dig in our heals when the Devil strikes.  We can't let the Evil One get a foothold in our lives; we have to stand firm against him.   Paul uses the image of the fully armed Roman soldier to get his point across.  We have to wear the full armor of God to hold off the attack of the Evil One.  Perhaps this is suggested because Paul is in prison while writing this letter; the General has been removed from the field for a time, and he has become a bold martyr in chains, still guiding the troops into successful combat and unafraid of pain or harm to himself.    This reminds me of a much more recent struggle.  The story is told that years ago, when the South African government canceled a political rally against apartheid, Desmond Tutu led a worship service in St. George's Cathedral. The walls were lined with soldiers and riot police carrying guns and bayonets, ready to close it down. Bishop Tutu began to speak of the evils of the apartheid system -- how the rulers and authorities that propped it up were doomed to fall. He pointed a finger at the police who were there to record his words: "You maybe powerful -- very powerful -- but you are not God. God cannot be mocked. You have already lost."  Then the bishop seemed to soften. Coming out from behind the pulpit, he flashed a smile and began to bounce up and down with glee. "Therefore, since you have already lost, we are inviting you to join the winning side."  The crowd roared, the police melted away and the people began to dance.   Don't go away, Paul says. Put on your armor and dance. I am inviting you to join the winning side.  And here is how we do it:   The belt of truth:  This belt for Roman soldiers was so wide and thick that it protected the stomach and lower abdomen and prevented them from being disemboweled. For the church, the truth is our belt.  The truth is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and only through faith in Him and Him alone does one achieve salvation.  The truth is that life is best lived not for self, but for God and for others.  The truth is that the Church is the community of believers.  Satan doesn't mind slipping under this belt with the sword of untruth.  But through Scripture study, prayer, and mutual discussion, God sends His Spirit to lead us into all truth.  Such truth prevents the community from being eviscerated by untruths. Rumors and gossip can easily divide a church, thus Paul begins by promoting protection of the community's soft underbelly.  The "breastplate of righteousness" and the "helmet of salvation": These two items protected the heart and the head — emblematic of the seat of the emotions and the center of reason, both of which need constant monitoring and protection.  In any array of armor, the head and the heart are the most important organs to protect, for death is sure if these organs are seriously injured.  Righteousness is never our own righteousness; it is the righteousness of Christ.  We have to protect our heart by recognizing that we are all sinners, and we are all saved by the grace of Christ.  We are never good enough to earn our own salvation, but by grace we are saved through faith.  The helmet of salvation – the realization that we are only worthy because Christ is worthy – guards our thinking from getting arrogant, puffed up, or judgmental of others.  Knowledge of this protects the heart and enables the believer to think and do the right things.  Paul's comments remind the community that their eternal safety is bound up in God's mighty act of grace in Christ.  The Roman half boot: This standard military footwear enabled not only solid footing on the battlefield but also enabled the legions to move quickly over Roman roads so they could keep the peace. Paul's image of feet made "ready to proclaim the gospel of peace" indicates that the community of faith, too, must be able to move quickly and broadly in order to deliver the good news of Christ. The more we are moving about and sharing Christ, the less idleness and doubt can creep into the community.  And the more the Prince of Peace can be proclaimed throughout a hungry and hurting world. The shield of faith: The shield is critical to the Christian individual and community, just as it was to the Roman legions. One of the standard battle tactics of the ancient world was to fire flaming arrows into the ranks of the enemy, a move designed to get individual soldiers to drop their shields long enough to put out the fire, thus exposing them to attack. Roman shields were full-length, made of heavy wood with a leather covering that could be soaked in water before battle to extinguish these flaming projectiles. Paul's image of faith being such a shield conveys again the idea of cohesion between members of the community in the face of spiritual attack. When the flaming arrows of the enemy hit the shield soaked in faith, the arrows sputter out and the Christian "soldier" is saved.  These arrows may have represented the evil speech aimed at the Christians in Paul's day, since arrows appear often in the OT as symbolic for poisonous speech aimed at the Godly.  Our faith in the fact that God doesn't make mistakes, but that we are all precious children of the Lord, extinguishes the fiery darts of hateful words and malicious speech.   The sword: The last image is of Scripture as a "sword", a familiar New Testament metaphor. The Roman sword was short -- 20 to 24 inches long -- and used for close-in fighting once the javelin had been deployed.  The sword is the only weapon in this arsenal that can be considered an offensive weapon. So, in Paul's thinking, the only way we can get offensive is with Scripture or the Word of God, the good news.  With the absolute authority of the Word of God, we can attach the temptations and lies of the Devil, especially when locked in close combat with Him. Thus we are implored to wear the full armor of God. Such security gives us the strength to stand against the unholy.   C.  Finally, we need to engage in prayer.  Believers must hear sermons, read Scripture, talk with other Christians, engage in regular prayer, sing the praises of God, and so on.  Paul puts it this way, "Pray in the Spirit at all times, in every prayer and supplication.  Keep alert and always persevere.  And pray for me…pray that I might proclaim the Gospel boldly."  Prayer is the umbrella that provides cover for the faithful.  Satan cannot withstand a prayer attack.  What Paul is talking about here is to live in an attitude of prayer; to live in fellowship with the Lord, thanking Him for the many little gifts He provides on a daily basis, offering prayers of intercession when needed, and, of course, setting aside a time of prayer during each day.  Praying in the Spirit means praying in the manner Jesus might pray; attuned to His Spirit, we sense how we must pray.  Perhaps many of you have woke up in the middle of the night and sensed the need of prayer.  Recently that happened to me.  I had no idea why I had to pray, but the next day I found out, when a friend of mine was involved in a terrible accident.  Prayer has power.  It kept the Great Apostle going while an "ambassador in chains."  And is it our surest spiritual defense.   Recently National Geographic ran an article about the Alaskan Bull Moose. The males of the species battle for dominance during the fall breeding season, literally going head-to-head with antlers crunching together as they collide.  The heftiest moose, with the largest and strongest antlers, triumphs. Therefore, the battle fought in the fall is really won during the summer, when the moose eats continually. The one that consumes the best diet for growing antlers and gaining weight will be the heavyweight in the fall fight. Those that eat inadequately sport weaker antlers and less bulk. I think there's a lesson here.  Satan will choose a season to attack; of this we can be sure. Will we be victorious, or will we fall? Much depends on what we do now--before the war begins.  And much of that depends upon how well and how often we pray.  Paul isn't inviting us to live life joylessly, but simply to be aware that the Enemy is there.  And there will be times when the Enemy will catch us with our guard down, and we will fall.  Praise the Lord that He can pick us up, dust us off, and help us move forward again during such times.  So what times are these?  Seasons of attack?  Or seasons of victory?  Reliance on the Lord will make all the difference.  Amen. Keith Almond P.O. Box 4388 Leesburg, VA  20177 703-344-3569 almond_keith@yahoo.com