"Ching ching, ching ching"! My youngest son was fighting an imaginary foe, clad in a silver breastplate and weilding his sword. His interest in knights lead us to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) last weekend to see the "golden knight" exhibited as part of William Randolph Hearst's collection. He was not disappointed, nor was I. There were four suits of armor on display behind glass cases. Each one was an amazing work of craftsmanship and a study in how they once did battle. But it also shed a spotlight on Ephesians 6:10-17:
"10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 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 in the heavenly places.Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God..."
Looking up at the armor it finally made sense! The wearer of this armor was fully concealed in heavy steele. It would have taken great strength to run, and even then, it would not be far. That is why Paul writes "that you may STAND", "STAND firm" and "STAND therefore".
It also became apparent that it was no small chore to "put on the whole armor" or "take up the whole armor". The first thing that struck me is that it required discipline to fit into it - the breastplate fastened together front and back and was cast in metal! There was no room to gain weight, or wear another layer. I also imagine each piece had a sequence: the chain mail, the breastplate, the shoulder and forearm pieces, the hands, the upper and lower legs, the shoes, the shield, the weapon. Since one could not bend a the waist, they would have required assistance strapping each piece of armor on. That is why we must be strong IN THE LORD and the strength of His might! We cannot put on the whole armor on our own - it requires God!
I wish I could collect you for a field trip and perhaps even at Hearst Castle, as we view a suit of armor, we could contemplate the other "aha!s" drawn from this Scripture. I certainly could meditate on this all week. However, I also wanted to share something about the sword. We were also able to view an amazing, intricately detailed, beautifully cast sword. It was exquisite. This week, providence lead me to read John Piper's blog entry from January 5 titled Swords are For Killing. The title caused me pause - what a violent heading! But the portion I wish to share with you had a great impact on me.
In New Testament times swords were not for digging, shaving, or whittling. They were for killing. The only reason Peter cut off Malchus’s ear was that he missed (John 18:10)...That’s what swords are for. So when Paul calls the word of God the “sword of the Spirit” in Ephesians 6:17, he is serious—something must be put to death. And it is not people. Christians don’t kill people to spread our faith; we die to spread our faith. The link in Paul’s mind is given in Romans 8:13.
If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
The word of God is the sword of the Spirit. The Sword is for putting to death. And by the Spirit we put to death our sinful deeds. So I conclude that the way we kill our sins is with the Spirit’s sword, the word of God. All temptations to sin have power by lying. The are “deceitful desires” (Ephesians 4:22). They tell us that the pleasure of the sin is worth it. The killing blow against these lies is the power of God’s truth. Hence the sword of the Spirit, God’s word, is the weapon to use. As John Owen said, “Be killing sin, or it will be killing you.” That is what swords are for, especially the Bible.
Father God, may we do all to stand firm in this evil day! Arm us with your Word. Show us the value in each piece of armor as we are clothed in it. We are so grateful that you do not leave us unarmed, unprotected and without power in this other-worldly battle. You have given us all we need, including the example of your Son, Jesus. Thank you!
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