The Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost - The Rev. Colette Hammesfahr

 Ephesians 6:10-20

Our son, Nicholas, is a Forsyth County, Georgia, deputy sheriff. Every day, like thousands of other law enforcement officers, he puts on his bulletproof vest when he gets ready for work. A piece of body armor that, when a moving object, such as a bullet, hits it, will absorb the impact and dispense the energy as it hits, protecting the person from injury.

In 2003, two police officers were killed while wearing vests made by the company Second Chance Body Armor. It turns out that their Zylon vests lost their ballistic capability when exposed to hot and humid weather. A whistleblower claimed that the company knew their Zylon vests were defective. Second Chance Body Armor settled a lawsuit with the U.S. Government and agreed to pay $66 million. They filed for bankruptcy, and the company was ultimately liquidated.

We’ve been reading Paul’s letter to the churches in Ephesus for the past several weeks. It’s said that this letter was written while Paul was under house arrest, although scholars are not sure that Paul wrote this letter. The first part of the letter introduces the church to God’s grace. The second part of the letter, what we’ve been reading these past few weeks, encouraged the churches in Ephesus to live according to God’s gifts and to live in unity with one another.

Paul writes that one of the gifts God gives us is the armor of God – the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of peace, the shield of faith,

the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit. All these things were what a Roman soldier would wear to protect himself.

The leather belt was where the soldier hung his sword and secured his tunic and armor so he would be unimpeded in battle. The breastplate was the primary piece of armor for the soldier. Made of metal and leather, it protected his vital organs. Boots were worn to protect the feet of the soldiers as they ran into battle. The shield was made of wood on an iron frame. It was often covered with linen and hide, and during battle, the soldiers would wet it to absorb the flaming arrows being shot at them. The soldier’s helmet was metal and heavy. It was lined with felt or sponge to protect their head. Swords were short and used for personal combat. It’s the only piece of offensive equipment worn by the soldier. This is the armor of a Roman soldier.

For some, this military imagery can be complicated. The church is supposed to profess peace, civility, and non-violence. But it’s important to know that Paul says we are not putting on this armor to protect us from one another. This armor given to us by God protects us from our spiritual enemies.

The belt of truth is about integrity and sincerity. It is about receiving and sharing forgiveness. The belt of truth is about the truth of God’s Word. Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). By trusting in Jesus and following his teachings, we are living out the truth.

The breastplate of righteousness helps us to make choices in our lives that align with God. It empowers us to stand up for what is right in our communities and the world. It’s not something we earn. It comes to us freely from God. We are made right by God’s redeeming actions through Christ.

On our feet, we wear shoes that allow us to go out and proclaim the gospel of peace. The gospel of peace empowers us to practice forgiveness, reconciliation, and peacemaking. Through our words and actions, we become the hands and feet of Jesus in the world today.

We carry the shield of faith. We trust in the promises God has made to us. Trust and faith allow us to remain steady and confident even when things in our lives are being turned upside down. Faith helps us overcome our fears and trust that God will always walk alongside us.

The helmet of salvation represents the gift given to us when Jesus died on the cross. We are saved and we don’t have to do anything for it. All we have to do is hold on to the gift and share the good news of that gift with others.

The sword of the spirit is not a weapon to harm but a powerful tool. It is the word of God. Scripture guides our decisions, and it strengthens our faith.

And with all of our armor on, Paul tells us to pray. Keep alert and pray for others, not just ourselves. Pray for those who have died before us. All of this armor

Paul tells us about is a gift given to us by God. It’s not something we need to worry about finding in our closet or picking out to put on each day.

The Second Chance Body Armor company had a defect in their product that took the lives of police officers. Reliable body armor is essential for a police officer’s physical safety. I pray that every day when Nicholas puts on that bulletproof vest if there is an incident where it needs to protect him, it will. I pray that there is no flaw and it will work as intended. As humans, we put a lot of time, money, and technology into protecting our bodies -- seatbelts and airbags in our cars, helmets for riding our bikes, new padding for football players, safety equipment for infants, and so on. These innovations are wonderful things. They protect us and our loved ones and allow us to live safer, healthier, and longer lives.

Imagine how our lives would be different if we put the same trust and interest into refining our spiritual armor -- our armor of God. How our lives would be different if we put more time into getting our pieces of God’s armor into better shape. Sometimes, we forget or don’t have faith in God’s armor and rely on other things that cannot provide us true safety – our own abilities, wealth, and social status. Only the Armor of God offers complete, reliable protection against our daily spiritual battles.

I’d like you to think about your armor of God. What parts are in good shape? What parts might be moldy or rusty? What parts do you rely on most?

St. Patrick wrote a prayer called St. Patrick’s Breastplate. It’s a lengthy prayer, but there is a shortened version called Christ With Me. It’s a prayer about Christ’s continued protection, wisdom, and guidance – the armor of God.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me. Amen.