Image courtesy Mythologyart via www.pixabay.com
Full Armor of God:
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 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.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
-Ephesians 6:10-20 (NKJV) bold and italic print mine for emphasis
Images courtesy of tronand via www.istock.com
Click on the arrow at left:
To reveal more text/ the answer to the question presented.
Helmet:
Why is the helmet associated with salvation?
Have you considered the idea that having something compelling for the future will help you “keep your head”, so-to-speak? There are several other metaphors which come to mind; one being, “the light at the end of the tunnel”. When we find ourselves “in the middle of it”, it can be very difficult to believe there is a future outside of the current mess which will resolve in our favor.
18 Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but happy is he who keeps the law.
-Proverbs 29:18 (NKJV)
When we’re overcome by life and we come to the conclusion there’s no future, we lose hope. When we lose hope, we’re as good as dead. Although technically part of us is still living, we become dead on the inside-zombielike. That disease will eventually overtake the parts that are still living until there’s nothing left but the decayed corpse of our former self. This is profoundly devastating.
Image courtesy popmelon via www.pixabay.com
Breastplate:
Why is the breastplate associated with righteousness?
What happens when your heart becomes wounded? The reflexive response is to protect it. There’s nothing automatically wrong with this. When any other part of your body is injured it requires special attention and nurturing until it’s healed. The heart is no exception. The real danger is the temptation to strike back in a way which is sinful and will only do more damage to everyone involved.
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.
-Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV)
The New International version says to, “Guard your heart…”
There are too many references throughout the Bible which describe what happens when someone’s heart grows hard. In Exodus, in the case of Pharaoh, he couldn’t accept he was not omniscient nor all powerful. As a result he made the mistake of believing he could challenge God. He and his countrymen suffered greatly for his delusion.
Being soft hearted does not obligate you to be target practice. Be very wary of manipulative people. They may accuse you of being “hard hearted” because you insist on boundaries. They may also accuse you of not being “loving”. I find it best to give such people the “gift” of my complete and utter disregard. Ignore them. If you must speak to them, do so as to a child. Ironically, allowing yourself to be manipulated by such people will eventually contribute to your heart becoming hardened in general.
Keep in mind the parable of the Frog and the Scorpion:
One day a scorpion came to the river’s edge. He wanted to cross but couldn’t swim. He saw a frog and asked if the frog would transport him across. The frog refused saying he was afraid the scorpion would sting him and both would drown. The scorpion promised he wouldn’t as that would be self destructive. The frog finally agreed and began to transport the scorpion across the river. Halfway across, the scorpion stung the frog and they both drowned. Before going under the water the frog asked the scorpion why he’d done that. The scorpion simply replied, “It’s my nature.”
Belt:
Why is the belt associated with truth?
The Truth is central to everything and holds it all together. What would happen if society were founded on deception or falsehood? What would happen if you agreed to perform some task for me and I agreed to pay you, but lied. Let’s say the court system reinforced my right to lie to you as being superior to the agreement we had made. Let’s say the justification was “Survival of the Fittest”; since you allowed yourself to be lied to (proving your “sucker” factor) you deserved to be taken advantage of. Because you’re clearly not strong enough to survive, you don’t deserve to.
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
-John 14:6 (NKJV)
- Without God there is nothing-literally.
- God holds all of Creation together by His power.
- Jesus and God are one and the same.
- Jesus says he is the truth. The truth is a component of his being like hydrogen and oxygen are components of water.
- God cannot lie/ sin because it’s contrary to his perfect nature.
- Therefore, the Truth must be a part of everything and is instrumental in holding it all together.
God cannot lie: (all quotes from NKJV, bold and italics are mine for emphasis)
19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
-Numbers 23:19
1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, 3 but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior; 4 To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.
-Titus 1:1-4
17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, 18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.
-Hebrews 6:17-18
God cannot be tempted/ sin: (all quotes from NKJV, bold and italics are mine for emphasis)
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
-James 1:13
Sandals:
Why are the sandals associated with the Gospel?
I think there are several reasons for this. The first being Jesus says to, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” The point is to take the initiative and share the grace we’ve been given with others. If we don’t take the initiative the default will be for things to degrade slowly but steadily because creation has been subjected to decay because of sin entering the world. This idea is also reinforced in Matthew 16:18 where Jesus says, “…the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Gates are a defensive mechanism. It seems the believers are initiating the assault on the stronghold of the forces of darkness and Jesus guarantees they will be victorious. If we don’t initiate, sin will thrive and many more will be lost as a result of our inaction. Secondly, we need to be “moving” as we offer a defense of our faith. There are any number of attacks on the faith which can land a wounding blow if we don’t know how to “dodge” them and “attack” back (the martial language is obviously a figure of speech-we’re not fighting flesh and blood but rather ideologies, principalities, spirits, etc. which are attacking the faith). We need to be ready and nimble for those times we’re attacked so we can “move” and respond appropriately. Thirdly, the “good news” should help us stay motivated during the tough times. Like the helmet of salvation, it serves to give us hope and purpose as we work for a greater good for the benefit of others.
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
–Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)
18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
–Matthew 16:18 (NKJV)
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.
–1 Peter 3:15-16 (NKJV)
Shield:
Why is the shield associated with faith?
Some time ago I was listening to Jim Warner Wallace of Cold Case Christianity relaying his experience as a police officer regarding his bulletproof vest. He mentioned at some point he had to transition from belief that his vest would protect him, to a faith in his vest protecting him.
Our faith is like that. If we are “…sure of what we hope for and certain of what we don’t see…” Hebrews 11:1 (paraphrased) this will help us survive the attacks we’ll experience as believers. Also, the shield, in ancient times was not just for the protection of the individual holding it. It was also for the protection of the one to his side. Our faith is like that. When others are weak, if our faith is strong it can reinvigorate them in their struggles thus strengthening the entire “unit”.
The shield is definitely a defensive item however, it’s very much an offensive one as well. Likewise, our faith is definitely for our own defense but (through prayer, etc.) can and should be used to go on the attack.
(Jim Warner Wallace and Cold Case Christianity do not endorse simplifiedtheology.org. Simplifiedtheology.org does not have any affiliation with the aforementioned entities in any way.)
58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
-Matthew 13:58 (NKJV)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
-Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
-James 2:18-26 (NKJV)
Sword:
Why is it important for the sword to be associated with the Word of God?
I think there are a lot of reasons. One thing I want to be very careful with is not combining God’s Word with other philosophies or lines of thought. God’s Word stands alone and does not permit blending with anything else; it is not an “inclusive” ideology in that respect-much to the chagrin of theological hipsters of today.
One culture we can learn something from, in this respect, is samurai culture. Again, we’re not blending samurai culture with God’s Word, but using it as a model for how we approach the sword. The samurai viewed their swords as extensions of their own being. They exhibited great deference for their swords. They took excellent care of them, since their lives depended on them. They were used for attack and for defense. Swords were a part of the imperial regalia and even today, symbolize justice, authority, power, etc.
There’s a lot to training with the sword/ Word of God. This will be an entire section in it’s own right.
Train with the sword:
What are things we should consider as we train with the sword/ Word of God?
- Sword Etiquette/ proper reverence/ respect for the sword
- Parts of the sword
- Proper grip for the sword (is critical for making proper cuts)
- Clean/ Protect the Sword
- Iaido-Quick Draw
- Target Areas/ Practice Cuts
For a dramatic presentation of all these elements working together please go to You-Tube and search for “Troy Hector vs. Achilles full scene” or just click this link: https://youtu.be/68Vu-jiPWrc?si=44Zgh3UnFE5tyMfV