FROM THE PASTOR

Catching the Armor of God

This week when we hear the second lesson, we hear Paul’s rousing war cry for the people of Ephesus to prepare for spiritual warfare. He tells them to put on the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, the shoes of peace, the sword of the Spirit and the shield of faith.  Can you imagine the weight of all those items in biblical times? Just the breastplate alone would be cumbersome to try and move in. One of the things that the people of Ephesus would have known but readers today may not know, is that each of those items would need to be put on by another person. Someone else would need to tie the leather strips of the breastplate behind your back and help you to secure it in place. Someone else would need to hand you your helmet, sword and shield because you wouldn’t be able to bend well with the breastplate on.

When I think about what is described in Ephesians 6:10-20, I often see in my head young athletes trying to get on catcher’s gear. The leg guards with the impossible hooks and snaps that take a coach and the kid to get attached correctly. The clip on the chest protector so that it stays centered on the body to protect vital organs and adjusting the straps on the facemask to ensure safety, but also that they can still see the ball coming. Then to try to move, squat, lead the team by calling pitches, and be ready to catch, throw, run, and respond in a split second is something of great skill. Perhaps similar to the skills of a soldier in biblical times.

There are many imagines and scenarios that we hear in scripture that only make some sense to us today but had far richer meaning to the people who were hearing them first hand. What other bible stories do you know that could be shared with modern imagery? I invite you to share them in the comments below.

Blessings,
Pastor Sally