Putting on the Armor

It Ain't What You Think

Violence is surrounding every aspect of our life, even when it doesn't affect us personally. I turn on the news and there are reports of shootings in our country, the war in Ukraine, violence in other countries. There is this cry for a way to feel safe and to be able to protect our loved ones. One side of the equation is screaming for nothing to happen for gun rights because our constitution says we have the right to bear arms. The other side feels the need for gun control, and in some extreme cases, removing all guns.

People get attacked just walking down the street. Of course, this is better known to happen in larger cities, it doesn't mean it can't happen on our own. Self-defense classes are becoming more necessary. Teaching youth how to be safe in groups as well as what to look for when it comes to meeting new people. I am that person that doesn't mind teaching people to fight. I know that as a pastor that may not align with what people think I should stand for. There is a need to be able to protect ourselves while also making sure that peace is always the first route.

I know that I am a lucky lady because I had a stable home, with positive role models both in and out of church. My parents were heavily involved in all aspects of our life as well as my brother's. My mom volunteered in our schools as well as ran Sunday Schools in most places we lived. She made sure we got to practices or meetings for extra curriculars we were involved in. My dad was a scout master for my brother and coached me in almost every sport I was in.

When it came to me, my dad was always a tad more protective. Yes, that was because I was his daughter, and yes it was because I was the youngest. I think it was also because I am a female. Unlike many others, I don't find that to be a bad thing. History has shown how women have had to fight in a different way than men in the world. The one thing my dad always did was make sure that my brother and I knew we would do whatever we set our minds to. My dad and mom made sure I was mentally ready to handle whatever I may have to face.

When I lived in the deep south, I didn't have problems making friends. Making friends as a younger child is easier than it is as I get older. I didn't really deal with bullies, there wasn't near the amount of hardship towards me. When we moved to Connecticut, I still managed to make friends, even with a thick southern accent.

I had friends at school and at church. I didn't face bullies or hatred. Then I moved to Wisconsin. Let us talk about culture shock. I went from finding it easy to make friends to being the biggest outcast. We moved in the middle of the year, not ideal for kids in school. We moved away from the south and east coast, where the culture in the areas we lived was similar to a part of the country that was a polar opposite. I was ridiculed, mocked and bullied for how I spoke (both accent and choice of words). I remember finally making a friend with someone on the bus, and then kids were coming to me telling me she wasn't someone I should hang out with. These same kids didn't seem to want to be my friends so I had a choice to make. They were right. Because of an innocent situation involving a kiss on the cheek, she spread a ridiculous rumor and called my home and left a horrible message on the answering machine. I was in the 5th grade. This was the turning point for my mental health and learning to survive somewhere I didn't belong. Both of my parents stood up for us, my dad was willing to look like the scary giant when needed. There were times he got in the way between me and boys in park and rec programs when they would treat me horribly. My parents always taught us to for ourselves using our words before ever turning to violence. My dad also made me realize that if it was ever absolutely necessary, I could stand up for myself in a physical manner.

You may be thinking, what does this have to do with putting on armor? Trust me, I am getting there. As I got through middle school and high school, I did develop friends that were amazing. Unfortunately I was still a target for harsh treatment and judgment. Looking back, I do know that I did the same thing to the people that did it to me as a way to protect. It was easy to talk ill of the people who treated me badly because it was how I processed it. In many ways, I battled this way of handling problems until my late 20's. The older I get, although I am still a young adult, I have realized the importance of the armor of God. When I look back to the cruel treatment I went through, I know that had I not had the armor of God, I wouldn't be where I am today. I didn't have physical armor back then, I do now in more than one way.

I was introduced to HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) by a friend. Of course the cost of equipment wasn’t something I could afford. I enjoyed it as a hobby and borrowed equipment to learn from the trainers. A Provost in WI came to our team and provided a Master Class. Upon meeting him, he offered to have me sponsored as he thought I would do well in this field. I took him up and he trained me. There was a need to understand the history as well as practicing skills. Practicing not only creates muscle memory, it helps develop an ability to be fight ready in every situation. I had to use both my physical armor and my armor of God.

There is a need for everyone to put on the armor of God. The question is, what does that mean?

Ephesians 6:10-17

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish 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.

The waistband/belt: The waistband is not technically part of the armor. Before the armor can be put on, the waistband is necessary because it gathers the garments underneath together. When sitting down, the waistband/belt would come off. Putting on the belt would signal it was time for action. This belt is the Truth. The belt is symbolic as truth because the belt is used to protect the abdomen and help gather garments. Without the truth to protect us, it is easy to be controlled by worldly ways. The belt of truth puts on the Biblical beliefs that we as Christ-followers are supposed to hold on to as a whole. It is what other passages refer to as putting on the faith. With my HEMA gear, I do not have a belt. I do have straps and puffy pants that help keep garments in place. Without it, the armor would be harder to move in because things wouldn’t be held in place.

The Breastplate: This is an essential part of the armor as the breastplate protects the individual's vital organs. Without the breastplate, a soldier cannot effectively fight against an enemy. Without God’s breastplate of righteousness, we cannot fight against spiritual enemies. The righteousness is not our own. It isn’t even having a feeling of righteousness. The righteousness comes from faith in Jesus. The breastplate of righteousness provides us courage, confidence and awareness of our position. During training sessions, things would get heated and I didn’t always wear my jacket that covered my breastplate. I witnessed a couple of fellow fighters practicing with small swords and daggers. They were sparring with just their breastplates on. One landed a nice thrust with their small sword and had their opponent not had their breastplate on, things would have been a problem. That small sword, even with a protective tip on, went into the breastplate. Imagine what this would be like for us if we didn’t wear our breastplate of righteousness. The dagger of the dark one would thrust and penetrate our hearts.

The Shoes: When I was a little girl, I went barefoot as much as I could. I loved the

feeling of not wearing shoes, even though I loved shoes. The older I got, the harder it was to go without shoes. I cannot imagine what trying to fight barefoot would be. Putting shoes on one’s feet is also a preparation step for battle. Just as we prepare our feet for battle, the gospel provides the footing for everything we do. David Guzik says: “The idea of preparation is really readiness. We must be mobile, flexible, and ready with the truth. This is a place to have in the Christian life, to live in constant readiness and flexibility.” I love shoes, and shoes make a difference when you fight. I practiced in bare feet, wrestling shoes (what i compete in), regular running shoes, etc. The shoes can help you or hurt you if you don;t know what is best for the surface at hand. I witnessed a fellow fighter wearing new shoes for a competition. During a maneuver, his shoe caused his leg to hyperextend and he injured his knee. If we do not wear appropriate footwear, think of the added injuries we could face. If we are not ready to fight at a moment's notice, we could put ourselves in a position to be defeated. Readiness and stability are key.

Shield: Like other aspects of the armor, the shield represents faith. Our faith protects us from arrows and strikes of the wicked. The demonic foes try everything in their power to weaken us into a lack of belief. Not only will the shield protect us from the fiery arrows shot in our direction, it will also distinguish them. The shield isn’t some small shield, but a shield that will protect the body. You may think it would be bulky, or heavy. It is lightweight yet amazingly durable. The reason this shield is necessary is because in ancient times, arrows were shot from all directions, not only to take down the enemy, but also to confuse them. Without our shield of faith, the ways of the world can easily influence and confuse us. We can’t let our guard down and be overtaken.

The Helmet: In the ancient world this usually was a leather cap studded with metal for extra strength. It would have been foolish to go into battle without a helmet just as it would have been foolish to go without the breastplate. The helmet protects the head, another vital part of the body. When we are not mentally ready to battle, when we do not protect our head, we open ourselves up to being manipulated. In my first tournament, I took a hard hit to the head. Even with my helmet on, it rattled me and took me a moment to regroup. I think about what would have happened if I didn’t have my helmet on. How much more rattled and discouraged would I have been? Would I have been able to continue to fight, NO. The Helmet of salvation protects us from discouragement. One of Satan’s most effective weapons against us is discouragement. Satan wants to mess with our heads, to mess with our mental state.

The Sword: The sword provided to us by the Holy Spirit is the Word of God. You may think: that doesn’t make sense; how can a book be a sword.? When I bought my first sword, I literally used money from a karaoke competition I won. I remember after being sponsored and getting my new gear, I struggled with my sword. My gloves I wear to protect my hands were too bulky for the length of handle of my sword. My coach gave me a different sword to use for competitions. I still have that sword and practice with it both swords because being ready and developing muscle memory is key. Just like a fighter practices with their sword cuts and thrusts in preparation for battle, that is how we should look at the Holy Scriptures. Using our Holy Scriptures, studying them and diving into the history, context, culture, and how it relates to us now is what it takes to fight against darkness. Just as a fighter will not be able to thrust or cut properly without practice, we cannot fight darkness without studying and practicing the word. Jesus proved this necessity when he fought Satan in the wilderness. Yes, we can say: “Well Jesus was fully human BUT he was fully divine so it isn’t the same.” It is true he was divine and that helps. He was still human and suffered temptation just as we do. He used the word of God to fight. When Jesus was taken from the world, the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and provided the believers what they needed. This is still happening today. The Holy Spirit gave us a sword to use.

We have been given the gift of all the armor we need. The free will side often keeps us from putting it on. Then, when we are in the heat of battle, we find ourselves crying out to God for protection or help, then getting mad at God when we get hurt. Perhaps we need to practice humility along with everything listed above. We may find that our battles are more easily fought when we get out of our own way.