The Rev. Dr. John Tamilio III, Pastor
© 2024, Dr. Tamilio
I
Put on the whole armor of God.
When I hear that verse from Ephesians, I think of the hymn that we are going to sing in just a bit: “Onward Christian Soldiers.” This hymn doesn’t appear in our hymnal, nor is it published in most modern songbooks, because in the eyes (or better yet the ears) of many, it is too militaristic. As Camilla Klein recently wrote, “Despite its enduring popularity, the hymn has also been criticized for its association with imperialism and militarism. Some have argued that the song’s triumphalist tone and language of warfare are at odds with the message of peace and love that is at the heart of the gospel.”[1]
This is a valid concern. I, for one, am a great supporter of our nation’s military and I support our veterans 110%, but I abhor violence and am a follower of a religion of peace. We would do our faith well if we were to see military action as a necessary evil at best. I wish we lived in a world where everyone got along — one in which all people lived together in peace. I do. That is my prayer. But that is not the case. We must be prepared to defend ourselves and the freedoms we enjoy. I applaud the men and women who have signed up to do that.
“Onward Christian Soldiers” was written in 1865, right at the end of the Civil War.[2] It was published six years later and became the processional song for the Salvation Army (of all denominations). The song “resonated with the military and was used as a recruiting tool during World War I and II.”[3] I would assume that any soldier facing combat has to believe that he or she is fighting for a just cause — one that aligns with truth, justice, liberty, and, of course, righteousness. That was certainly the case with World War II. What would have happened if we didn’t join the Allied Forces in the fight against Hitler?
Although it should always be a last resort, there are times when fighting is the only way to stop the spread of evil. Also, no one can fault any individual or nation who must use force to defend themselves against a violent attacker.
II
We should never celebrate violence, but we must always be ready when it rears its ugly head. To some extent, that is what the reading from Ephesians is about. We need to put on the armor of God to defend ourselves against the ultimate enemy — the one who wants our souls. Let’s take a moment to inventory that armor, though. There are six pieces:
- The belt of truth.
- The breastplate of righteousness.
- The shoes of the Gospel of peace.
- The shield of faith.
- The helmet of salvation.
- The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
Belts hold up your pants (we all know that), but they also provide you with support and the ability to carry other items. The belt of truth signifies that we are bolstered by the truth: upheld by God’s truth. That belt is our support regardless of the difficulties we face. It keeps us centered. It keeps us standing tall.
The breastplate of righteousness. A breastplate protects your most vulnerable organ: your heart. People who practice shooting at targets shaped as human bodies always aim for heart not the head. Police officers sometimes wear bulletproof vests, not bulletproof headgear. Our hearts keep us alive. We need to protect them, and, in God’s army, we do so with righteousness. Clarence L. Haynes, Jr. writes, “A righteous person is a moral, upright person who follows or does what is right.”[4] Do we not say that our morality, our sense of right and wrong is centered in our hearts? But it is more than that. Haynes also reminds us that “God’s righteousness means that He is perfectly just, holy, and fair in all His actions and decisions.”[5] That is the righteousness that surrounds and protects us.
The shoes we are to wear are the Gospel of peace. Again, this is a reminder that we are to strive for peace, not war, violence, or bloodshed. The Gospel is about peace. It is about a Savior who taught us to “turn the other cheek” and to “pray for those who persecute” us. Being our shoes, they help us forge the path that seeks harmony and reconciliation — every step, every day.
The shield of faith is more than a breastplate. A breastplate, as we said, protects the heart. A shield is far wider. It protects our entire body against an immediate assault. Our shield is our faith. Our faith protects us from assaults that skepticism and doubt throw at us. There is no shortage of that. There is no end to the proliferation of evil that surrounds us like fog and temps us to forfeit what we believe to today’s popular ideology.
Let’s not forget the helmet: one of the most important pieces of armor. Athletes wear them as well. “They keep your melon from getting squashed,” as an old hockey coach of mine used to say. Our helmet is our very salvation. That promise should reverberate through our heads constantly. The mind remembers all kinds of information. It is a storehouse of ideas. The fact that we have been saved from sin by Jesus is the greatest thought we have. We need to relish and share that!
Finally, we have the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. A sword is both an offensive and a defensive weapon. It inflicts injuries and protects us from them. Footnote: if you’ve never seen the movie The Princess Bride, do yourself a favor and watch it as soon as possible. This modern fairytale contains the most exquisite sword duel you will ever see. It makes the swashbuckling of Erol Flynn look like child’s play. But I digress… Being the Word of God, this “sword” will either defend or attack. It will give hope to the downtrodden and fear to the purveyors of wickedness. (You know, those who commit and encourage evil behavior should be afraid!) We can withstand any attack, as long as we protect our entire being with the Word of God.
III
This is not a sermon that celebrates militarism. I am not glorifying violence in any way. We must be cautious of using such metaphors to explain our faith.
But it is a suitable image for those who know that there are times when we need to defend the faith. Systematic theology refers to this practice as apologetics. This is not a synonym for apology, as in to be sorry. It means to protect the faith from attack, from heresy. Nowadays it means to not be ashamed of our faith, which culture sees as a passé myth.
Oh yeah, and in terms of that hymn we are about to sing… We are “Christian soldiers marching as to war.” That war, as Paul also tells us in today’s reading, “is not against flesh and blood [in other words, it is not a physical conflict against other people], but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Enemies of the faith are everywhere. Some of them hold positions of authority: be it political, economic, or ideological. Some of it crawls out of the mire of evil. There is no shortage of anti-Christian rhetoric, especially in Massachusetts, which is one of the most nonreligious states in the United States. According to one survey, “only 33% of adults” in Massachusetts identify as “’highly religious.’”[6] The same survey says that in Boston, “new belief systems and values dominate the city, shifting people away from religion.”[7]
Christianity is no longer popular. We can no longer take our faith for granted. As many-a-church-scholar has said, “The Church is only one generation away from becoming extinct.” We — you and I — we are being asked more than ever to defend the faith.
We must always make sure that we cover ourselves with the full armor of God. Amen.
[1] Camilla Klein, “Discovering the Meaning of ‘Onward Christian Soldiers Marching as to War,’” taken from Christian Educators Academy (online). Published July 30, 2024.
[2] Much of this information comes from the above article.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Clarence L. Haynes, Jr., “3 Truths to Know about the Righteousness of God,” taken from Bible Study Tools (online). Published/Updated July 5, 2024.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Taken from World Population Review (online). Published 2024.
[7] Ibid.