Spiritual armor can help us

Arnold Anthony didn’t expect to see his 28th birthday.

Like other soldiers, he heard gunfire that split the air. He saw planes fly through smoky skies as he waited to be part of a fight where so many lives would be lost.

It was June 6, 1944, and Arnold was part of the Allied Invasion of Normandy, France.

June 6 was his mother’s birthday, but Arnold thought he’d never see her again.

His birthday would be the next day — June 7.

Under normal circumstances, Arnold would celebrate with family.

There’d be no celebration that year and Arnold figured he wouldn’t live long enough to see his birthday anyway.

Simply put: Arnold was in a battle.

Are you in a battle?

Or does it look like one is about to occur?

Take heart.

Remember, you’re not alone.

Reach out to God with whom all things are possible.

And put on your armor.

The Apostle Paul talks about the Armor of God in the New Testament book of Ephesians.

After telling the Ephesians about the blessings they have and how to live as Christians, Paul says this:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power,” Paul writes. “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

What’s he talking about?

There’s good and evil and God and Satan and Jesus says the devil comes only to “kill, steal and destroy.”

As Bible teachers will tell you, your enemy isn’t that person who’s giving you trouble.

It’s the enemy of our souls who seeks to cause strife, division and pain.

Paul explains: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, 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.”

That can sound scary, but we don’t have to be afraid — not with the God of the whole universe behind us.

Our God — who created the heavens and earth and raised Jesus from the dead — is all-powerful. God knows everything (1 John 3:19-20) and he’s everywhere (Psalm 139:7).

And he’s certainly stronger than Satan, whom he cast out of heaven and whom was defeated when Christ died on the cross to save us from our sins.

I love how the Rev. Kurt Steinbach, former pastor of Full Life Church in Fremont, used to describe God’s protection.

He’d talk about the old Tom and Jerry cartoons. You’d see a mouse named, Jerry, running from a cat called, Tom.

Things would look scary for Jerry, until he ran behind a great, big bulldog.

Tom was no match for the bulldog.

And Satan is no match for God.

So what’s our part?

We must get dressed.

As Paul says, “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

What armor?

Paul tells us to stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around our waist and the breastplate of righteousness. Our feet must be fitted with the shoes of the Gospel of peace.

We must take up the shield of faith with which we can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit — which is the word of God.

In her wonderful Bible study, “The Armor of God,”* author and speaker Priscilla Shirer talks about each piece in inspiring and insightful ways.

She talks about the belt of truth — which can keep us strong at our core, helps us carry our loads and makes us less likely to buckle under pressure.

Knowing the truth of God’s word, which says he’ll never leave nor forsake us, helps me in tough times.

Priscilla also tells how Roman soldiers had hobnails in the bottom of their footwear – kind of like cleats on a football player’s shoes. Those soldiers’ special shoes helped them stay upright on rocky ground.

Similarly, God’s peace can give us the stability we need and help us keep our footing when everything else is swirling.

As for shields, Roman soldiers had wooden ones with iron in the center. The big shields were covered in canvas and then leather to deflect enemy arrows. Soldiers soaked the shields in water to extinguish the arrows.

Our shields of faith can extinguish the enemy’s flaming arrows of fear, doubt and insecurity.

Priscilla talks about prayer, not listed as one of the official pieces of armor, but which is vital.

She compares prayer to Skype, which helps people see and talk to each other through the computer.

Prayer is like an internet connection to God.

In more recent terms, I’d say it’s like a Zoom conference or a phone call with God.

It puts us in touch.

Priscilla shares so much more inspiration in her study about armor.

So how do we get this armor?

We believe Jesus died for us, ask forgiveness for our sins and ask Christ to come into our hearts.

When that happens, we get the Holy Spirit, our helper, comforter and guide.

We gain truth and peace by reading God’s word and seeking him in prayer. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. Nobody comes to the father but by me.”

As we seek, obey and trust God, we can see our faith grow as we watch him work out situations in our lives.

We can gain so much through our relationship with the Lord and we can be strong through battles we never thought we’d be able to conquer.

What happened to Arnold Anthony?

He lived to see his 28th birthday and so many more.

Arnold faced some tough stuff, which I learned about when I first interviewed the Fremont man in 1994.

He described his role in the invasion.

Arnold, who served with the 90th Infantry Division, remembers waiting offshore in a landing craft during what would be described as “The Longest Day.”

Some of his fellow soldiers got sick in the choppy waters of the English Channel.

Few spoke.

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With so many other landing crafts ahead of them, Arnold’s unit couldn’t get to the beach until the next day or so.

When they hit the beach, they saw dead Allied soldiers and ruined equipment.

“The worst thing was seeing the fellas who had died ahead of us,” he said. “They were just lying there on the ground.”

Arnold and other soldiers fought through the Battle of the Bulge that winter.

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The 90th division made its way across France, Belgium and Germany and had reached what was then called Czechoslovakia when the war ended in 1945.

Arnold came home.

And the man who didn’t think he’d live so see his next birthday was awarded the Bronze Star for bravery and was 85 when he died in February 2002.

Long before his death, Arnold told me how grateful he was to make it home.

Someday, we’ll make it home, too.

It will be a place that Christ has prepared for us in heaven, where battles and heartache don’t exist.

Best of all, we’ll be with Jesus, who won the biggest battle ever when he gave his life on the cross.

And who with his resurrection gives us the best victory.

* “The Armor of God” Priscilla Shirer, copyright 2015 Lifeway Press.

This article originally ran on fremonttribune.com.