The Armor of God and the Art of War

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At one Army base, the annual trip to the rifle range had been canceled for the second year in a row, but the semi-annual physical fitness test was still on as planned. One soldier mused, "Does it bother anyone else that the Army doesn't seem to care how well we can shoot, but they are extremely interested in how fast we can run?"

We were talking about "putting on the full armor of God" that Paul mentions in Ephesians 6 yesterday and it got me thinking. Armor is worn in battle and we are all in spiritual warfare. Sure, we know that. But what do many of us know of warfare? Sun Tzu writes in the Art of War "So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak." Satan must read Sun Tzu, 'cause he knows this very well. In an all out battle, the enemy can come from all sides, and so we must be prepared. So God gives us indestructable armor.

But the full armor of God has nothing for our back; only our front. The breastplate of righteousness doesn't cover our flank. Would God leave us open to attack from where we least suspect it, where we are weak? I certainly doubt that.

What does Christ say? Would Christ speak of battle? He comes not to bring peace, but the sword. Again, as Sun Tzu says, "Maneuvering with an army is advantageous; with an undisciplined multitude, most dangerous," Y'eshua ha Mashiach gives clear instruction as to how we are to go into battle as one. We are to be One as Christ and the Father are One, and as every kingdom has its army, our King also also gives us our target. One army, one target.
"...upon this rock will I build my assembly [church] and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it." (Matt 16:18)

What does that have to do with protecting our backs? In battle, if you are the one attacked, the enemy may come at you from all sides because if he is smart he has surrounded you. But if you are the one attacking, you have surrounded him, you act as one, stand together and all face the same way, the same target. The Anointed of God, The Salvation of the Lord, is saying we are to attack the Gates of Hell. Gates are items for defense, not offense. I'm sure we have heard that before. We are well to remember it. Ours is to attack, not defend.

We are to surround and storm the gates of hell, the gates that have locked many of our brothers and sisters inside it's walls and Christ came to set the captives free. But hell's minions will also be protecting their spoils of war and in our attack we will come upon much deadly resistance. So we have our armor, the armor of God. Armor on our front, not back, for attack, not retreat.

Satan, that crafty serpent that he is, will not be so foolish as to waste his strength against the armor of God which he knows he cannot break, but knows to attack what is weak. He will deceive you to think that target is different, that your commander is a fool, that your way is folly, that your companions are mindless, that you are invincible. "Pretend to be weak that your opponent may grow arrogant." (Art of War) Why and how does he do this? He will either get you to attack a false target or expose your weaknesses.

Pastor Takeshi Yozawa at TBC noted that we must understand what the breastplate of righteousness means in order for us to don it. A breastplate (pictured at left) is one of those things that knights and soldiers wore (... yes, on their breast) and then after the war would sometimes hang on their wall as a trophy. But it doesn't really do any good there except to show others that you were victorious in battle. (If you were victorious. If you weren't, you can't really invite anyone over to dinner and show off your stylin' armor, can you?)

Righteousness, according to Webster's is "meeting the standards of what is right and just," and the Bible says that God will judge the world in righteousness (Psalm 9:8a). Christ tells us in Matthew,

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matt 22:37-39)

This is righteousness. To love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves. In that order. It is Satan's lie to mix those up; that is his tactic to turning God's army of righteous soldiers into a frantic mess. That we love others more than we love God, we 'love the praise of men more than the praise of God' (John 12:43) But "no one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs - he wants to please his commanding officer." (2 Timothy 2:4) The approval of Man rather than God is idol worship and it's one of Satan's most effective tactics against the army of God.

In an attack, we all face one direction. But with all eyes facing forward, none can see our beloved breastplate of righteousness or our deeds of honor. We would rather it be on our trophyroom wall. As Satan makes us yearn for the approval of Man, we take our breastplate of righteousness from our chest where it guards our heart and we put it on our backs where others may see it and marvel.*

"... should he strengthen his rear, he will weaken his [front]; should he strengthen his left, he will weaken his right; should he strengthen his right, he will weaken his left. If he sends reinforcements everywhere, he will everywhere be weak." (The Art of War)

We become easy prey to attacks on our heart when we remove the breastplate of righteousness from its rightful place. We are attacking, our enemy at our front. Our battle is never to be about deeds of valor, or even about righteousness but about He who makes us righteous. The armor's breastplate of righteousness is something made for, and given to us. It's property of the King, so to speak. It is His righteousness, not ours and is only effective if we wear it as it is to be worn. As protective armor for our enemy to see, not a trophy room show piece for others.

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*We shouldn't be concerned about the honor or valor of others either. "What is that to you? You follow me," is the instruction given us. Help up those who have fallen, but trust the Lord to honor the good deeds done. That is not our purpose, and it is a quick way to die in a skirmish. Keeping our eye on our Commander is the only hope of winning the battle.