The Christian Soldier
DAY EIGHT
PONDER THIS ENGRAVING
MEDITATE ON THESE VERSES
2 Corinthians 10:4 | 1 Timothy 1:18 | 1 Peter 5:8, 9 | Ephesians 6:14-17 | I Corinthians 9:26 | 2 Timothy 2:3 | Ephesians 6:11
And having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:13
POETIC REFLECTION
The Christian hero here has made his stand,
Obedient to his Captain’s great command;
In panoply divine, equipped complete,
No danger dreads, no foe he fears to meet;
Truth wove the girdle that his loins adorn,
This bears him seathless through the battle’s storm.
A sense of pardon guards each vital part,
And forms the Breastplate that defends his heart.
For brazen Greaves, obedience he takes,
Through thorny paths, his onward progress makes.
”Hope of Salvation” is his helmet fair;
Though oft perplexed, it saves him from despair.
He wields, and not in vail a trusty sword,
A right good blade it is, Jehovah’s word;
The Spirit’s weapon ‘t will each knot untie,
Each foe disarm, and make Apollyon fly;
O’er all the rest he grasps Faith’s mighty shield.
And onward rushes to the battle-field.
DEVOTION OF INTERPRETATION
As soon as one enlists himself as a soldier of Jesus Christ, that moment the world becomes his enemy. It happens to him as it fell out to the Gibeionites; when they make peace with Joshua, the neighboring nations were highly offended, and said to one another, “Come, let us unite our forces that we may smite Gibion, for it hath made peace with Joshua, and with the children of Israel.”
But there are other foes, more mighty and fearful, against whom he has to contend. Satan, after 6,000 years’ practice in the art of destroying souls, is a powerful opponent. “He goeth about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour;” for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, merely, but “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of the world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” “Wherefore,” on this account, “take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
There are two kinds of armor, of offensive and defensive; one to attack the foe, the other to protect ourselves. It is remarkable that but one weapon is mentioned by the Apostle as belonging to the offensive kind, viz.: the sword; all the rest are defensive. Among the Crecian warriors there were at least nine different weapons with which they assailed their enemies, yet the Apostle thinks that for the Christian this is enough.
The Captain of our salvation has provided us with all that is necessary for the Christian warfare. Is our head exposed to the assaults of the devil? He has furnished us with a “helmet” to guard it; this is called, in another place, the hope of Salvation. This good hope prepares the soldier for the warfare, upholds him in it, and brings him off a conqueror. Is the heart liable to be pierced? There is a breastplate provided to protect it; it is the breastplate of Righteousness; this is a consciousness not only of his own sincerity, but also of his favorable acceptance with God. He feels that he is honest in his profession of attachment to the Savior, and that Christ, his Captain, acknowledges him for a true solder.
The feet being exposed to injuries a pair of brass boots are given to protect them. It would not have answered any good purpose to protect the head, oftentimes, unless the feet likewise were provided for. If the feet were wounded , the soldier could not stand to fight the foe; neither could he pursue him if conquered. The greaves simply prompt obedience to the Captain’s command ; with this, rough places become as plain, and the crooked as straight.
The girdle is given to keep the rest of the armor in its place, and to strengthen the loins. “Truth” accomplishes this for the Christian soldier. By this he discovers who are his enemies, their mode of attack, and the best way to resist them. A shield also is provided; it is called the shield of faith, by which he is able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. Finally, a sword is put into his hands; with this he is to inflict deadly wounds on all his foes; it is called the Sword of the Spirit, because the Word of God was inspired by the Holy Spirit. “Wherewithal shall a young man cleans his way but by taking heed thereto according to thy word?” By the clear instruction, by the powerful motives, and by the glorious encouragement of the Word of God, the Christian soldier puts all his foes to flight.
Barber, John Warner, 1798-1885. Bible Looking Glass: Reflector, Companion and Guide to the Great Truths of the Sacred Scriptures, and Illustrating the Diversities of Human Character, and the Qualities of the Human Heart.
Philadelphia, Bradley, Garretson & Co., 1861