ARMOUR 3 OF GOD some medical observations.  Ephesians 6.

The apostle Paul continued, ‘And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God.” (v17)  The helmet protects the head, which controls every part of the body.  All the five senses, sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch are from the head.  The five appetites, hunger, thirst, sleep, sex ( in marriage ) and self-recognition or affirmation are controlled by the head. All the body systems have organs, which are directed by the head, ,which must, therefore, be safeguarded.

Goliath forgot the purpose of his helmet, when he guffawed at David, the young stripling, approaching him with a sling and five smooth stones.  His brass helmet ( made to endure fire and blows) sat loosely on his head. As the impetuous Goliath roared uncontrollably, his helmet slipped off his monstrous head, exposing his forehead.  One smooth stone from David found an unprotected part of the skull which cracked when the smooth stone struck it.  Ping! The skull fractured and the underlying Middle Meningeal artery burst on the violent contact; and the giant crumbled.  David stood on his enemy, removed his sword and decapitated him.  Victory swung immediately to the Israelites.  The battle was over.  The whole Philistine army retreated.  David had won.

Surprisingly, even Christ is pictured in Isaiah 59:17 as ‘Putting on righteousness as a breastplate and a helmet of salvation on His head.’ Our Lord is the ideal example for us.  

The Son of God, the Son of Mary, memorised Scripture in His boyhood at Nazareth.

Practise it in your homes, Bible classes, youth clubs.  One day they will bless you for it.

Paul continued the advice to his faithful ones, ‘ Let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love  and as a helmet the hope of salvation.

While a dear brother recited scripture to a newly-reborn believer, I realised how the memory bank, stored in the frontal cortex of the brain, is God’s hard disc ( in computer language ) to preserve all the scripture committed to memory. Therefore, we must guard the brain protected by the helmet of salvation.  Our memory bank stored all the know-how acquired in our professional studies, and also  every precious truth of God’s great salvation.  Practise memorising the word of God, by storing it in the frontal tissues.

Your word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you. ‘ ( Psalm 119:11)

Substance abuse, alcohol, amphetamines, marihuana can destroy the memory bank.

Physical sports, like boxing can bruise sensitive tissue, and damage blood supply.

We do not dabble with these basic matters.

We are also commanded to put on ‘the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God,’ (v17)  This is part of the verse considered , relating to the hiding of God’s word. Scripture defines clearly the bible as the sword ( or cutting edge ) of the Holy Spirit.  In1959, Dr Billy Graham preached to our nation, holding high his bible and shouting ‘The bible says’, the memory of which is clear 42 years later.

Isaiah indicated this when he wrote, ‘ The Lord has called me from the womb: from the matrix of my mother He has made mention of my name.  He has made my mouth like a sharp sword. ( 49:2) This explains why some burst into tears on hearing the faithful teaching of the Word of God; while others meditate quietly on the Scripture they have heard, until they are deeply drawn to the Saviour.  As prophet, Isaiah understood why after announcing the  penetrating Word, many would respond.      

One of the most intriguing medical descriptions in all Scripture is Hebrews definition of the word of God, ‘For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division  of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow; and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ( 4:12 )

Peter on the day of Pentecost discovered how alive and powerful was the word of God, for he quoted from old testament prophecies, which came alive,  so that the vast assembly responded to the word, crying ‘What must we do to be saved.’ (Acts 2)  

Although his preaching cost Stephen his life, he discovered the power of quoting the word in the force of the Holy Spirit, and seeing such conviction of heart from the hearers, including the hated Saul; later to become the strong evangelist of the Gentiles.

Later, Paul saw God’s word do its mighty work as he preached at Philippi, bringing Lydia and her household ( family and associates )to living faith in the risen Lord Jesus. 

‘The word of God pierces to the division of soul and spirit.’ ( Heb 4:12).  Ian Thomas, founder of Capernwray, defined soul as ‘mind,( intelligence ) emotions ( deep inner feelings ), and will (or volition.)  How can the bible truth distinguish  between the soulish and the spiritual.   Much church activity is only in the sphere of the soul and not in the realm of the spiritual.  It is disturbing to realise this.  King Saul did much in the area of the soul.  For example, he approved David’s triumph over godless Goliath, yet rejected David as the ‘sweet psalmist of Israel,’ bringing the spiritual comfort from the great hymns of faith.    His javelin practice was soulish – and devilish.  Thank God he missed.

Saul, the persecutor of the early church lived for his mind, ( he regarded christians as pagan), his emotions, (for he hated christians),  his strong will ( determined to eradicate every true believer).  His soul dominated all his activity: until he met the living, risen Lord on the Damascus road, when he became a spiritual person. Then he loved the One he previously hated, using his immense intelligence to show Christ in the Scriptures, and exercising a will that took him ultimately through martyrdom to eternal glory.  The bible divides soul and spirit. So, l0earn to distinguish. It will save you much heartache.

God shows Himself as the Master Physiologist in the next clause, ‘ Division between  joints and marrow.’ Joints allow movement of parts in our body.  Cartilage lined with synovial membrane covers the ends of two bones, moving freely on each other, lubricated with that amazing synovial fluid. This allows the violinist, pianist,  surgeon, fine artisan,  needle-worker to perform through a life time.  The body of Christ moves freely at every joint, except for trauma, such as fracture, dislocation, arthritis. Don’t let these spoil your oneness in the body of Christ.  The word of God promotes free fellowship of believers, that delightful interaction of one with another; to which  the world is a stranger. Use your professional understanding in reading scripture.

This contrasted with the ‘marrow’, especially from the flat bones, where the reproduction of the blood cells is established.  Wonder of wonders,  hard bone, well lined with blood supply and nervous tissue,  produces living cells continuously night and day.   The word of God reproduces spiritual life.  The rich young ruler came to Christ, seeking, ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life’?  Our Lord reminded him of the word of God from Moses’ Ten commandments. (Luke 18) The miracle of  forming and  maintaining around 5 million red cells and 5-7 thousand white cells per millilitre is perpetuated in the bone marrow.  Only a Creator God can do that!    

Christ reproduces His eternal life in every believer.

Do praise Him for such infinite, loving care.

These Armour of God studies will be concluded in the next web site addition.  Invite your friends to join you. May God bless you  - real good! (as Billy Graham used to say).