In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his followers to be perfect even as our Father in heaven is perfect (see Matthew 5:48). And in the Christian Science textbook, Mary Baker Eddy offers this deeper explanation: “God requires perfection, but not until the battle between Spirit and flesh is fought and the victory won” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 254). What is this battle? Where is it fought, and how do we equip ourselves to win it?
Jesus’ teachings require a dramatically different way of seeing and thinking about the material world we seem to live in. He didn’t come to maintain the status quo or to promote a way of thinking that would please everyone. He challenged the world to do battle with matter-based thinking and dogma in order to experience God’s reign of spiritual harmony—the supremacy of Spirit over the flesh. In other words, this battle takes place in individual consciousness.
As the Apostle Paul put it, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers . . .” (Ephesians 6:12). Principality in the Greek can mean first place, origin, or power (Henry George Liddell and Robert Scott, Greek-English Lexicon). This suggests we are wrestling with a false sense of man’s origin as material and mortal, making him inclined to sin, with the free will to choose whether or not to obey God.
Paul supplies us with a description of all the mental armor we could ever need.
As we wrestle, we must decide, moment by moment, who or what has power. Matter or Spirit? Sickness or health? Lies or Truth? Death or Life?
Paul supplies us with a description of all the mental armor we could ever need to win this mental battle. Just as David eschewed armor made of metal when he went to fight Goliath, so we, too, need only complete reliance on and trust in God, Truth. Paul instructs us to “put on the whole armour of God,” and to “stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth” (Ephesians 6:11, 14).
Girt means surrounded, and stand in Greek means to stand still or stop (Timothy Friberg, Barbara Friberg, Neva F. Miller, Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament). So Paul could be saying, “Don’t take another step—you can’t reason properly until you’re clear that you’re surrounded by Truth, that nothing but divine Truth is present and has power.”
In the same verse, he next advises that we put on “the breastplate of righteousness.” A breastplate is considered a very important piece of armor because it protects the heart. Righteousness includes a pure or undivided affection for divine law. This quality conveys power and protection because it puts us on the side of God. Righteousness is the pure awareness of and trust in God’s goodness, presence, and power only.
Next Paul tells us to protect our feet “with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (verse 15). Why are our feet important to protect? We need to remain upright on our feet and to travel on them. We can’t fight if we’ve fallen over!
We remain upright only as we let peace reign in our consciousness. Being peacemakers, feeling the presence of God as all-powerful Love, puts us on an unshakable foundation—the rock of Truth, which undergirds man’s inseparable relationship to God. This blesses all with whom we come into contact. As it says in Isaiah, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bring-
eth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good” (52:7).
The fourth piece of armor is “the shield of faith” (verse 16). The Greek word for shield Paul used referred to a large shield that covered the person completely. Just as a shield is a defense, shelter, or protection, so faith protects us from doubt, negativity, and fear. Paul says that faith quenches “all the fiery darts of the wicked”—those thoughts that claim evil is real, and that it can be a person, a place, or a thing.
Paul’s final instruction regarding armor here is to “take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (verse 17). Our spiritual helmet guards and protects our thinking. Wearing it defends us against all the arguments and lies hurled at us by the liar, personal sense, or what Paul called “the carnal mind” (Romans 8:7). Our sword is the Word of God. As a sharp sword cuts effectively, the Word, or divine Science, pierces every lie.
Several years ago, my husband and I entered into business selling Chinese antiques. This well-established field didn’t take kindly to newcomers, and we weren’t welcomed by our fellow dealers. Sales were made at weekend shows which attracted a celebrity crowd, and the market was highly competitive. Every dealer could see how well the others were doing, and who was buying from them. We soon found that lies which would undermine our business were circulating rapidly.
In one particularly difficult situation, the owner and president of a large company purchased numerous pieces from us. That same night, at midnight, our phone rang. I saw that it was this man who had purchased so much from us, so I answered it. He was furious and started hurling insults and threats, telling us to come pick up all our pieces and refund all of his money. He said another dealer had told him we were selling all fakes made new in the United States, not antiques from China.
Needless to say, this had the potential to put us out of business if these lies were believed. I never felt more in need of a suit of armor than at that moment!
As a student of the Bible, I knew exactly what Paul told us to use for effective armor. Mrs. Eddy refers to it as “the armor of divinity,” enabling us to overcome evil with good. When we know all mankind to be God’s beloved and upright children, God then supplies “the wisdom and the occasion for a victory over evil. Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach you” (Science and Health, p. 571).
Rather than resenting or fearing the lies being told, I kept my thought focused on the spiritual truth of God and man, and not the material picture. I especially held to the fact that everything God made is good and expresses Him. I “stood still” and listened for God’s voice, rather than being impressed at the level of anger being directed at us. I let righteousness reign in my consciousness and knew there could be no division. Where the oneness and allness of God, good, reigned supreme, none of us could be separate from God’s love.
My faith in God was extinguishing all the “fiery darts” being thrown at me.
I remained peaceful and calm and responded with love to everything the man said. I found my faith in God was extinguishing all the “fiery darts” being thrown at me. The power of divine reason and love pierced through all the lies being told about us, depriving them of any effect.
When I explained to this customer that we could show him our bills of lading from China, so he could see where each piece had come from, he became calm and invited us to come over the next day so I could explain further. I told him not to be mad at his friend who had told him these lies. It was a tough business, and sometimes people were tempted to use unscrupulous means to get ahead. But the fact that God created all after His likeness assured me that this other dealer was a better man than that.
All went well the next day and our customer kept everything he had purchased from us. We parted smiling and of one accord. And he continued to buy from us. A frightening and potentially damaging situation had turned into one of redemption and healing for all parties involved.
When we are willing to put on the spiritual armor of complete trust in God, we will find unfailing protection and witness the kingdom of God, of heaven and harmony, on earth.
