Religious plurality in our day and age requires us to be sensitive in the use of military analogies and pictures. Some in the Christian circles think that hymns like UMH 513 "Soldiers of Christ, Arise" [original 12 verses for this hymn], UMH 717 " The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and the like should be excised because of their military metaphors and violent overtones. They bring to mind the Crusades of the Dark Ages which had inflicted a lasting divide between Christians and Muslims. They appear to be in contra-distinction to the message from the One who came as the Prince of Peace. Canon Dr David Kennedy from Durham University of Durham University expressed his views that these hymns sound too triumphalistic while the sense of the cost is missing: the power of Jesus Christ crucified.
In Eph 6 Paul does not delight in violence or agression but he was merely using the common image of a soldier, a disciplined soldier, to describe how believers should live in the world. There are 3 ways to look at this part of Eph 6: that it is
1. Essentially realistic: It recognizes that there is a fight to be fought and that this victory is constantly being worked out. This fight is not against men but also against spiritual enemies. Realistic? How real is this fight? It is one thing to be playing "Command and Conquer" game on the computer, but quite a different think to hold a real rifle and engage in warfare.
2. Essentially pastoral: Drawing to the conclusion of his letter, Paul wanted to remind the believers to remain a community fueled by love. Very often the Christian community interprets the fight in individualistic terms. Yes, we are all individuals combatting evil, yet there is an even more dimension i.e. to think of the fight in corporate terms. No one should operate like a solo combat figure, like Rambo. Rather, we are to see ourselves, each as a part of a larger battalion. If you were to read the passage in its original language, the plural is used here. Paul presents a challenge to the Body of Christ devoted to communal Christian living. What kind of community should they be? What is communal living supposed to look like?
Some take 3 years to go through the book of Ephesians, we are going through it rather speedily in comparison. Paul here shared the radical vision of a new community that is to stand out from the rest of the world: New Identity, humanity, morality, community, empowerment.
3, Essentially devotional: "Put on the whole armor", it is God's armour not ours. In the hymn Charles Wesley used the word, "Panoply of God" (panoply referring to a full suit of armor or ceremonial attire forming a protective covering) specifically to the armor comprising:
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| Descriptions of the Nature of God |
Instead, Paul's intention appears to be that we see them as a whole: all descriptions of the nature of God. It's to be worn as a whole. That's why it's untenable to desire that strength while neglecting God's Word. It's not about gifts and graces of our own but that our individual lives be aligned with that of God. The word, 'stand' is repeated 4 -5 times in this chapter for a purpose. Paul was urging them to stay and stand firm on their feet, to persevere in worship and continual prayer together which is also echoed in Heb 10:25.
In Paul's last words to this Church, he wrote with urgency and sobriety that the world is a dangerous place. He listed the enemy: rulers, authorities, cosmic forces and spiritual forces of evil; those that are seen as well as the unseen. Evil also exists in the organizational structure. Danger also lurks even in the seemingly safe places e.g. in our homes and also in the church.
How is the church to respond, 2 usual responses :
1. Flight
2. Fight
But there is yet a 3rd response i.e. to stand firm immovable, staying put in the battle empowered by the Spirit of God. Empowerment is not some magical power. For Paul, the key to standing one's ground in this fight is a continual deepening relationship with God where one stays rooted in the Lord. As long as we are rooted, connected to the source of power, we will be empowered to live the life God has in mind, acting out of who we are with Christ. GK Chesterton said, "Brave men are vertebrates; they have their softness on the surface and their toughness in the middle. But these modern cowards are all crustaceans; their hardness is all on the cover and their softness is inside. But the softness is there; everything in this twilight temple is soft."
Reflection question: What type of Christian are you? The Crustacean or Veterbrate Christian?
Having that power is not the goal. The goal is to have that power in order to stand our ground in the day of battle. This power is Christ in us the Hope of glory.
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