Swords, helmets, and arrows

 We’ve spent the last few articles discussing the armor of God Paul talks about in the sixth chapter of Ephesians. The most important aspect to remember is that if God had not intended for us to see battles, then he wouldn’t have given us an armor. Three of those pieces of armor are the shield, the helmet, and the sword. Paul compares the shield to our level of faith. The shield was called “the scutus” and was designed to be used in concert with others. Under fire they could form a single wall. Shields were placed in front, overhead, and side by side until the whole team was protected from the flaming arrows of the enemy. There is an enemy to our souls, and his modern-day flaming arrows are aimed at the mind of each of us. He simply wants to destroy your perception of yourself. In other words he knows that if he can plant enough doubt in your mind toward defeat or failure, then his arrows have succeeded in burning down your confidence in Christ.

Of course the entire armor of God is spoken of by Paul in the book of Ephesians chapter 6. Verse 17 gives us the helmet, which is called salvation. Shields and helmets are the only great protectors of our hearts and minds. The helmet was not just a cool head covering with fancy decor. It was used to protect the mind of the soldier during battle. Unlike the Roman soldier’s warfare, our battle has no down time. The soldier of Paul’s day could remove his helmet when not in use, but today we have to guard our minds every moment. The enemy aims his arrows at two distinct areas of vulnerability, and they are the heart and the mind. Paul says “take” the helmet of salvation, which translated means to accept or receive. When we receive salvation from God, we accept his sacrifice on the cross as payment for our sins. And we are meant to wear that salvation like a helmet in battle. The very moment we remove our helmets is the moment the enemy attacks our minds with doubt, temptation, and evil thoughts.

Again, in verse 17, another aspect of the armor is given, and that one is the sword. The sword scares the enemy to death. It’s the only offensive weapon mentioned. It turns the attack from defensive to offensive. The sword is what has the ability to remove limbs and cut enemy soldiers to pieces. Without the sword, the enemy would never have a reason to give up or run away and most importantly Paul calls it the sword of the spirit and compares it to the word of God.

A good example of these three pieces of armor working in tandem are found in the book of 1 Samuel chapter 17 when a teenage boy named David first heard the deep and roaring voice of the giant Goliath screaming obscenities from the valley. David used what no one else in the camp possessed and that was his faith, his salvation in God, and his sling (sword). All of these pieces of armor didn’t just show up that day; they were developed in worship in a field as a shepherd. David was wearing his spiritual armor when he arrived on the scene when he accepted the challenge to fight the enemy. The king even tried to cover him with his own armor, but David couldn’t move freely in them and refused.

Each person has to wear their own armor and for their own battle. We will never fit or be victorious in someone else’s. David entered into battle against the most feared man in the land and killed him in quick fashion. That kind of confidence is found in Ephesians chapter 6, and please remember the armor only works when we wear it all. So put on the whole armor of God, and let’s meet at Christpoint Church on the square in Sparta, this Sunday, and we can talk more about the victory. We’re real people, living real lives, serving a real God, and we will have you a safe place for you at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Welcome home.