The Whole Armor of God

Is it just me, or does the world require more coping energy these days? The economy remains in the doldrums, the budget deficit is spiraling out of control, jobs are being lost, and we are constantly reminded that our physical security is compromised and we could take another blow at any moment. Our troops are engaged in “after-combat combat” in Iraq and we are saddened to hear almost every day that one or more of our soldiers has made the ultimate sacrifice.

There is more than enough stress and fear to go around. How shall we Christians deal with these trying time?

Maybe it is about time to arm ourselves. No, I’m not talking about rushing out to buy an assault weapon. We have something much more powerful than that in our armory. Check out Ephesians 6:10-20 (see below). In his book, The Powers That Be, Walter Wink refers to Ephesians 6:10-20 as a prescription for Christians to avoid contamination by evil.

He writes, “The whole armor of God that Ephesians 6:10-20 counsels us to put on is crafted specifically to protect us against that contagion of evil within our own souls . . . ” The pernicious nature of evil is that it permeates all things. Great is the temptation to see evil only as something external. That leads to projection and, as Wink is clear to point out in his book, the dehumanization of others, which opens the door to violence against those who carry our projection.

Putting on the whole armor of God is a spiritual practice. To stand firm means to be balanced. The time-space cross of heart, soul, body, and mind meets in balance at the center. This center can only be reached through prayer, as the writer of Ephesians points out in verse 18, “Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication.”

The armor of God is forged in the mills of contemplation and meditation. The only way to stand against evil without responding in kind is to stand in the Presence. The Presence of the One who bestows the armor, while always accessible, is easily forgotten by human beings and can only be remembered through prayer.

Before a soldier is fully armed, s/he must undergo rigorous training. Likewise, Christians cannot blithely pick up and use the armor of God without first making a commitment to the spiritual path that is laid out with copious amounts of prayer.

While putting on the armor of God requires a disciplined effort that makes us confront the evil within, it is also effective in meeting the evil without. Truth, righteousness, and faith (cf. Ephesians 6:14, 16) are formidable weapons in the struggle against evil and violent tendencies. Truth flows from the gift of discernment that touches the Intellect at the center of heart, soul, body, and mind. That Truth is known in relationship–faith. Faith is forged in an active relationship with the One who made the earth and sky. In the context of that relationship, the journey to righteousness is realized.

As Wink, Merton, and other spiritual writers point out, that righteousness is being the person God called and created me to be. Thus, in this passage about the armor of God, the whole package is delivered: prayer is the furnace that purifies relationship with self and God that leads to Truth and Righteousness. Armed in this way, you and I can withstand evil within and without, and the stress and fear that seeks to plague us will be placed in a proper and manageable perspective.

Let us put on the armor of God so we can make a righteous stand in these vexing times.

Ephesians 6:10-20 (New Revised Standard Version)

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 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. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15 As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16 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. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.

Joel t