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Sep 09, 2023 06:00am

Worthless Armor

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I have always thought that armor on a knight or soldier was interesting technology. With time and experience, of course, armor evolved to provide more protection and more advantage in the act of warfare. To me, a soldier in armor looked strong and noble and fearless. A few years ago as I was watching a child who was playing the role of a soldier in a church play, I began thinking about how cumbersome the armor would have been. This young boy was of course not wearing metal armor but even its design caused him difficulty as he tried to bend down and play in the dirt, throw a ball, or climb on the playground equipment. These activities are just not what armor was created to do. As I watched him struggle and get frustrated in his costume, it made me ponder how worthless armor is when not being used for its intended purpose.

In Ephesians 6, Scripture talks about the spiritual armor the followers of Christ should put on to prepare for warfare. This warfare of a follower of Christ is not one that requires metal armor or metal swords because it is not a war of physical nature among two humans but it is a spiritual battle against Satan and his “schemes.” Why are followers of Christ at war with Satan? Because Satan is looking to keep us from achieving our purpose as God’s creation: to glorify Him with all that we are, all that we say, and all that we do. The book of Ephesians proclaims what we are called to as believers: glorifying God, being unified with other believers, sharing the gospel of peace with unbelievers, walking in love for all, and being imitators of God. All the armor described in Ephesians 6 helps the follower of Jesus conquer sin in his own heart and mind, helps him resist temptation, guides him in righteous living, protects his mind from believing lies, and gives him strength to endure. How wonderful and comforting it is to ponder these provisions made for our protection and victory in the daily struggle against evil!

But like metal armor used in physical warfare, this armor of God is very cumbersome and worthless if we are not actually engaged in spiritual warfare. When looking to engage with sinfulness and indulge our own desires, this armor which includes the Word of God and His Holy Spirit, serve to convict us, and make that indulgence not nearly as pleasurable as we hoped. When we decide to hide in the crowd of our cultures, so we don’t have to speak against the untruths that are being promoted, the salvation of God that does a transforming work in our hearts makes us stand out like the soldier in armor stands out in a crowd of common people. When we want to play on the playground of the world and please ourselves only, the “breastplate of righteousness” keeps us upright and makes disobedience to God painfully frustrating.

Maybe you’re thinking,” I’ll just take off the armor and do what I want.” This armor is different from physical armor in that when we accept the call of God to follow Him, it is, like marriage, a lifelong commitment. We don’t just lay aside the covenant we make to satisfy our own wants and desires. Even if we could, it would likely not be what we want. The pursuit of satisfaction only brings pleasure for a season and then leaves us, once again, empty, and unfulfilled. Being created in God’s image makes us long for deep and intimate relationships that are more committed and vulnerable and safe than just seeking out selfish pleasure.

This is not the only reason going without the armor is a bad idea. The most important reason is that whether you are fighting in the spiritual warfare between good and evil or not, Satan is always engaged in this war. And if we don’t put on the spiritual armor of God, we leave ourselves unprotected. As Jesus says to Peter in Luke 22, “behold, Satan desires to sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.” Satan’s desire for us is always destruction. Even when he masks it with pleasure, the end is still the same. In Romans 5, Paul tells of all believers endure, and then he says, “hope (in God) does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (v5-6). This passage assures us that we will not be disappointed in the end if we put on the armor and endure the battle between good and evil, in our own hearts, and in our communities. It would be a shame to waste a good suit of armor to ‘play in the sandbox’ of the world.