As I get older, I have more and more respect for those who were willing to lay down their lives for the freedoms that I have. My Father-In-Love was one of those people. I have no idea what he endured or saw during that time, but we all know the atrocities of war. Not that we know what they went through (we can’t begin to fathom) but we know that they suffered — and were in torment — during their service to us and this country. So, I cherish a shirt that Father-In-Love passed down to my husband. It is a heavy woolen army shirt. Not the battle fatigues that we might envision, but the scratch, heavy garment necessary for protecting a soldier from even the climates that threatened them.
To me, it is a little piece of the story of a brave, brave man — one who was willing to lay down his life for his country and it’s citizens. Thank you, Dad (and all those who served), for your service and this little piece of your story.
Looking at this shirt always makes me think about the battles that my precious Father-In-Love saw. I think about the battle that so many others endured and even lost their lives to. Seeing old photographs and images of various wars, I wonder how we got away from suits of armor that protected everything from the feet and hands to the horse. I wonder how we thought/think that battle fatigues were suitable garments and protection for brave soldiers. But, alas, with armor-penetrating bullets, explosives, and heat-seeking missiles, what real protection is there in battle?
Long before battle fatigues, when things were much simpler and we were less civilized (a little sarcasm there), the battle armor was created. It is difficult to say when this happened. Some historians say it was as early as 1400 b.c. (but this would probably have been made of a hardened leather). Others say it wasn’t until much later (as late as 15 b.c., in fact).
The book of Isaiah references battle armor. It was written approximately 700 years before Christ. “He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.” Isaiah 59:17.
But even coats of armor were not always the best protection. Some suits were made of layers of quilted material. Other types of armor were made of hardened pieces of leather. Then there were those that were made of varying types of metal. The more affluent/important the person, the stronger the metal, and typically, the more ornate the armor.
For those of extreme wealth and/or importance, there was even armor for their horse!
Given the choice, I would think we would all want to put on the armor of a prince if we were going into battle because the king would often have the armor made for his own son. And I would bet that it was even better than his own.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are in a war. A battle has raged for the souls of man since Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden. But, unlike soldiers in traditional battle garb, we have the greatest and strongest armor of all. We don the Armor of God, not mere quilted material or hardened leather. Our armor is constructed of every spiritual tool/weapon that we could ever need.
Ephesians 6:11-13 tells us the importance of clothing ourselves in the Armor of God. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 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. 13 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.”
Ephesians 14-17 then goes on to describe our armor…
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish 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.
The Armor of God is far more than just battle Fatigues.
It starts with the Belt of Truth which was a piece of the armor that was akin to a belt. It had several purposes. We have seen the belts worn by Roman soldiers in old movies. They held up their robe so that their legs didn’t get entangled. The belt also held his sword, dagger, and any other tool he needed for battle. And, it had a leather piece that hung down over his male genitalia as another layer of protection. The Belt of Truth is the truth of God. Jesus is the source of that truth. “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.
The Belt of Truth is to protect the lower part of our torso, carry our weapons, and keep us from tripping or becoming entangled. It is no coincidence that the belt of truth covers that part of our bodies that leads us into sexual immorality. There is arguably no other area that the enemy has focused more on when deceiving mankind than through adultery, homosexuality, bisexuality, etc. And only the truth of God (the Belt of Truth) can keep us from tripping up over the lies that the enemy has sown in the world.
As a breastplate of armor protected a warrior’s vital organs, so the Breastplate of Righteousness protects ours. It protects our life-giving organs. Because Jesus came to give and protect life. But the enemy seeks our destruction and death. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10. The Breastplate of Righteousness protects our heart. Scripture tells us to guard our heart. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23.
Our feet would be shod with the Gospel of Peace. We must consider the feet of an armored soldier when contemplating “having our feet fitted with the gospel of peace”. He wore footwear that typically had points on the bottom (almost like that of a football player’s cleats). Those points were both a weapon and a means to maintain a good grip. While wearing these shoes, the soldier was less likely to slip or fall. The Gospel of Peace keeps us calm in battle. It keeps us sturdy, making it more difficult to push us over or make us fall. And it is a powerful weapon that we can use against the forces of the enemy.
Similar to the shield of an armored soldier, the Shield of Faith is used to protect the body of the warrior. The passage that references the Shield of Faith specifically says that it is not only for protection. But with it, we can extinguish the fiery darts of the enemy. We not only deflect them but extinguish them, making them of no effect whatsoever. The shield also allows us to push back the enemy. When in battle, armored men could use their shields together to not only push back the enemy but to form a barrier with which to protect themselves and their brothers in arms. The Shield of Faith is used in the same way. It forms a barrier against the enemy. When we stand side by side in battle with other soldiers of God, we form a powerful defense of unity.
It is important to note that, unlike the other pieces of armor, God tells us to pick up the Shield of Faith. But we have to choose to pick up the Shield of Faith. The enemy can shoot those fiery darts of doubt at us, but as long as we have faith (our Shield of Faith), his efforts are futile.
The Helmet of Salvation is another piece of our armor. Our heads (thoughts and minds) are a common area of attack of the enemy. But the Helmet of Salvation is impenetrable. The knowledge of our salvation and fact that it cannot be taken from us is a powerful protection against the enemy’s attacks.
Our final piece of armor is the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. The Holy Spirit has given us the Word of God. And there is nothing that it cannot penetrate. Not even the hardest of hearts.
Remember that I said that the armor a king gave to his prince would be the finest armor. Well, we are the children of God. The King of Kings has given us the finest of all armors. It is an armor that protects our lives… even our eternal lives. And we are equipped with a sword that can defeat the enemy in this war for eternal souls when we wield it.
A war rages all around us. It is the battle for the soul of every man, woman, and child who does not know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. And we are the soldiers that God has sent into battle, fully equipped. He hasn’t given us government-issue battle fatigues, but the Armor of God — the finest of armor — and the most powerful of weapons.
But are we willing soldiers? God is seeking soldiers who will go willingly into battle. Will we enlist and go to battle for the eternal souls of our friends, family, and those around us? “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:8. Put on your Armor and FIGHT!
Father God, thank You for our salvation. Thank You for our Savior. And thank You for not sending us into battle in mere battle fatigues. Thank You for equipping us so well (in your armor) for this battle we are in. Here I am, Lord. Send me!
If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, it is not because God doesn’t want you. He offers salvation to everyone. He loves you and wants a personal relationship with you. God wants an intimate relationship with you and to adopt you as His own beloved child. All that God asks is that you pray a simple prayer, from the bottom of your heart. A prayer like the one found on our Life Preserver page (https://forgiven-n-loved.com/life-preserver/). Please go to this page and pray the prayer that is outlined there. And, once you have, reach out to me at admin@Forgiven-N-Loved.com and let me know. I’d love to be in prayer with and for you.
Luv Ya!
