That would be a mistake.
Don't get me wrong. I agree with them that each piece of armor is important to winning the battle against the forces of evil. And I certainly do agree that armor represents very important spiritual weapons and protections. A lot of excellent scholarship has been done on this passage, with many books and articles written about it (and I even have my favorites* ). But, in the end, they all come down to one charge: "Armor up!"
All of that is to the good. We need to absorb the lessons of Ephesians 6. We do need to armor up for the fight. It is a real battle that rages all about us, every day, and we need to be in it! It's just that I think there is something else, something much more important that I don't find anyone else saying.
It's not our armor.
When Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians and told them they needed to "put on the whole armor of God," he was not thinking about the armor of a Roman Legionnaire. Sure, that was without doubt the image that would come to mind in most readers of the day. But Paul was harking back to something much older, something a student of the ancient texts (such as Paul) would know. And it wasn't the armor of a soldier.
“He [God] put on righteousness like a breastplate, And a helmet of salvation on His head; And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.” (Isaiah 59:17 NASB. http://bible.com/100/isa.59.17.nasb)
When Paul exhorts his readers to put on the whole armor of God, he's not talking about an armor we possess, nor an armor tailored to our needs, nor any armor made for humans. He is referencing that Isaiah passage: the armor God put on.
Perhaps you see the problem.
How are we to put on God's armor? Imagine a small child outfitted with the average NFL uniform. Some parts would just fall off because the wearer is too small. Other parts, though they remain on, would be too heavy, bearing the wearer down to the ground. And think of the helmet on that tiny head! It can't possibly work. No mobility. No flexibility. And no way to wield the huge weapons. God's armor would be the same for us. It is designed for the greatest battle, ever: the battle to defeat evil. As it stands, that armor is much too much for us humans to bear.
Unless.
Suppose there was something the wearer could put on that added padding and bulk to keep the big parts in place. And suppose it came with a structure and power that added the strength to lift and use the too heavy parts and to wield that sword. Well, then you would have a fighting chance. Then, you could enter the battle; be flexible, mobile, and effective. But where to get this amazing under-armor?
As with all our interactions with God, we need our intercessor, the one who stands in the gap. We cannot wield the sword of the Spirit without the one who sent us the Spirit. The belt of truth requires we first be outfitted with the one who is "the way, the truth, and the life." We cannot wear the helmet of salvation without our savior. Before we can put on God's armor, we must first put on Christ. Our faith in Christ IS our shield, and we cannot resist the evil one without it.
Now that we know whose armor we must wear and who makes that possible for us, what happens next?
We who are saved must accept that we are in a battle. That, alone, will be hard for many believers to fully embrace. Secondly, we must understand that our battle is not with other humans. Our fight is with spiritual forces. That could certainly be the second hardest part for most believers to accept. But we must. And we cannot successfully engage in a spiritual battle without the right armor; a spiritual armor, God's armor. We cannot even perceive our enemies, and thus cannot fight them, until we "put on he whole armor of God." But, before we head into battle, it is equally important to pause and remember that we are fighting in borrowed armor . . . and whose armor.
God loaned us His armor. That's how important the battle is.
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Proper 16 (21) (August 23, 2015)
First reading and Psalm
1 Kings 8:(1,6,10-11), 22-30, 41-43
Psalm 84
Alternate First reading and Psalm
Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18
Psalm 34:15-22
Second reading
Ephesians 6:10-20
Gospel
John 6:56-69
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As usual, we will meet Friday morning at 8:00. Please join us at the Waco Egg and I restaurant for Lectionary Breakfast. It's an hour of food, fellowship, scripture, and just a wee bit of "iron sharpening iron."
Enjoy the week!
Steve
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*I have read many excellent studies on the "Armor of God." I am partial to Spiritual Warfare by Ray C. Stedman (Discovery House Publishers, 1999). It's an accessible, short, and easily readable book that has served me well. Each of the ten chapters opens with a story, many from actual battles, to illustrate the point of the chapter.
Another resource I find useful, especially for daily reflections, is the three-volume work by William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour (There are various forms of this in print. Consider the abridged version from The Banner of Truth Trust, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. This set is divided into short, readable sections perfect for daily devotions. Moody has a very nice daily readings version, and it also comes in an eBook. In any case, get your hands on one that works for you.).
Both Stedman's works and Gurnall's are available from Christianbook.com.
