27th Sunday after Pentecost
Eph 6:1-17
Luke 13:10-17
We all know the prayer to St. Michael. It begins “St Michael, defend us in battle”
Yes, the Christian life is a battle. Think of the war in Ukraine. Think of the war in Israel. Think of World War II. The war we fight may not always appear as violent, it may not look as widespread, but make no mistake. Our souls and the souls of every person on this planet are at stake. In his first Epistle, Peter writes, “Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour”. And in our Epistle, Paul tells us that “we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places”.
But we don’t fight according to our own strength. No. Paul tells us to be strong in the Lord and the power of his might. We can’t be strong in our own abilities. That’s what Eve did in the Garden. That’s what her son, Cain, did in bringing an unacceptable offering to the Lord. They tried to figure things out for themselves and didn’t bother with what God had told them. They didn’t learn the lesson that Solomon later wrote in the book of Proverbs: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding.
But God doesn’t leave us without tools. Using imagery that would’ve been familiar to anybody living the Roman World, He gives us . . ..
The Belt of Truth
The Breastplate of Righteousness
Feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace
The Shield of Faith
The Helmet of Salvation
The Sword of the Spirit - Word of God
The imagery of the Belt of Truth might be a little strange to many of us. Pants were not worn in the Roman world. Men word long robes, not unlike the stikhar I am wearing today. When a man went into battle, he would hike it up, bring the back part through his legs, and secure it with a belt. It would allow the man to move freely without fear of tripping on his robe, falling flat on his faith. And the Belt of Truth gives us that same freedom. When we go into spiritual battle, whether it’s against personal temptation, or against an unseen demonic influence, if we battle from a position of truth, it’s very difficult for the enemy to trip us up with arguments.
The Breastplate, the Shield, and the Helmet all serve a similar purpose. The breastplate protects the torso - specifically the organs, against attack, while the helmet protects the head. And the shield guards the whole body. Righteousness, salvation, and faith are able defenses against the attacks of the devil.
Chrysostom tells us, “As the breastplate is impenetrable, so also is righteousness, and by righteousness here he means a life of universal virtue. Such a life no one shall ever be able to overthrow; it is true, many wound him, but no one cuts through him, no, not the devil himself. It is as though one were to say, having righteous deeds fixed in the breast; of these it is that Christ says, Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled. Thus is he firm and strong like a breastplate. Such a man will never be put out of temper”
St Jerome tells us, “Because of this helmet of salvation all the senses in our head remain intact. It especially protects the eyes. Solomon in Ecclesiastes notes that ‘the eyes of the wise are in the head.’ Paul understood the importance of headship. He knew why the eyes are located in the head. If Christ is the head of a person of faith and ‘the eyes of the wise are in the head,’ it follows that all our senses, mind, thought, speech and counsel (if, that is, we are wise) are in Christ”.
Last, we come to the only weapon in the Armor. The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Now, Paul is not specifically talking about the Bible here. It was more than 300 years before the Church decided what books would, or would not, be considered scripture. Yes, what he’s talking about includes scripture, but it goes beyond that. He wrote to the Thessalonians to hold to all that they’d been taught, whether in writing or word of mouth.
The power of scripture, though, in the spiritual battle is evident in the recounting of our Lord’s temptation. Three times, Satan tempted Him. Each time, he responded by quoting scripture to refuse what Satan offered. Contrast that with Eve. God’s command - the Word of God - was that they were not to eat of the fruit of the tree. When Satan tempted her, though, she responded by adding to it - “you shall not eat of the tree, neither shall you touch it”.
The Word of God that Paul calls the Sword of the Spirit is Holy Tradition - the teaching of the Church. It’s not just Scripture and the Catechism, either. It’s the Liturgy and the prayers. It’s the rhythm of the liturgical seasons, the fasts and the feasts.
During an exorcism, when compelled to tell the truth, a demon told the exorcist-priest that EVERY Hail Mary was like a blow on the head, and that if Christians only knew the power of that prayer, the demons would be defeated. And, as far as the feast go, is there any wonder that every year, as we approach Easter, there are those who try to deny it by saying that it’s really just the feast of a pagan goddess.
There is a similar passage in the Book of Wisdom: “The Lord will take his zeal as his whole armor,and will arm all creation to repel his enemies; he will put on righteousness as a breastplate, and wear impartial justice as a helmet; he will take holiness as an invincible shield, and sharpen stern wrath for a sword, and creation will join with him to fight against the madmen”.
Notice, “The Lord will take his zeal as his whole armor”.
What holds the armor together is zeal.
My brothers and sisters, we are in a battle. God entrusts us to be part of his army. We can be swept away by the currents, or we can each stand and fight. The choice is yours
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