Thoughts for the Day

The Whole Armour of God

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Recently it has become the fashion not to use the imagery of war in hymns, but for me Paul's image of the soldier speaks volumes. The Christian who tries to live faithfully today is constantly involved in spiritual battles. The letter to the Ephesians uses the picture of a Roman soldier to show how we can protect ourselves.

Here is the list: The belt of truth - a soldier's belt held his weapons, his rations, and his equipment. For the Christian 'truth' is knowing that God is Truth and the half-truths of the world (or the "wiles of the devil") are not good enough. The breastplate of righteousness - the soldier's tough breastplate protected his body. Christians through their belief in Jesus, are protected. The shield of faith - a soldier's shield was dipped in water before battle so that fiery arrows would be extinguished. Our faith in God protects us from enemy darts. The shoes of peace - a soldier's strong shoes could carry him everywhere. We need to be ready to take the gospel of peace to the world. The helmet of salvation - the soldier's helmet protected his head. Our minds, through faith in Jesus, are guarded against doubts and negative thoughts. The final piece of armour the sword of the Spirit - this is the soldier's only offensive weapon. A Christian's weapon is to know the scriptures, to be able to fight evil in our world, and to object to it, if only to say "My faith teaches me that we should love one another".

Whatever your spiritual battles at this time - the desire to blame God (or everyone) for the current crises in our world; the need to snap at people or lose your temper; the urge to envy those who have a job or more income; or because your family are getting completely on your nerves - St Paul's armour is definitely needed!

Lord God,
You know our weaknesses,
give us strength to overcome them
and protect us from the 'wiles of the devil',
using the belt of truth,
the breastplate of righteousness,
the shield of faith,
the shoes of peace,
the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit.
Amen.