TO FIND a scene such as today’s picture gives us, we would have to go back several hundred years. The center of attraction in this picture is a knight.
Knighthood originated in England nearly eight hundred years ago, and lasted for about five hundred years. Knights were trained from childhood for the service they were to render. When grown and fully prepared, they went out to fight—sometimes for their religion, sometimes to protect the weak and oppressed who needed help, and sometimes for other reasons. In any case the knight was thoroughly armed.
We can readily see this if we study our picture carefully. He was dressed from head to foot in armor, made of many pieces of metal, fastened together.
See how interested all the family are. Some of them are putting on the pieces and fastening them together, while the others look on. The father has his pinchers, hammers and other tools, to make the armor secure. Little sister is holding the helmet, which will be put over his head the last thing.
Dear reader, why was the knight dressed in this way? Was it not that he might be safe from the attack of the enemy? This armor could not be pierced by swords and daggers, and thus often kept the young knight from being killed. If we expect to go into a fight without being killed, we must be armed for that fight.
Are you armed and ready to fight? Perhaps you are surprised at this question, and answer, “I don’t fight!”
It is true you do not go out to fight the way the young man in the picture went; but if you are a Christian, there is a battle for you to fight, and the Lord tells you in His Word how you should arm yourself for this battle.
You do not have to fight against some man who has a sword. Your enemy is Satan. He is the enemy of Christ Jesus and of all His followers. You, as a Christian, should be a follower of the Lord Jesus, and always watching against this dangerous enemy.
Do you ask how you can fight him? Well, he does not come to you with a sword or a gun. You all know that. But he puts naughty thoughts in your heart, and these naughty thoughts often make you say and do naughty things.
God, in His Word, tells us the weapons we need, to save us from these attacks of Satan. You will find it in Eph. 6:10-1810Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13Wherefore 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. 14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (Ephesians 6:10‑18), and Heb. 4:1212For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12).
In this armor, your sword is the Word of God. If you meet Satan with God’s Word, he is defeated. If our thoughts are filled with God’s precious truth, there is no room for the naughty thoughts Satan would like to thrust in. This “Sword of the Spirit” is a wonderful sword, and will give you victory in every battle, if you use it.
The shield is the piece of armor held up to ward off the darts that the enemy hurls. Our shield is the “Shield of Faith”. If a man gets frightened and drops his shield, it is no protection. So we must not filar, but have faith in God. Here again the darts of Satan cannot reach us.
Dear reader, this is a great warfare we are waging, and we need constantly the Lord’s help.
Let us keep the eye fixed on Him and be ever armed with the perfect armor He supplies, so that we can say with the apostle Paul, “I have fought a good fight”. 2 Tim. 4:77I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: (2 Timothy 4:7).
ML 12/29/1912