Armed to the Teeth

I started 2012 off by attending a Law Enforcement Leadership Symposium at the University of San Francisco. There are very few safer places to be than with a roomful of cops. During the conference, I was looking around the room and I noticed a man sitting a few feet away with a large caliber gun strapped to his ankle. I remember thinking that the guy had to be wearing bell bottom pants to accommodate the size of the weapon.

I got curious to see how many different ways cops carried their weapons. Some officers wore uniforms with guns secured in holsters attached to equipment belts that also held handcuffs, a collapsible baton, radio and pepper spray. A few tables over was a guy wearing a shoulder holster. Many of the attendees carried a simple holster on their belts with a badge attached in front of the gun so people would know they were cops. At least a dozen had fanny packs with a Velcro secured storage area to easily access their weapon.

The reality was that anyone spending any amount of time with this group would figure out that they were in the company of cops. What if the same were true for Christians? If you were out to lunch after church with a group of believers, would the people around you know you were a follower of Christ?

In Ephesians 6:14-17, the Apostle Paul calls us to put on the full armor of God. “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

We are called to take up the sword of the Spirit, specifically the Bible. That is our weapon. If cops carry guns, we should carry Bibles. I don’t think it's necessary to lug a five pound, leather bound, 10x16, multi-translation, concordance appendices, cross referenced with maps copy of the Holy Scriptures. I think it is enough to have a pocket New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs. Something that is readily accessible if you have a few minutes in your day to read a few verses or have the opportunity to share a passage with someone you encounter.

I carry a Bible that has photos of race cars on it. In fact the title reads, “Holy Bible – Stock Car Racing Edition.” Now before you start asking how, “For God so loved the world…” is translated so a NASCAR fan can identify with it, I will tell you it is a complete NIV version with stories about various race car drivers included as separate sections. I picked it up at a book store liquidation sale for fifty cents. The coolest part is that people see the race cars and ask me what the book is about! More important than that is I have the best weapon possible for living out my faith daily. If I leave the station with my gun on my hip, my Bible is in my equipment bag.

Paul tells us to be armed to the teeth. You can be equipped to do battle with the enemy and you don’t need a badge to do it.