Live By The Sword

About a month ago I was looking at Jake Parker's blog and saw he was drawing Samurai. This got me to thinking about the movie "The Last Samurai" and a presentation I saw by James-Micheal Smith, a Gordon Conwell student giving his final presention for graduation. I've been wondering for some time about how to use the gifts God gave me for illustration in ministry, and I thought I would give this a try.

There are a surprising number of references to armor in the Bible. Paul uses the imagery of armor three times; Ephesians 6:10-20; Romans 13:12; 2Corinthians 6:7. With each of these illustrations the point is to lay aside the darkness and sin of former lives, to become a new person. It's really wonderful because the person inside is no different, but that which we put on has a new purpose with a utilitarian nature. The image is unlike the white washed tombs of the Pharisees. We are not meant to be monuments which are to be mourned, and posthumously honored. The armor of God is the light to share God's grace and love with others. That's why when Paul describes it in Ephesians each piece of the armor is a character trait.

The Samurai lived lives of discipline and service. It is said they would "live by the sword, or die by the sword - their own, or their enemies." If we Christians were to live that way what would be the sword in our lives? Paul refers to the "sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God." What if Scripture, and the good news of God's love for the world were our Sword? What if we lived lives "by the sword" that shared the love of Christ before we spoke our first word? What if the death we die is knowing we have finished the race well, or that we have been dishonored and disgraced by the sword of the world which is sin? It kinda puts a whole new twist on "Onward Christian Soldiers," don't it?