For it is not against human enemies that we have to struggle, but against the principalities and the ruling forces who are masters of the darkness in this world, the spirits of evil in the heavens. That is why you must take up all God's ARMOR, or you will not be able to put up any resistance on the evil day, or stand your ground even though you exert yourselves to the full. So stand your ground, with truth a BELT around your waist, and uprightness a BREASTPLATE, wearing for SHOES on your feet the eagerness to spread the gospel of peace and always carrying the SHIELD of faith so that you can use it to quench the burning arrows of the Evil One. And then you must take salvation as your HELMET and the SWORD of the Spirit, that is, the word of God.      (Ephesians 6:12-17 NJB)

A call to arms! Paul, the great apostle and founder of the early church calls you! Calls you to what? To holy war, crusade, a Christian jihad, if you will? WRONG! Just the opposite, in fact. Let's go over it bit by bit. First, Paul says we are not fighting people, but principalities, ruling forces, evil spirits. What are they? They are the 'powers' referred to elsewhere in the Pauline epistles, powers such as Mammon (money), Mars (war), Eros (love of the flesh), idols such as nation, political systems, economic systems, glory, esteem, worldly success. Why do we fight them? Because as masters of darkness, they convince us to follow them instead of following the True God.

Mammon tells us money equals security, Mars tells us the way to peace is by war, Eros tells us to gratify our every carnal desire, the nation tells us it is deserving of our ultimate loyalty (you know, like the language about the ultimate sacrifice), politics tells us it can solve all our problems if we just trust the right party, the Market tells us a portfolio equals security, the world tells us a good name, the right neighborhood, the right friends, the right school district is what matters. How do we fight them? Not with force or violence. That is playing right into their hands. That is the language they know and understand.

Psychologists will tell you if are ever confronted with a situation of personal danger, and you don't have an option to flee, the smartest thing to do is to get the attacker off guard; do something weird, say something unexpected. Many people have talked themselves out of a potentially threatening circumstance this way. In the same way, if we fight the powers with force, that is something evil understands, they will just fight back harder.

Paul is saying: do something unexpected. Respond with the "weapons" of the gospel. He is subverting the violent use of the trappings of war and substituting a non-violent one: the belt (girding oneself for battle) of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes (which none but the wealthy or the soldier would have had in the 1st century) of the message of peace, the shield of faith in Jesus Christ, the helmet of salvation by God, and the sword of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Paul says that even if we fight physically with all of our might, we are doomed to failure. Rather, if we use the armor God provides us through his son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, we can defeat the evil powers of this world. Unfortunately, this victory may not always happen in the manner we expect. Jesus was victorious over the powers through his death on the cross.

Considering the cost of discipleship, Dietrich Boenhoffer said, "When Christ calls you, he bids you come and die." Jesus said, "For those who want to save their life will lose it. But those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it." (Mark 8:35) Paul echoes the message of Jesus: "Do not resist evil violently", (Matthew 5:39a) "Repay no one evil for evil." (Romans 12:17) Let us echo the life of Jesus ourselves in the way we respond to the "powers" of this world.

Father, provide us with your armor, your Word of truth, that we can combat the powers of this age, not by fighting in the way the world understands, but in a third way, the Way of your Son Jesus, a way of active non-violent resistance to the evils we see around us: war, hunger, oppression, disease, hopelessness. We do it so that not our will - but your will - be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

Contributed by David
Sunday March 19, 2006
Liturgical Year B Week 17