We were in New York last week and visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Among its’
world-class collection of statues, paintings and design is a large collection of armor from
around the world. I was particularly fascinated by the way each culture makes use of the
materials they have around them to fashion armor. It seems that whatever culture you
explore, each has a type of armor they have developed to aid them in war.
I have always assumed that armor was armor. We tend to think of the medieval English knight
in a suit of metal armor. But I learned that there are many different uses for armor. For
instance, did you know that some of the suits of armor have interchangeable parts? It seems
that you need a different configuration for jousting than you do for battle, so they too have
many different combinations. Helmets, gloves, and breastplates are all designed to be
swapped out to fit the particular need. Much like my first suit in the 70s that came with a
jacket, vest, two pairs of pants and 2 belts. (A bold fashion choice to be sure, but at least it
wasn’t a leisure suit.)
Paul tells us today that we need to “put on the whole armor of God”. I had always taken that
at face value, thinking that Paul was encouraging us to gird ourselves for battle. He says “our
struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against rulers, against the authorities,
against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly places.” This certainly makes one think of a looming battle, one that we must win at
all costs. Taken from this perspective, it certainly seems good advice to put on our armor and
prepare for battle. Much like the crusaders, we are being called to slay our enemies in the
name of God.
At first reading, this seems to be what Paul is saying. But that is not actually the case. “Our
struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh.” Paul is explicit in saying we are not
engaged in a battle with other people. We are not called to do battle with people and smite
them down like an old testament story. But if we are not going to attack, why are we wearing
armor?
As I said, most of our image of armor comes from the days of King Arthur. But think for a
moment, can you envision any modern-day armor? How about a fire fighter who wears boots,
a protective coat and a strong helmet? That is armor. How about an astronaut wearing a
space suit, helmet and gloves? That too is armor. I know a guy who loves to ride motorcycles
and he taught me the phrase “atgatt” which stands for all the gear, all the time. Helmet,
gloves, leather jacket, etc. This too is armor. Armor need not be for offense. It is really about
defense, to protect the wearer from a hostile environment.
Paul is not telling us to gird ourselves in armor so that we can attack, he is encouraging us to
put on the armor of God in order that we might protect ourselves. The firefighter, the
astronaut and the motorcyclist wear their armor, not for offense, but to protect them from harm in a harsh environment. So too, we are called to put on the armor of God, not to attack, but to protect us from harm.
What Paul is calling us to do is put on our armor so that we may go out into the world. Go out
and bring God’s light into the darkness of a hurting world. “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 . . .take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of
God.” Truth, righteousness, gospel, peace, salvation. These don’t sound like weapons to me.
They sound more like tools of love. For that is why we are called into the sometimes-
inhospitable world; not to force others into our way of thinking with weapons, but to
demonstrate God’s love for all people. We are to be living examples of love to one another.
The medieval nights lived in castles with moats and high walls that protected them from harm.
Safe behind these castle walls, there was no need for armor. It was only when they went out
into the world that their armor was needed. When we are in church, we should likewise have
no need of armor, for this too is a safe place. Or at least it should be. There are many
instances of people being hurt by the church, physically, emotionally or spiritually. But at its
best, the church should be a safe place and that is what we strive to build.
Unlike a castle which is built to keep people out, the church should be open to all people. We
should be building a church home, not just for ourselves, but for all people. For God’s love is
for each of us and His church should be as well. So, as we put on our gospel armor and go out
into the world, one of our aims should be to invite people into God’s church. That is part of
our mission, part of our call to share the gospel. If this sounds perilously close to evangelism,
that is not accidental.
Today I am calling on each of us to go out into the world and invite someone to come to our
church home. We have set aside Sunday September 23 rd as “bring a friend Sunday”. It will be
a special service of welcome, and a way that we can show others how we worship and love
God together. We will be offering some training and some materials to help you go about this
over the next several weeks. This is an evangelism opportunity in which we can all participate.
You may want to approach a friend, a neighbor, a co-worker, but we all know someone who
would perhaps be receptive to an invitation.
This is a scary proposition for some of us. Talking about faith is challenging. You have to open
yourself up a bit to another person, and that makes you vulnerable. What if they say no? Will
they be mad at me? For most of us this is uncharted and potentially hostile territory. But if
that worries you, take with you the gospel armor to protect you, knowing that God is with you
every step of the way. And know that you are not going it alone.