DRESSED FOR SUCCESS

August 22, 2021
13th Sunday after Pentecost
1 Kings 8:22-30, 41-43; Ps. 84; Eph. 6:10-20; John 6: 56-69
Rev. Denise Clark-Jones

“Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” It sounds like a battle cry for the Taliban. The biggest news story of the past week has been about the Taliban’s victory over the Afghanistan government with the taking of the capital city, Kabul. The Afghani who do not subscribe to the same interpretation of Islam fear, and rightfully so, there will be mass executions for those who are seen as enemies to their cause, and women and girls will be forced back into a life of servitude to men with no personal freedoms. But violence masquerading as religious righteousness is nothing new in the history of world religions, including Christianity. In the Middle Ages we had the Crusades, then the execution of other Christians accused of heresy or witchcraft. In the 20^th century, the German Church allied with Hitler and supported the genocide of Jews and others considered unworthy of the “master race.” But the Christian message as expressed by the author of Ephesians was no call to arms, rather it was an entreaty for peaceful resistance to the militance of the Roman Empire that maintained its power by violence and terror. Though the letter to the Ephesian church called for peaceful, not passive resistance. Using Roman military armor as metaphors, the author expressed Paul’s vision of the Christian church at its best when it resisted the Empire’s values and stood firm in its allegiance to Christ’s kingdom values.

A breastplate, shield, and helmet are each used for defense; they are not offensive weaponry. The only offensive weapon mentioned is a sword. Here the sword is not the soldier’s, but God’s. The sword is not a literal sword, but the spirit of God which is manifested in God’s Word. The original audience would have easily recognized these images as pieces of a Roman soldier’s outfit. At the time the letter was written, a Roman soldier was the literal and metaphorical description of power in the life of the early Christians. The author was following an established tradition of using military analogies. Greek philosophers spoke of the “armor of reason” and of using “words as swords” rather than physical violence to settle disputes.

The articles of a soldier’s outfit are paired with abstract, theological terms: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and Spirit. These are words we have heard in the last 5 chapters of Ephesians these past few weeks. Now, in the final chapter, the author sums them all up in a concise directive. The imagery and vocabulary the author uses, come from the Old Testament, especially the book of Isaiah. In Isaiah, the coming Messiah is not a mighty warrior-king, but a “suffering servant” king. Isaiah prophesized: “Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.” (Isa. 11:5) By conveying a very different purpose for these articles of a military outfit when worn by a faithful member of Christ’s church, the author was making a subversive political statement as well as commending Christian virtues. The empire’s ways are not God’s ways. The author makes it clear that the enemy of a Christian is not other children of God, “the blood and flesh,” it is against “the rulers, the authorities, and the forces of evil” that corrupt us into making enemies of our brothers and sisters.

The call for Christians to stand firm in the faith is not permission for being wedded to an opinion. The refusal to listen to different perspectives and to seek new revelations renders a Christian unable to learn, discern and grow in the faith. It has been pointed out that there are Christians who refuse to wear a mask during this pandemic because they trust God to protect them but need to carry a gun to shop at Walmart. Standing firm, according to one biblical commentator “means that one is willing to debate, listen and consider alternatives so they might reach a beneficial goal, while at the same time not sacrificing basic principles. Martin Luther King Jr. was resolute in his insistence on nonviolent protest. Margaret Sanger, the twentieth-century suffragette, was unyielding in her pursuit of women’s rights. Nelson Mandela was laser-focused and determined to end apartheid.”  (Archie Smith, Jr. Feasting on the Word, p. 376) Being a Christian means standing firm in loving God and loving neighbor and being open to God’s mercies, which are wider than our own.

A Christian is to resist the evils of the world.  The “evil day” that the author of Ephesians encourages Christians to withstand is death. “Withstand” in this case does not mean to resist – we will all die a physical death.” Here, “withstand” means to endure beyond death, facing it with the courage that God has all we leave behind on earth in hand. How we live our lives gives us the peace to let go because we have trusted God to give us the strength to stand against evil. We trust God will continue to prevail against evil, allowing us to go unafraid into God’s waiting arms. We have the confidence to imitate Christ day by day because we know the battle against evil – even death—has already been won in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus was unchangeable in his opposition against the powers of the empire and the evil humanity wrought, even willingly submitted to death on a cross; yet God freed him from his death chamber in resurrection and then lifted him up to life eternal. God’s gift to humanity, God’s Word Incarnate, is the living gift that keeps on giving.

If “truth” is like a belt, it wraps around you. You cannot escape it, yet you are the one that has chosen to put it around yourself. It may be seen or felt as confining, but it is supporting and uplifting. We are to put on “a breastplate of righteousness.” A breastplate covers the most vulnerable area of the body in an attack. Paul often uses “righteousness” to indicate ethical behavior, more specifically the kind of behavior that pleases God which gives us that “helmet of salvation.” Christ is our model for righteous living. Adhering to Christ’s commission to his disciples protects us from the onslaught of worldly temptations which lead to spiritual death.

We are instructed by these words to put on peace as we would a pair of shoes. “As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.” (Eph. 6:15) Shoes protect us so that we can walk out into the world with our tender feet protected from the weather and the surfaces of our paths that would otherwise inflict injury. The Roman soldiers wore quite distinctive and ornate sandals, unlike the simple leather ones peasants wore. Yet, the unpretentious leather sandals sufficed to go anywhere the early Christians were sent to spread Christ’s gospel. They were sturdy and durable, while also flexible and comfortable. When we work for peace, we must be prepared to walk long distances.

The letter goes on to say: “With all of these, take the shield of faith.” (v.16) For a soldier, a shield does not stop the arrows from being shot at them, but its position can be moved to protect the life of the body. In the same way, faith does not keep bad things from happening to us, but it safeguards us when misfortune would otherwise destroy us. And, with that shield, the ancient congregational letter advises us to “take the helmet of salvation.” (v.17) It is hard for us to grasp the theological concept of salvation. This is what the gospel promises us Christ came to give us. Salvation is forgiveness, healing, the peace of relationship with God and eternal life all rolled into one. Salvation is essential to the life we were created to live and must be protected. The knowledge of salvation is never to be used as a weapon but to be shared as the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Finally, the author of Ephesians advises carrying the “sword of the Spirit.” The sword is the only item of a soldier’s gear used in this passage that actively does something. Note that this sword is God’s Holy Spirit, not man-made. Its power is focused on one target – evil. Without a sword, the soldier is unable to do more than endure the blows of evil. With the sword, which is forged by God, the Christian soldier can go on the offensive against evil forces.

The Roman Empire, like all empires before or since, was ruled by military might and economic superiority. God rules with truth and righteousness. The Empire threatens war, but God offers peace. The Empire puffs itself up with propaganda. God speaks the truth. The Empire brandishes the sword, God wields the Word as a weapon against evil. Through Jesus Christ, we can be disciples dressed for success in God’s kingdom.

The fight for justice and the defense of human dignity is waged in simple, everyday acts of resistance to evil. Rosa Parks was a black working woman who refused to move to the back of the bus when ordered to leave the seat reserved for whites only. She was tired and just wanted to get home to rest from her labors, but she refused to move, withstanding insults, arrest, and the threat of bodily harm. This pervasive evil, racism, was resisted by black schoolchildren who stood up to racist bullies and walked through the doors of formerly “whites only” schools. Sadly, the evils of bigotry and injustice against our black and brown brothers and sisters, our “blood and flesh,” continues and has even been refueled with nationalism and insistence on white supremacy.

The author of the letter to the Ephesian church urges the church to stand together against the forces of evil in its government and society. An army is stronger than a single soldier. The Church is called to be the army that goes into battle with evil, armed with Holy Spirit and dressed in the defensive gear Christ used in his own confrontations with the evils of this world. As the body of Christ in the world, the church, with each of its individual members, is enlisted and commissioned for service in baptism. Westminster has joined forces with many other Presbyterian churches, presbyteries, and synods to be a “Matthew 25” congregation. In so doing, we acknowledge our shared value – to follow Christ’s directive to ‘feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, take care of the sick, and visit the imprisoned.’

The author of Ephesians encourages the congregation to “keep alert.” Choosing not to look at injustice and need, shackles us to our own egos and holds us back from correcting injustice and healing lives broken by need. The author commends prayer as an offense against evil. King Solomon, in his prayer at the consecration of the temple in Jerusalem, prayed not just for Israel, but “Likewise when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel.” He prayed that the Jews’ hospitality shown to foreigners who came to Israel would reveal God’s loving-kindness and inspire these foreigners to know and love God. When we pray as a congregation for all the world, we are “putting on the armor of God to protect God’s kingdom in the world.

Speaking to crowds, Jesus warned that the battle would not be easy and many replied that what he was asking was too difficult and turned away. But some, like Peter, saw no alternative that would give them the quality of life, the salvation, and eternal life they sought. The sword of God’s Holy Spirit empowers us to leave this sanctuary and enter the fray of competing values that are not life-giving. With that kind of protection, evil may win a few skirmishes from time to time but ultimately will not defeat us.

Amen. May it be so!

1. Archie Smith, Jr. “Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary.”
   David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor eds. Westminster John Knox Press. Louisville, KY. 2008 p. 376)

© Rev. Denise Clark-Jones, 2021, All Rights Reserved
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“Why am I a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church?  Two words keep  floating up in a rather persistent way  –  “home” and  “family” – and I realized that it is an inescapable fact that is what this church means to me. During my 40 years here, so many life events have happened and Westminster has been there for me through all those times – good and bad.    It has been my home and family.  They say “home is where the heart is” and I’ve found the heart of Westminster to be as open and warm as a family’s!”