Put on the full armor of God

In this time of concern for the whole World, we who are Catholic Christians know that we can pray about and on behalf of all the people, places, and things affected by this affliction. We especially need to pray for our leaders in health, politics, and faith that all of them will work together in one accord to restore hope, healing, and health to all. This era of COVID-19 VIRUS is not just a battle against the diseases that attack our flesh, but indeed also against the "wickedness and snares of the devil." Many of us are praying to St. Michael, Prince of the Heavenly Host, to defend us against the army of evil that attempts with such vigor to oppress us. We are called to be in that Army of God which is commanded by St. Michael and includes the Angels – especially our own Guardian Angels. Like any army, we must be equipped and thoroughly furnished to enter into battle. God himself is our Armorer, so let us learn about how he has given us everything we need to fight the good fight. In four installments we will learn about the Armor of God and about Spiritual Warfare.

We begin with The Full Armor of God Part 1:

The Armor of God

 ¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² 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. ¹³ 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. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  ¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Here is the plan for the discussion that follows:

Paul, like everyone in the Roman Empire, was very familiar with Roman soldiers. A Roman solder had saved his life in Ephesus and Jerusalem, there were Roman solders with him on his travels to Rome for his trial, and Roman soldiers were his guard in his long imprisonment. The Roman Army was the best trained, best prepared, most efficient, and best outfitted army in the world at that time. The uniform they wore was indeed "uniform." Paul describes it on the basis of, and probably in the order of, the way the uniform was put on. First was the belt.

Belt of Truth

This was not a belt like the one we think of today holding up a pair of trousers. The Roman soldier's belt was the foundation of the uniform, and its use was far more important than just decoration and its purpose far more important than simple utility; it was the ultimate Utility Belt. This belt was a remarkable tool that carried a wide variety of basic fighting equipment. It was this very wide belt which was used to fasten the sword to the soldier's side. It had places to attach rations, smaller weapons like darts, lengths of rope, and other weapons for close combat. The belt was so important that it was always put on carefully, tied in several places so that it would not shift. This ensured the soldier would always be able to find and use the implements attached to the belt without fumbling or hesitation. No matter how he moved or what terrain he was covering, the belt stayed in place and assured him the quickest-possible access to weapons of defense and offense. The belt even contained "testimony" of the soldier's valor, battles, and victories. This belt, when properly prepared and correctly set up and mounted, marked the man as a true soldier of Rome. The completeness of his training in using this belt and everything carried on it made him a formidable foe and a pragmatic protector.

Paul tells us to put on the Belt of Truth. Bearing in mind this description of the soldier's belt, we see first that Paul is telling us that Truth is the foundation of our uniform. The Truth we learn through careful and accurate training is the foundation of everything a Christian does. Everything we need to keep handy in our spiritual battle with The Accuser is right at our fingertips, supported and organized by Truth. No matter what we're going through, if our belt has been well-made (accurate and valid) and our training has been carefully learned, we will be well-prepared to take on the enemy. The Truth will also bear testimony to the virtue, valor, and victory we achieve when in uniform.

Breastplate of Righteousness

This was a carefully crafted device which covered the front and back of the upper torso ("thorax"). There were a number of designs and each design was based on the purpose of the protection needed. The idea was to protect the vital organs of the wearer without compromising his ability to move. It had to be lightweight and could not restrict movement. It also had to be strong enough to protect the wearer from the kind of battle he was likely to encounter. Seasoned, more senior warriors with the highest skills would have the best armor. Newer soldiers whose function was to be part of an initial skirmish often had lesser-quality armor. As one might expect, the breastplate had an intimate connection with the belt. The two were attached is such a way as to make them quite nearly a single, flexible, strong unit. The solder put on the belt first, and next came the breastplate. Once these were secured and tested, other pieces of the armor were added; however, without these two pieces, the other parts of a soldier's armor were almost ineffective – certainly ineffective for war and close combat.

Paul assigns to the breastplate the term "righteousness." I confess form many years I thought this meant the righteousness of the soldier – my righteousness. I believed that my lack of righteousness – such as feigned virtue, personal immorality, easy duplicity, and lack of integrity – which created "holes in my armor." This made sense to me – until I learned that the righteousness Paul intends is the Righteousness of God. It is His righteousness that protects me, not my self-righteousness. If I had to rely on my own righteousness, well, I'd be at a considerable disadvantage against our enemy. God's righteousness, however, is unassailable, invincible, and impenetrable. When I connect God's Righteousness to well-ordered Truth, I have basic protection that will help preserve my life, make it more difficult for the enemy to wound or overcome me, and a foundation upon which I can place additional armor that further protects me. What I gain in protection is strong enough to last but easy enough to carry that it is not a burden; it does not weaken me before or during battle by wearing me out.

Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever
— at your service, Belovéd!