The Whole Armour of God

"Put on the full armour 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 6: 13)
 

Most Bible commentators believe that Paul wrote this letter while imprisoned in Rome.  Paul certainly did not consider imprisonment to be defeat and we know that sometimes much blessing came from these times.  What it probably did do was give him opportunity to look closely at a Roman soldier's uniform and perhaps to discuss with a soldier what they would wear into battle.

Of all the different parts of armour  mentioned in the next two verses, one is more difficult to understand. It is "feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace" (Eph 6:13 NIV)  Some commentators imagine that Paul was referring to the greaves or metal shin protectors.  While this is an important piece of armour, for a sword blow to the legs could immobilise a soldier leaving him vulnerable, it does not fit well with the New Testament Greek.  Paul is specific about feet not shins.  The term for fitted also appears in the New Testament referring to putting on sandals.  Roman soldiers wore sandals (sometimes with metal studs).  These needed to be well fitted if the soldier was to stand firm in a fight.

Over the last few months I have suffered with a condition called Plantar Fasciliitis.  It is a painful condition in the heel, making it very uncomfortable to walk any distance or even to stand sometimes.  More than ever before I am being very careful to wear appropriate padded shoes.  I feel I now understand Paul's concern about footwear!  Any soldier with restricted mobility could be easily cut down and would become a point of weakness in the ranks.

The remainder of the verse is also difficult.  It isn't so much a readiness to proclaim the gospel, but a readiness that results from the gospel, to withstand the enemy's cunning attacks,  If we have confidence in this wonderful message of God's divine intervention on our behalf, bringing forgiveness for our sin and assurance of eternal life, then it will be hard indeed for the enemy to knock us off such a firm footing.

One aspect of our ministry is to help those who profess faith in Christ to understand and have confidence in the gospel of Christ.  I am saddened by the fact that many who attend church regularly seem to lack a deep, joyful grasp of the gospel that brings us peace with God and peace in God.  Our "No Ordinary Man" project has been one way in which we have sought to address that.

Hopefully, you are standing, well fitted as a result of this good news of Jesus so that you can stand firm under attack.

Looking Ahead Through May
In his letters to the churches Paul repeatedly encourages prayer.  Looking at how busy this month is going to be I certainly encourage your prayers please.  This Sunday after the morning meeting at Yelvertoft Congregational Church (Northants)  I hope to set off for East Sussex in time for the Prayer Meeting at Herstmonceux.  The main reason for this trip is to collect the final car load of stationery and other items from the former offices of Action for Christ.  A large amount of the items in the office found new homes with other Christian organisations and churches and we are mostly left with archived material and stationery which is being stored temporarily in our home.

I have to remain in Sussex to attend an early morning appointment in Buxted before returning home.  I am a trustee of a property and land left in a will to Mission for Christ.  Both the house and the land have been neglected and there are no funds in the estate to maintain them.   If anyone knows a Christian entrepreneur or developer in the south-east of England and who might be interested in a project I would love to hear from them.

I return to the East Midlands on Tuesday in time for my regular work in HMP Gartree, following which I will take the train to London, ready for a day teaching on safeguarding at the Salvation Army Training College on Wednesday'

On Thursday 7th Doreen and I will be back in Yelvertoft for our inter-church Bible Discussion meeting. On Saturday 9th  Doreen and I will travel to Peterborough where I will take part in the Congregational Federation's National Assembly.  Back home that evening ready for ministry in Yelvertoft on Sunday morning.  As you will see it is an intensive week.

For the rest of the month every Sunday is booked including a service at HMP Gartree.  In the week commencing Sunday 10th May there are two days of school visits and a Fresh Expressions Rural Round Table in London, and a Messy Church on the Saturday.

Among other activities of the week commencing 17th May there is a meeting of the Churches Rural Group and a wedding to take.  The pattern continues to the end of the month.  Being this busy is not wise but sometimes hard to avoid.  I value your prayers that I will make/find time for quality time with God and also with Doreen.  Pray for safety in travelling, wisdom in all my dealings, and God's blessing on ministry in his name.

Also towards the end of the month my colleague Monica will have further tests following the initial course of radiotherapy.  Click here for more details.

Requests for help from rural and small churches come in regularly and at the present time we have been working with four churches on mission and evangelism.

Image and Reputation of Your Church
This Resource Paper I mentioned in the last Blog post has been well received.  You can see and/or download the article here.  Thank you to all who provided feedback.

How is the work supported?
There has been some response already to what was written last week, for which I am very grateful.  Our main concern at this time is for Monica as she is off work because of the brain tumour.  Over the years she has had a strong band of supporters, but while Monica has focused a lot of her time on work in Obambo, Kenya, her own support  for her ministry in the UK has declined.  The trustees are seeking to keep her on full stipend but this will only be possible if there is growth in her support base.  We value your prayers.Click here for more information.

Thank you very much for your kind fellowship with us.

Barry