God bless you as you read this and apply it to your life.
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The Armor of God
By Evan Miller
You know, as I was reading Ephesians a few nights ago, I was struck with a sudden thought. Reading through the description of the armor of God, I've come to realize, Paul did not choose these representations at random, but rather, each piece hold a unique, deep meaning, and how it may be applied to our lives. Take a look.
The Helmet:
The Helmet of Salvation is what it is called in the Bible. Now, in the times of the roman military, a roman legionnaire would wear a helmet, not so much for protective purposes. Rather, they had plumes and supposedly decorative markings on the top. Why? To identify them. In battle, the archers often stood on the high ground, looking down on the battlefield, on the top of the soldiers heads. To ensure that they were firing into the enemy ranks, and not into their own, they looked for these plumes on the helmets to tell their soldiers apart from the enemy. The helmet of salvation is what identifies us as part of the Lord's army. It is the piece which says, 'This one belongs to God'.
The Breastplate:
The Bible refers to the righteousness a Christian is granted as a breastplate. There are two very interesting points to be seen in this. When we think of a breastplate, we think a piece of armor that protects the torso. The modern equivalent is a kevlar vest. The disconnect in that thinking, is that bulletproof vests protect both the chest as well as the back. However, at the time Paul penned this, the Roman breastplate was a piece of armor that protected only the front, the side that was supposed to be towards the enemy. The back was often unarmored. Some have theorized that Romans thought a soldier running from an enemy deserved to be killed and left their backs unarmored. Others because, well, armor is expensive, and by only armoring one side it became cheaper. Either way, the principle was the same. The breastplate only works facing your enemy. Turning away or running leaves you vulnerable.
And yet, there's another principle here. The breastplate was the piece of armor, that played the part when all else failed. When his sword couldn't deflect the swing, when the soldier's shield fell, the breastplate protected him. In other words, the breastplate only actually does its work....in failure. This rings true of us as well Together with salvation, when your grasp on your sword falters, and your faith, your shield, seems to break, God's breastplate screams "RIGHTEOUS! You are righteous! You have been made anew! Though you may not know your sword, even when your arm is too weak to raise your shield, I will still stand, for He still stands!" And the darts of your enemy which exploited your failures bounce off your breastplate. God gave it to you. It doesn't break. Your other two defenses have to be used, but this one doesn't. Your sword must be swung, your shield must be raised, but your righteousness simply is. God gave it to you, you wear it, there is nothing done on your part for it to be. When you fail, it doesn't.
The Belt:
The belt, or in some translations, the girdle, is the Belt of Truth. And it is given by God for two invaluable reasons. The first is because having your pants fall down in the middle of a battle is just plain embarrassing.
All joking aside, the interesting thing to note, is that in those days, a roman soldier carried his sword in a scabbard on his hip, strapped to his belt. The belt, truth, carries the Sword of the Spirit. Truth and the Word are not separate. One does not have to delve into delusion and willfully blind himself to reality to believe in Jesus. Creation screams the evidence of a Creator. Our souls yearn for the Father. Every facet of life is made in order and holds a foundation of fact. If the fact is that God is true, then the facts of creation will, and do, reflect that. There does not need to be any apologizing or excusing for the Bible. It is true, the world around us represents this truth. The Bible is fact. It is supported by it, and it rests in it. As the sword is held in the belt, so is the Word of God to be found in truth.
The Shoes:
Shod your feet with the Gospel of Peace. Though we often refer to them as the 'Shoes of Peace', to be historically accurate, Roman soldiers actually wore rugged sandals that tied around the ankles and up the calf. But 'The Sandals of Peace' reminds me of flip-flops for some reason and that mental image is just plain ridiculous, so we're gonna call them the shoes here. In all the portrayals of soldiers, no matter the nation, no matter how fanciful, ridiculous, and blown out of proportion the portrayal may be, no one ever imagines them barefoot. Why? Because, aside from the fact that it would look absolutely ridiculous, it was also highly impractical. These are soldiers, not interior decorators. Battles aren't held on plush carpets, trimmed lawns, or paved city streets....or rather, if it was on the streets, they were usually dirty, strewn with litter and debris. Also, it usually meant you were losing. Battlefields were rough, wild, untamed fields in the middle of nowhere. Armies fought in the hills, on the fields, in swamps and desert and frost-covered fields. The shoes were given that, in the rough terrain of the battlefield, a soldier may not be comfortable, but they could bear the rigors of maneuvering in the harsh locales without shredding their feet to the point of being no longer able to stand. So too is the Gospel in this world, a covering for us that we can live and walk and stand in a world overrun with evil and strife and wickedness. Because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we can have peace and hope in a world that would otherwise make that impossible. Because of it, we can stand.
Also, it's really useful when you need to give the enemy a good swift kick to the rear end.
The Shield:
The Shield of Faith is not our first line of defense, but it is our most stout. Your sword might not ward off that blow, but this will. Roman armies carried a heavy full shield that was known as a scutum. These shields were might bastions of defense, warding off any blow. Like a shield, our faith can be raised even when our sword seems a little clumsy. In faith we can say, "I do not know the answer now, but I do know the Lord." In faith we raise an impenetrable defense that can sometimes seem a little frightening at times. When one raises a shield, they often can see little but that. A shield blocks the defender's vision so that they cannot see their Commander or their battlefield. They can only see that life-saving wall, and feel the strength of the enemy hammering on it. But they still come out alive.
However, how much greater that shield when joined with others! Roman legionnaires carried this scutum which was tall enough to cover the whole body, and what they did was the shields were crafted to interlock with others. Why? Because when a soldier on the front line joined his shield with the shields of his fellows, it would lock together to create a wall of steel. The soldiers in the other ranks would raise their shields over their head, protecting every member of the formation in one single, mighty shell which no arrow could penetrate. When the enemy fires their darts, raise your shield. Though it may seem scary, though you might not be able to see just now, it will keep you safe. When the arrows are too many, join your shield with your fellows, and let the body of Christ and the fellowship of his church protect you. Your battle wasn't meant to be fought alone.
The Sword:
The Sword of the Spirit. The Word of God. A soldier entering into battle without his armor won't last long, but a soldier without a sword isn't in the fight at all! We often imagine it as a mighty, gigantic blade lesser men could not hope to handle! Carving great swaths through enemies and breaking formations before it! This is exactly what the Sword isn't. The Roman military actually used short swords about two and a half feet long. This weapon was called a gladius. Not exactly the mighty image that would be seen in, say, a five foot claymore. Yet, with this weapon, the Roman military was enormously successful. Why? For several reasons. Though not outwardly powerful compared to the mighty weapons of their barbarian enemies, the short sword was agile and very easy to handle. Wielding it was not tireing, and it could dance easily around a larger blade, break apart a formation, and decimate armies. Not with huge cleaves that wiped out dozens with one swing, but with quick, sharp, precise strikes, joined with the efforts of the soldiers at his side, a Roman soldier toppled the mightiest of fortresses with seemingly the weakest of blades.
Lethal and quick, a sword does not only slay your enemy, but wards off their attack. When you defend yourself with the sword you are in a position to strike back, and the demons and lies will melt before you. Remember also, this weapon was not meant to be used alone. A single, small blade only does so much. Joined with Christ's armies, however, Satan's strongholds stand no chance. Your greatest weapon, your first defense. The Spirit of God.
So put on the full armor of God, not just in word or thought, but it is the defense in your whole life. A soldier needs to know his equipment. It was given to you by a Commander with more sense than you. Do you trust Him? Then you can trust the armor He gave you. Do you know Him? Know what He gave you as well.
I pray God blesses all who read this. Always remember that He's with you, and He didn't save you to let you die out here.
The Helmet:
The Helmet of Salvation is what it is called in the Bible. Now, in the times of the roman military, a roman legionnaire would wear a helmet, not so much for protective purposes. Rather, they had plumes and supposedly decorative markings on the top. Why? To identify them. In battle, the archers often stood on the high ground, looking down on the battlefield, on the top of the soldiers heads. To ensure that they were firing into the enemy ranks, and not into their own, they looked for these plumes on the helmets to tell their soldiers apart from the enemy. The helmet of salvation is what identifies us as part of the Lord's army. It is the piece which says, 'This one belongs to God'.
The Breastplate:
The Bible refers to the righteousness a Christian is granted as a breastplate. There are two very interesting points to be seen in this. When we think of a breastplate, we think a piece of armor that protects the torso. The modern equivalent is a kevlar vest. The disconnect in that thinking, is that bulletproof vests protect both the chest as well as the back. However, at the time Paul penned this, the Roman breastplate was a piece of armor that protected only the front, the side that was supposed to be towards the enemy. The back was often unarmored. Some have theorized that Romans thought a soldier running from an enemy deserved to be killed and left their backs unarmored. Others because, well, armor is expensive, and by only armoring one side it became cheaper. Either way, the principle was the same. The breastplate only works facing your enemy. Turning away or running leaves you vulnerable.
And yet, there's another principle here. The breastplate was the piece of armor, that played the part when all else failed. When his sword couldn't deflect the swing, when the soldier's shield fell, the breastplate protected him. In other words, the breastplate only actually does its work....in failure. This rings true of us as well Together with salvation, when your grasp on your sword falters, and your faith, your shield, seems to break, God's breastplate screams "RIGHTEOUS! You are righteous! You have been made anew! Though you may not know your sword, even when your arm is too weak to raise your shield, I will still stand, for He still stands!" And the darts of your enemy which exploited your failures bounce off your breastplate. God gave it to you. It doesn't break. Your other two defenses have to be used, but this one doesn't. Your sword must be swung, your shield must be raised, but your righteousness simply is. God gave it to you, you wear it, there is nothing done on your part for it to be. When you fail, it doesn't.
The Belt:
The belt, or in some translations, the girdle, is the Belt of Truth. And it is given by God for two invaluable reasons. The first is because having your pants fall down in the middle of a battle is just plain embarrassing.
All joking aside, the interesting thing to note, is that in those days, a roman soldier carried his sword in a scabbard on his hip, strapped to his belt. The belt, truth, carries the Sword of the Spirit. Truth and the Word are not separate. One does not have to delve into delusion and willfully blind himself to reality to believe in Jesus. Creation screams the evidence of a Creator. Our souls yearn for the Father. Every facet of life is made in order and holds a foundation of fact. If the fact is that God is true, then the facts of creation will, and do, reflect that. There does not need to be any apologizing or excusing for the Bible. It is true, the world around us represents this truth. The Bible is fact. It is supported by it, and it rests in it. As the sword is held in the belt, so is the Word of God to be found in truth.
The Shoes:
Shod your feet with the Gospel of Peace. Though we often refer to them as the 'Shoes of Peace', to be historically accurate, Roman soldiers actually wore rugged sandals that tied around the ankles and up the calf. But 'The Sandals of Peace' reminds me of flip-flops for some reason and that mental image is just plain ridiculous, so we're gonna call them the shoes here. In all the portrayals of soldiers, no matter the nation, no matter how fanciful, ridiculous, and blown out of proportion the portrayal may be, no one ever imagines them barefoot. Why? Because, aside from the fact that it would look absolutely ridiculous, it was also highly impractical. These are soldiers, not interior decorators. Battles aren't held on plush carpets, trimmed lawns, or paved city streets....or rather, if it was on the streets, they were usually dirty, strewn with litter and debris. Also, it usually meant you were losing. Battlefields were rough, wild, untamed fields in the middle of nowhere. Armies fought in the hills, on the fields, in swamps and desert and frost-covered fields. The shoes were given that, in the rough terrain of the battlefield, a soldier may not be comfortable, but they could bear the rigors of maneuvering in the harsh locales without shredding their feet to the point of being no longer able to stand. So too is the Gospel in this world, a covering for us that we can live and walk and stand in a world overrun with evil and strife and wickedness. Because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we can have peace and hope in a world that would otherwise make that impossible. Because of it, we can stand.
Also, it's really useful when you need to give the enemy a good swift kick to the rear end.
The Shield:
The Shield of Faith is not our first line of defense, but it is our most stout. Your sword might not ward off that blow, but this will. Roman armies carried a heavy full shield that was known as a scutum. These shields were might bastions of defense, warding off any blow. Like a shield, our faith can be raised even when our sword seems a little clumsy. In faith we can say, "I do not know the answer now, but I do know the Lord." In faith we raise an impenetrable defense that can sometimes seem a little frightening at times. When one raises a shield, they often can see little but that. A shield blocks the defender's vision so that they cannot see their Commander or their battlefield. They can only see that life-saving wall, and feel the strength of the enemy hammering on it. But they still come out alive.
However, how much greater that shield when joined with others! Roman legionnaires carried this scutum which was tall enough to cover the whole body, and what they did was the shields were crafted to interlock with others. Why? Because when a soldier on the front line joined his shield with the shields of his fellows, it would lock together to create a wall of steel. The soldiers in the other ranks would raise their shields over their head, protecting every member of the formation in one single, mighty shell which no arrow could penetrate. When the enemy fires their darts, raise your shield. Though it may seem scary, though you might not be able to see just now, it will keep you safe. When the arrows are too many, join your shield with your fellows, and let the body of Christ and the fellowship of his church protect you. Your battle wasn't meant to be fought alone.
The Sword:
The Sword of the Spirit. The Word of God. A soldier entering into battle without his armor won't last long, but a soldier without a sword isn't in the fight at all! We often imagine it as a mighty, gigantic blade lesser men could not hope to handle! Carving great swaths through enemies and breaking formations before it! This is exactly what the Sword isn't. The Roman military actually used short swords about two and a half feet long. This weapon was called a gladius. Not exactly the mighty image that would be seen in, say, a five foot claymore. Yet, with this weapon, the Roman military was enormously successful. Why? For several reasons. Though not outwardly powerful compared to the mighty weapons of their barbarian enemies, the short sword was agile and very easy to handle. Wielding it was not tireing, and it could dance easily around a larger blade, break apart a formation, and decimate armies. Not with huge cleaves that wiped out dozens with one swing, but with quick, sharp, precise strikes, joined with the efforts of the soldiers at his side, a Roman soldier toppled the mightiest of fortresses with seemingly the weakest of blades.
Lethal and quick, a sword does not only slay your enemy, but wards off their attack. When you defend yourself with the sword you are in a position to strike back, and the demons and lies will melt before you. Remember also, this weapon was not meant to be used alone. A single, small blade only does so much. Joined with Christ's armies, however, Satan's strongholds stand no chance. Your greatest weapon, your first defense. The Spirit of God.
So put on the full armor of God, not just in word or thought, but it is the defense in your whole life. A soldier needs to know his equipment. It was given to you by a Commander with more sense than you. Do you trust Him? Then you can trust the armor He gave you. Do you know Him? Know what He gave you as well.
I pray God blesses all who read this. Always remember that He's with you, and He didn't save you to let you die out here.
