ARMOUR 2 OF GOD. Some medical observations Ephesians 6:
Our God gave explicit instructions for us in our spiritual warfare. ‘Stand, therefore, having put on the breast-plate of righteousness.’ ( v14b) The Greek word ‘thorax’ is readily understood, as all structures in the chest cage, breast bone, 12 ribs on each side, the contents of heart and right and left lungs, thoracic vertebrae with discs, and oesophagus, in transit to the stomach.
The rib was chosen early in man’s creation, when GOD, the thoracic surgeon, anaesthetised Adam, removed one rib, ( organic or living tissue) and from it HE made woman, Eve, While man was taken from the dust of the earth, inorganic chemistry, made of dead things, woman was taken from the most elastic bone in man, and of living tissue. Matthew Henry pointed out : it was near his heart; it was close to his side for protection; it was the most flexible bone, pointing to woman’s versatility and adaptation; not from his head to rule over him; nor from his foot to be trodden under.
The rib of righteousness demands that husbands and sons recognise the unique blessing of our beloved life-partners and mothers, sisters; and that we honour them and cherish them Never, never to abandon God’s amazing creation from the rib of the first man for another . We are commanded to be loyal, loving, tender and compassionate. MartinLuther called her affectionately ‘Kitty, my rib’.
The thorax includes that wonder-working mechanism, the cardio-vascular system, pumping 60-80 times each minute, mounting to 5,000 times hourly, 120, 000 per day and one million times each 8 days. While the heart pumps blood to the lungs, the patient expires carbon dioxid e, lest we be poisoned, and inspires oxygen ( 16-20 times per minute ) from the process of photosynthesis from our provident trees. The hear tgathers the nutrients and conveys them toi every corner of our body, arteries,arterioles, capillaries. If we eat or drink unsuitable or noxious things, they ar edistributed to each cell of our body. His righteousness means that we only absorb all that is ‘all tha tis truye, noble, juast, pure, lovely, of good report, and if there be anything praiseworthy, we are to meditate omnthese things. ‘ ( Phil 4:8)
The breast-pl;ate of righteousness includes our marvellous lungs, so extensive that if they be opened out, they would cover the main Wimbledon tennis court. In the practice of medicne few things are more saddening than to find a pateinet with lungs, invaded by asbestos, afte working in the asbestos mines; coal caked with deposits from miners; or hiding a cancer from smoking cigarettes. The term ‘emphesema’ awakens many sympathies as they battle for breath, and depend on that bottled oxygen every minute of day and night. Some peoples live in a polluted atmosphere, and have a God-given right to breathe God’s pure air. Never should the child of God acquire a ‘taste’ for nicotine, for the battle is often long and lung and heart changes may occur in the process.
How much more should we inhale only the pure rich theology of our God. Don’t handle polluted things. Drink in the pure air of eternal blessing. Draw from the masters of past generations, and the spiritual leaders of our own.
A surgeon in Papua New Guinea via satellite telephone contacted a thoracic surgeon in the north ern Australia. It was no social call, ‘ Pete, I have a patient on the table with a spear through his chest. My senior nurse has commenced a thoracic spinal anaesthetic. What steps should I follow?’ So, Peter guided his friend, ( whom I had delivered a generation previously ) in the delicate removal of the heavily-jagged spear. Step by step. The spiritual truth is ‘Don’t get spears shot into your chest’. Keep from all the ‘flaming darts of the enemy.’ The righteousness of the thorax demands a living God.
The ‘thorax’ included the 12 thoracic vertebrae with their discs, sheltering the spinal cord with its impulses flowing to and from the head. A reminder that our security rests on the intactness of the spinal structures. We are totally dependent on our LORD.
A soldier’s foot wear is essential. Paul wrote, ‘Having your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.’ ( v15 ) The greaves of the foot were made of brass, which is able to withstand any fire throughw hich the soldier must walk. Daniel told how Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the burning, fiery furnace, but no fire distressed them with a clear witness for our Lord and saviour that He was with them. Sharp stones may cut the foot unless they be protected well.
In Papua New Guinea, each soldier was told to wrap the gaiters around their shins as Ephesians directed, so that the tick from scrub Typhus would not be able to bite and infect them. Unfortunately, many, who succumbed to Scrub Typhus from tick bite, could not bear the heat of the gaiters in the tropical atmosphere. In our hospital we fought for the lives of hundreds with this disabling disease, before Chloromycetin was available. By God’s grace 90% survived, but needed long convalescence.
One requirement was ‘above all’; namely ‘ Taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ‘ ( v16) Our God places high value on the faith of His children. Abram understood as God spoke to him in a vision,
‘ Do not be afraid. I AM your Shield, your exceeding great reward.’ ( Genesis 15:1 )
Abram’s faith was ina Person, his shield. God protected us from a thousand missiles.
Solomon wrote that ‘The Name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous runs thereto and is safe.’ ( Proverbs 18:10 ) The shield of faith leads us to the all-prevailing name of our dear Lord. As His children we must learn to hide in a sure place. Some believers must learn where to go when the pressure builds, and the enemy is ferocious.
Paul showed another side of this truth when he wrote in 2 Corinth 4:17-18, ‘ For our light affliction which is but for a moment , is working for us a far more exceeding weight of glory , while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things that are not seen. For the things that are seen are temporary, but the things that are not seen are eternal. ‘ I memorised this verse while working night duty in our Papua New Guinea hospital in WW11. Therefore 58years later, it is part of my heritage. With the shield of faith, we focus on the unseen, eternal things rather than the physical and visible.
Peter wrote of the devil ‘going about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he would devour’ ( 1 Peter 5:8,9) when he advised, ‘Resist him, steadfast in the faith knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished by your brotherhood in the world.’ Being steadfast in the faith we hold the shield of faith firmly , not tremblingly or uncertainly.
In the first letter of John 5:4, 5 we read ‘this is the victory that overcomes the world – our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God.‘ The youngest believer with a child-like faith achieved a victory in our Lord Jesus. The old battle-scarred veteran rested in his well-proven trust in His mighty God.
Your heart must have sung when you read ’Taking the shield of faith, you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the enemy.’ God has broadened His promises , including dousing all the flaming darts of the wicked one. That is no partial triumph; no tongue in the cheek about His victory; No excuse for ‘falling’in some moral area where the glowing temptation arrows scorched. No! The bible said truly,’ All the fiery darts.’ Complete conquest through the character of Christ.
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