Stand Firm Therefore!

Sermon for Proper 16 B (RCL), Offered by Nathan Ferrell at HS, Bellmawr & St. Luke’s, Westville

Texts: 1 Kings 8:22-30,41-43; Psalm 84; Ephesians 6:10-20; John 6:56-69

I have heard of a prominent African-American preacher on the radio who started one of his sermons by warning his congregation that he didn’t want to see any Christian streakers running around that church! He went on the explain that Christian streakers are folks who wear only the helmet of salvation and nothing else. That is, they think about what it means to live in Christ but they do not put on the whole armor of God to cover their entire bodies.

Well, today is our chance, my dear friends, to make sure that we are not embarrassed by being scantily clothed! Today is our opportunity to look together in close detail at St. Paul’s famous exhortation to put on the whole armor of God. This really is a fun passage of scripture. Rarely are we given such a clear metaphor around which we can thoroughly wrap our minds. But today we are given this in St. Paul’s description of the whole armor of God.

What are we to think about this metaphor? St. Paul clearly is suggesting that those of us who live as Christians in the world need protection. Protection from spiritual forces of evil. Remember where St. Paul is when this is written. He is “an ambassador in chains”. He is being held in prison by the Roman authorities, and the context here suggests that he spent much time watching the Roman soldiers guarding the prison. The common Roman armor was well-known to Paul and it served as very clear example for his hopes and prayers for the community of disciples who received his letters.

What are the parts of the typical Roman armor? How does St. Paul lay these out in order?

First we begin with the belt of truth.
We shouldn’t think here of a belt needed to hold up baggy pants, but rather a thick, strong belt like the kind that weightlifters wear to protect their lower backs and their abdomen. This kind of belt holds your “guts” in place; it keeps everything together.
The truth of the gospel provides this kind of support for us. When we are under pressure, under attack, the truth that we know deep in our gut can help us to stand.

What comes next in the armor list? …The breastplate of righteousness. Let’s remember what righteousness is, because this is a word that is sorely misunderstood by many. In the New Testament, righteousness means true, inner goodness. It means that which makes someone truly right on the inside. The breastplate protects the heart and all the vital organs of the torso. This breastplate protects the heart of the believer, filled with goodness and love in the one who is connected in a living relationship with the Lord of life.

And so we move along in this apostolic list. What piece of armor is next? …Shoes for the feet. And not just any old shoes, but those things that make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. The word used here suggests military boots or sandals that would prepare a soldier for a long march. To strive for justice and peace among all people requires long-term commitment, a willingness to persevere in seeking reconciliation in every situation. As St. Paul encouraged elsewhere: “As far as it is possible, be at peace with all people” (Romans 12:18).

And what is it next that the apostle says we must take? The shield of faith. And why do we need this shield? The one referred to here in the original Greek is the large full-body shield used by the soldiers in battle. Flaming arrows were commonly used in battle, and these large shields, covered as they were in thick leather, could withstand such attacks without burning. Likewise then, faith, trust, confidence in the living God allows us to withstand waves of doubt and despair which so often fall upon us.

And with the shield, we need something to protect our heads. What is this called? The helmet of salvation. As we all know, it is with the mind that we think, that we make decisions. And these decisions that we make often have far-reaching consequences. We need to protect our mind, protect our ability to make wise decisions, so that we are led astray by the foolishness of this world.

But so far, we still have one hand free. Our defensive hand is set with the shield of faith. But our other hand is available for counter-attack. And what is it that we need to do this? The sword of the Spirit. And what is the sword of the Spirit? It is the word of God.

Did you hear what our Lord taught today in our gospel reading?
“The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life” (Jesus in John 6:63). The disciples of the Lord have always clung to the clear teachings of Jesus and the apostles, and to the Psalms, to provide light in the darkness, to show a clear direction when we are confused by diverging voices whispering in our ears.

And so with our two hands we can both defend and attack. With the shield of faith, we are prepared to defend ourselves against despair and hopelessness. And with the sword of the Spirit, we are equipped to be on the offensive, to push back against the evil powers that corrupt and destroy the creatures of God through hatred, greed, pride and violence.

But look now! Now that we are arrayed in this whole armor of God, what is it that the apostle calls us to do? Pray in the Spirit, he says. Keep alert, and pray. It would be foolish to say that our physical efforts to do good are not necessary, but we are well reminded that our task is and will always be first and foremost a spiritual one.

Notice please that St. Paul specifically mentions more than once the importance of utilizing the whole armor of God. Not just one or two pieces, but the entire arrangement. This emphasis is clearly intentional. All of these items work together in concert to achieve the singular goal of preparing us to survive and thrive within the human society around us.

There is no question about the outcome of events, about the general arc of the universe toward justice: Christ has already defeated the spiritual forces of wickedness through the cross, but our direct struggle continues on a daily basis. Although we are not of this world, we must live in it. We must continue to work and labor as part of this fallen human society. We must work and pray in the Spirit, and if we do this, we will be able to stand firm and endure to the end.

But please note that the apostle is not being triumphalistic here. St. Paul asks for the church’s prayers for boldness to declare the message, for which he is an ambassador in chains. To live in chains in a Roman prison was a horrible punishment. The weight of these heavy chains and the manner in which they were fastened on the prisoner caused great pain and often led to permanent damage of the limbs or the spine.

Dirty, malnourished, in great physical pain – this is the state in which the apostle Paul finished his days here on earth. But do you know how we can tell that he was not a hypocrite? How we can know that he took his own words to heart? Do you know how we can be sure that the breastplate of righteousness guarded the stirrings of his heart, that the helmet of salvation guarded his thoughts, that he was always ready to share the gospel of peace?

Even though he sat there suffering in pain, the apostle knew that those Roman soldiers outside of his cell, those soldiers who whipped him and put the chains on him – they were not his enemy! And whenever he had the chance, he spoke with them about the love of God for them in Jesus the Messiah. No root of bitterness ever grew up in his heart. No plan for revenge was ever sanctioned in his mind. No amount of pain could quench the fire of divine love that burned in his soul.

We would do well, my friends, if we too could guard ourselves in this same way, and prepare ourselves to struggle against those evil energies that draw us away from the love of God, and against those false voices that call us away from the words of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Let us stand firm together in the strength of the Lord. Amen.