Thought for the Month

Paris hosts this year’s Olympic Games from 26 July. There will be teams from countries all over the world. Sportspeople will compete in many sports with different skills to win a medal, even a gold medal. Since the modern Games began in 1896 in Athens it has grown larger and larger, and standards have increased over the years with many Olympic and World Records. These athletes are considered the best in the world and aim to be at their peak for performance at the games.

These Olympic Games were initiated to imitate the ancient Olympic Games in ancient Greece. The athletes in ancient times who competed were in regular exercise to ensure they were fit and strong enough to go to battle and win against their enemies in military campaigns.

There were two types of races which Paul refers to in his epistles: the first was a speed test where the aim was to finish first and the second was an endurance test the aim being to finish the course, rather like the London marathon now.

In Tudor times jousting had become a sport for young knights. It was a match between two men on horseback with a lance in one hand while wearing armour including a helmet and breastplate. They would gallop and attempt to dislodge the other knight. It enabled the young knights to practice for real life battles between two armies. The thick armour was very important as it was a dangerous event one in which Henry II of France died in 1559. It shows a link between sport and warfare.

Paul’s military metaphors using the whole armour of God relate very well. Paul used the language of military defense weapons such as the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit. (Eph. 6:10‑18)

Battles and military campaigns feature in a lot of the Old Testament books. Daniel saw the battles in the Middle East which first led to his being taken captive to Babylon and then later witnessed the overthrow of Babylon by Cyrus of Persia. Daniel showed great faith in that alien land and passed every test of faith including being placed in a lions’ den.

After his baptism Jesus was tested in the wilderness by Satan. During his three and a half years ministry he was tested and persecuted by the religious leaders of Israel, which led to his sacrificial death close by Jerusalem. It is not surprising that Jesus’ followers have trials and tests in the years following consecration, hence the need to prepare ourselves for tests too by wearing the armour of God.

The Day of the LORD or Day of God’s wrath sweeps away the systems of this world. The conclusion of this day is often figured in God striking dead 185,000 of Sennacherib’s troops the night before the battle showing God as the victor, not the might of men of war. It showed His power to deliver which provides comfort in these troublesome times.